The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1858-06-24


hopeless. Permit me to say that while be-
leve this generally to be sincerely said, it is
nevertheless mistakenly said. Not unfrequenty
the Slave Power is represented "a "eagle eyed"
" sagacious," " DO werful," " all conuuering,"
and the like. Says Wendell Phillips, in a re-
cent speech at New York:
Z" 1t seems to me that, when we stand in such
mouth as tbis--Kansas conquered-under
the heel of the Federal Government A voice
not YET Il say, under the heel of the FEEDER
al Government, and there is nothing to oppose
it but the PAPER promises that have been made
ninety -aud.niue times, and broken, applause
promises of Eastern presses, promises of Kan.
sas leaders, promises of Republican parties in
Washington, all made, and, doubt not, in
many instances, believed-and all broken
say Kansas, under the heel of the Federal Gov
eminent, and President Buchanan is as strong,
with forty thousand postmasters and seventy
millions OF revenue, as Napoleon, with FIVE hun
dred thousand armed men, in a country where
the sin OF moi being rich is only stoned for by
the effort to become so Laughter. Then,
what is before US, for what purpose does the
President and his Cabinet clear the checker.
board Why, in order to bring Cuba and Cen.
trail America and the revival of the slave trade
on the board. In three months, you will not
hear of Kansas. 1t will be dead horse, trite
subject, forgotten. The speaker will be slow
who goes back to Kansas. II will be covered
three feet deep with Cuba, Central America, and
q new slave trade. The Presidential
election will never go by honest votes-mark
me. 1t will go, as Kansas and Minnesota have
gone, by reckless cheating, by Democracy
that assumes despotism without the name, aud
means 10 control this Government, and make
it what it pleases."
We have made thia long quotation to call the
attention to the fact that the enemies of Slavery
have become SO habitusted to calling the Slave
Power "sagacious profound" and the like,
thas II it makes ever 30 great q 6lunder, the cry
is still kept up, and they will contend that the
Save Power is victorious, when it has gained
nothing nay, when it is utterly defeated
Kansas under the heel of the Federal Gov.
ernment, Mr.. Phillips cries, and reiterates thu
cry again and again, and the audience shouts,
I" that ia true" Now, we assert that it is not
true at all. Let us see VIVA. this "sagacious
Power ha' accomplished since the organization
of this Territory. With the aid OF the Federal
Government, the advantage Of proxi nity, aud
a mesnness that has no rival, it has succeeded
in annoying the people Of Kansas for about
three years, taking much property aud destroy.
ing many valuable lives. This much it certain.
ly has accomplished. But what did it cost thu
Slave Power to achieve this brilliant cictOrg
Why, We think, about as much property, nearly
or quite as many lives and, added to this, =
name it once had, called honor, The loss of every
thing it contendsd for, and now the most noto-
rious leaders in this shameful business are fugi.
tires irow the Territory. And yet Mr.. Philips
thinks thcY have achieved q mos; splendid vie.
tory, and IL sees NJ Least three more IN the fu.
ture-" Cuba, Central America, aud the alav,,
TRADE and all within the short space Of the.
months. We are not prepared to say how many
such victories as that which they are said o.
have won in Kansas they will be able to stand,
bat, if many, we shall have a better opinion OF
their resources than Of their sagGcity, which is
so often admiripgly alluded TO.
Mr.. Phillips quotes Wellington's opinion oc
Napoleon, Who says, HE greatest merit was.
that he had an eye like an eagle to see thee
weak points of an enemy, and power, beyonI
all known to history, to concentrate million
men upon one point"
Says Mr.. Phillips, " The Slave Power is "a
sdgaci0us; it secs exactly where is the weak
point in the moral attitude Of the opponents OF
Slavery, and it drecs its eforts there"
In what this wonderful sagacity of the Slave
Power consists, OF which Mr.. Phillips so often
and so admiringly speaEs, he does not exactly
define. Perhaps it is in part the ability which
that Power has shown in preserving its as
ceadeHcy over the free States. Let as see how
successful it has been in this particular.
When the Government was originated, it Was
numerically tl0elre times stronger than it's riral
How stands the case now? With twelve times
the capital of its rival to start WITH had it pos
sessed the ability to manage that capital, it
should not only have held it, own, but iucreas-
ed the ratio OF its power How stands the case?
It's rival, that began with tICeLfh has gained
its Sirth, its third aud 80 on, until it stood IN
tegsr for integer, and now it has seventeen for
fifteen. This is the result of its sagacity du-
ring the first seventy years of the Governments
existence. Twelve to one produced, in seventy
years, fit cen to seventeen. This certainly
ought to awaken our highest admiration.
From this data, let US state problem for Mr.
Phillipss solution. Ii, with twelve times the
strength of Usak rival, "SagaciOqs ami
eagle eyed Po,oer" in seventy years produces
fifteen to seventeen, what length of time will be
required to produce a complete triumph? Or
if ne prefers this statement of the question, we
shall be equally interested to know the result
of his cipheIing, w if i | J produce in 20
years IL to 10, whs. length of time will be re-
q1ired for II: ID to produce a total failure
We hope Mr.. Phillips will give us his figures at
his earliest convenience. We see no other
way Of stating the question, which will give the
result which Mr.. Phillips seems confident this
sugscious Power is destined to attain. Bat as
we differ with Mr.. Phillips, and think the Slave
Power noisy, pindy, and arrogant, rather than
eage.eyed and powerful to achieve, we will
state the question in accordance with historical
facts.
1t is as follows: if LIZ by 10 years gain
II 80, how long will it take 1892 to make q
triumph? In a period Of seventy years, the
free States have grown TO be 22t.l5, or IA III 10
times stronger than at the origin of the Govern
mo 10 an
something besides dependency. Then there is
something unnatural for the friends of Free
dom to constantly sing the praises Of their enc
mics. 1t the Save Power does really achieve
victory, let it do its own shouting. We sug
gest to Mr.. Phillips, that it is quite as bad pol
icy to shou. victorg for our enemies, as to al
low the enemy 20 choose when and how 10
fight" We should be greatly delighted to hea,
Mr.. Phillips ard lis friends sometimes declare
one of Freedoms vic cries, to sometimes sh9ut
the sword Of the Lord, and the sword of Gideon.
We can't help thinking that freedoms host
would be quite as much inspired by this cry, as
to- constantly shout that Baal is God. One
would be led to suppose, from many of the Anti
Slavery speakers, that Baal was indeed $50
strong. and that Freedom had but cns man to
fight its battles. Let these men turn to shout.
ing, "Those that are for US are more than those
that be against usl" and we venture the pre-
diction that there viii soon be q scampering
south of Mason and Dixon's line. Let these
men remember that battles are not unfreq 1eut-
" carried by shouting; and if they do not wish
to mix In the fight" let them a. least shout
on the right side. To wa ca the enemy enough
to gain q knowledge of his novements, we do
not mean to censure, but let us take counsel OF
cur friends.
We sometimes hear Milton complained of,
that he makes hero CT the Devil but he at