The Sun.
London, England, 1864-09-20 00:00:00

able compact by the American people. . . And what a
time is this to proclaim such a policy,conceived in treachery,
and brought forth with shameless effrontery. A cessation
of hostilities on the heels of decisive naval and land battles
at the very moment that the rebellion, without a single fort
in its possession on the coast, or on either of the great rivers
or lakes, is crumbling to the earth, and at the same time a
dozen new ships of war are going to complete the invest-
ment by sea, and 300,000 Volunteers are rushing to the
lines to complete the work of restoration and pacification.
He defended the President against the accusations
brought against him by the Democrats respecting
slavery :
The chief complaint against the President is that ho will
not accept peace on the basis of the integrity of the Union,
without having also the abandonment of slavery. When
and where have the insurgents offered him peace on the
basis of the integrity of the Union ? Nobody has offered it.
The rebels never will offer it. They are determined and
pledged to rule this Republic or ruin it. I told you here a
year ago that, practically, slavery was no longer in question,
that it was pedaling under the operation of the war. That
assertion has been confirmed. The Union men in all the
Slave States that we have delivered are even more anxious
than we are to abolish slavery. Witness Western Virginia,
Maryland, Missouri, Louisiana, Tennessee, and Arkansas.
Jefferson Davis tells you in effect the same thing. He says
that it is not slavery, but independence and sovereignty for
which he is contending. There is good reason for this. A
hundred dollars in gold is only a year's purchase of the
labour of the working man in every part of the United
States. At less than half that price you could buy all the
slaves in the country. Nevertheless our opponents want a
distinct exposition of the President's views on the ultimate
solution of the slavery question, Why do they want it ?
For the same reason that the Pharisees and Sadducees
wanted an authoritative resolution of the questions of
casuistry which arose in their day. One of these sects be-
lieved in a kingdom to come, and the other denied the re-
surrection of the dead. Nevertheless they walked together
in loving accord in search of instruction concerning the
spirit world. " Master," said they," there was a man of our
nation who married a wife and died, leaving six brothers.
Those brothers successively married the widowed woman,
and afterwards died. And last of all the woman also died.
In the resurrection which of the seven shall have this
woman to wife." Now, what was it to them whether one
or all should have the woman to wife in heaven P It could
be nothing to the Sadducees in any case. What was it to
any human beiug on this side of the grave ? What was it
to any human being in heaven except the woman and her
seven husbands ? Absolutely nothing. Yet they would have
an answer. And they received one. The answer was, that
while in this mortal state men and women shall never cease
to marry and to die, there will be in the resurrection neither
Ideath nor marrying nor giving in marriage. Although al-
together unauthorised to speak for the President upon hy-
pothetical questions, I think I can give an answer upon the
subject of slavery at the present day—an answer which will
be explicit, and I hope not altogether unsatisfactory. While
the rebels continue to wage war against the Government of
the United States, the military measures affecting slavery
which had been adopted from necessity to bring the war
to a speedy and successful end, will be continued, except
so far as practical experience shall show that they can be
modified advantageously with a view to the same end.
When the insurgents shall have disbanded their armies and
laid down their arms the war will instantly cease, and all
the war measures then existing, including those which
affect slavery. will cease also, and all the moral, economical
and political questions, as well questions affecting slavery
as others which shall then be existing between individuals
and States and the Federal Government, whether they
arose before the civil war began, or whether they grew out
of it, will, by force of the Constitution, pass over to the arbi-
trament of courts of law and to the councils of legislation,"
Mr Seward concludes as follows :
The sun is setting. So surely it shall rise again, so
surely do I think that the great events we have now cele-
brated prelude the end of our national troubles, and the
restoration of the national authority with peace, prosperity,
and freedom throughout the whale land, from the lakes to
he gulf, and from ocean to ocean,