, 1860-08-09
CARL SCHURZ'S SPEECH
The 1rrepressible Conflict and tho Dis
solution Of the Union.
[Conetudtd fIoM yesterday. !

does not wear its livery except upon occasions
| Of atAte.
This programme is ~ follows: The agitation
Of ths slavery question, North add South, Is to
be arrested: ths fugitive slave law, in its pres.
ent form, is to be strictly carried out, and al
Sta.s liquidation impeding its execution to be
renesled: the constitutional right Of slavery to
oscupv the Territories ofthe United States, aud
to be protected there, is to ba acknowledged !;
all measures tending to impede the ingress of
ries are to be abandoned; the opposition to the
conquest md uunexatiou Of foreign countries,
out Of which more slave States can be formed
is to be given up; the economical policy of the
planting interest, TO The exclusion Of the en-
couragenent Of home industry. is to become
the ruling policy Of the country.
This is the Southern solution Of tho !" ire
| pre6sibte conflict"
This programme possesses at least the merit
| of logic. The logic of slavery and deapotism
azainxt the logic Of free labor and liberty. The
| issue is now plainly made up. Free labor is
| summoued to submit to the measures which
slavery deems necessary for its perpetuation.
We are called upon to adapt our laws and sys-.
| TENS of policy, aud tho whole development Of
| our social organization, to the necessities ana
| interests Of slavery. Wa are sunsmo'<d to sar'
rtndfr. Let lis for moment judge the peoPe
| OF the free States by the meaueat criterion VIC
Gun think Of; let Us apply suppos1tion to tneo''
| which, if applied to :ourselses, We would, con-
slider an insult
Ifhe people OF the free States we're 50 dsvo.a
Of moral sense as not to distinguish ue.~;en ;s,,l
| right and wrong; 20 devoid Of generous I'M"
| ppIses as not to sympashise with the down-tsod-
| den and degraded: SO deyoid Of manly PRIDE os
| to be naturally inclined to submit 10 everybody
who wss impudent enough 70 assume the com.
| mand-tell me, even IN this worst, thls most
disgusting Of ail contingencies, could free labor
] quietly submit to the demands OF the slave
roger 50 long as it has Just appreciation Of its
o~ ~*Atesests1 If We did not care, neither Tor
otitt peoples rights nor Tor our own dignity,
Can we submit as long Al we care for our own
pocketss Surrender The privilege Of discussing
rowtd down TO given circle Of ideas, which
We shall not tEansgress! Do we not owe our
| growth and prosperity, and power, 10 that free
dom Of inquiry which il the source of all pro-
gress and improvement
Surrender the rational territories to slavery
70 we not owe our growth and prosperity to
the successful labor Of our neighbors just as well
as our own? Shall we cansent to be surround
I ed and hemmed in with thrift]ess communities.
Wnose Institutions reta1d their growth, and
thereby retard our own2 Abandon all laws
IKE the Homestead bill, tending to establ sll
trec labor on cur national domuln! Shall We
thus give up the rights Of labor, and destroy
the inheritance OF our children
Give up our opposition 10 the extension Of
slavery BY the conquest OF foreign countries!
Shall We squander the blood Of our sons and
marrow Of tue land in destructive wars. for the
profit Of the enemies OF free labor, while it is
peaceful Development to which we owe our
power in the worldy Adopt the exclusive eco
nomieal policy Of the p1antln@ interest! Soall
our mineral wealth sleep undeyeloped in the
sou? Shall our water powers run idle, snd the
hustle OF OUT factories cease? Shall the i'm
mense laboring force in our increasing popula-
tlon be deprived Of the advantage Of harrn,-
e k+.
man labor: Shall We give up our Industrial
and commercial independence from the world
abroad7 Impossible! 1t caanot be thought
Of. Even the most debased aud submissive Of
cur douxhfaces cannot submit to it as soon as
the matter comes to q practical test; and there
fore the success of the Southern programme
will never bring about final decision OF the
conflict. Suppose we were beaten ia the pres.
ent electoral contest, would that decide the
conflict Of interests forever? No: ThHuks to
the nob1sr impulses Of human nature, our con-
sciences would not let us sleep; thanks to the
good sense of the peup!e, their progressive in-
terests would not suffer then to give up the
struggle. The power OF resistance, the elastl.
city OF free society cannot be exhausted by one,
caunot be annihiIated bT u hundred defeats.
Why? Because it receives new impulses,
new inspirations from every days WORK; it
marches on in harmony with the spirit Of the
age.
There is but one Way Of settling tue "irre-
pressible conflict" It is not By resisting the
spirit Of the times and BY trying to neutra1ize
its impelling power; for you attempt that in
rain but it u BY lihg The o5.tat lex trhieh
Aaue taroson thtmseices into its path. There is
no other; The '.irrepreasible conflict" will rage
with unab bated fury until our social and politi-
cal development is harinonized with the ire
pressib!e tendency Of the age.
That is the solution which the Republicans
propose. Their programme is simple and con-
sisteat:
Protection Of our natural rights as men, aad
our constitutional hts as citizens.
Non.in:crfercrce With the social and polti-
cal institutions existing By the legislation Of |
sovereign States. Exclusion Of slavery from
the national territories; they must be free be- !
cause they.- national. iCheerA]
Promotion and expansion of free labor By
the homestead bill aud the encouragement Of |
home industry. Renewed cheering.
Will this effect settlement Of tie conflict:
Let the fathers Of this kepubic answer the
question, aud will give you the Southern con-
struction of their policy. 1n a debate which
occurred in the Senat7 OF the United States on
said:
:hi-thsr pot Aboltlohl-ta Oh The coat1a1y b.
@ 4sp S1s5
,hss belief va; thst cutting th3, ~ slavery weul
sn, that the famous o,da2uce Of s 20 Mr ~ Il H.
Il tar tat. md a 1h4t sloae @ IT, esa ten
t'a' ifthcy ~oud res be Into v.ea slaves wouli
prevent the importation Ct al2yes and th.t when il Wis
m Si ts:1 As x:'s s1ea d e. ~e1d
within the sauns AID spirit of the Abotonists Ct the
present uar.
Well, am willing to accept this as it stands,
good southern authority. will not stop to
investigate the depth and extent of the anti
slavery sentiments Of such men as Franklin.
who was the tather Of an Abolition society, and
Of Washington, who expressed his desire to
see slavery abolished BY law" ! am satisfied
with Mr. Madison's admission.
This. then, is what the fathers intended to ef-
feet: to bring about a STATE Of things 6y trhhx
sEartry tconM d.e out # t.st!f. What else do
We want: "fou mean. thes," I am asked, ITO
adopt policy which will work the peaceable
aud gradual extinction Of saveryf" And l
to .ubmit to pfl;cy uhieh viii toork tie grad
uai extinction Of l!6erfy.' THIS is the dilemma.
Our answer il understood II Washington,
Madison and Jefferson were Abolinonists, we
are. Mr.. Mason SAYS they we're not; we'll,
then, We are not, for our policy has been theiru,
aud theirs has become ours. Loud cheers
Will this policy elect a solution of the con-
lict? 1t will; because it will harmonize our
social and political development with the ten.
dency of our age, by neutralizug the obstacles
that stand in its way. [Applause.
nut am tolo toas tassg oos!ae1es 5eluse TO
oe nentral'zed. Ihes "l'1 resist. NJ heslst nS
nnAss ~ a'ssels'oe ~: onlon' tne olsSoo-
uon o1 ne Union: 4uls speel1e ~ 50 lons
haunted Inc lmnslnatiohs OF supefs.1tloas p9o'
PIE, that It IS lime 81 last 10 aha'om1ze 1he
bloodl.ss body.
They threaten to disaolTe The Union. Wh5
First. because We do not stop the agitation Of
the slavery question. 1t is true, we do discuss
every social problem that presents itself to our
consideration; We agtate it, md we do not