The Union and journal. [volume] (Biddeford, Me.) 1858-1882, 1860-06-15

...,dv PLEASURE; We must pull down our
S,,tc Constitutions tho whole atmos-
49, NJ must be disinfected from all faint OF
ppnnositicn to slavery, before they will cease
tabelieye that all their troubles proceed from
ma. am quite aware they do not state
the;r case prec,sely in this way. Most oil
them would probably say to US, "Let US
alone. do nothing to US, and say what you
49,, .ho,t slavery" But We do let them
aionsNhays never disturbed them-so that,
sfser ali =, Is what we say which dissatisfes
th.m They will continue to accuse US OF
Sn;n. until We cease saying. i am also
% ,bav have not, as yet, in terms demand
Ell the overthrow oil our Tree state oohs'''u'
tons
rux Grsr or THE CONTROVERSY.
Vet those Constitutions declare the wrong
of slavery with mort solemn emphasis than
do all sayings against it; and, when al
these other sayings shall have been sileneed,
the overthrow of these Constitutions will bc
demanded, and nothing DO left to resist the
demand. Il is nothing to the contrary that
thew do not demand the whole of this just
now. Demanding what they do, and for the
reason they do, they can voluntarily stop no.
where short of this consummation. Hold
inc. as they do, that slavery is morally right
and socially eleating, they cannot cease to
demand full national recognition Of il rs
LEGAL right and q social blessing. App
Nor can VIC justifably withhold this on
nny ground save our conviction that slavery
is wrong.
If slavery is right, all words. acts, laws
and Constitutions against il are themselves
wrong, and should DO silenced and swept
away. II IL is right, We cannot justly OBJ
icct TO its nationility-its universally; II 1t
is wrong, they cannot justly insist upon Its
cxtension-its enlargement. All they ask
we could readily grant, il we thought slavery
right; all We ask, they could as readily grant
II they thought IL wrong. Their thinking
IL right, and our thinking IL wrong, Is the
precise fact upon which depends the whole
controversy. Thinking it right, as they do,
they are not 10 blame for desiring its full
recognition, Us being right; but thinking 1t
wrong. rs we do. can we yield TO them FL
I'm we cast our votes with this view, and
ap,inst our own? In view Of our moral,
seal and POLITICAL responsibilities, can we
do thus? (No, no." and applause.)
,I,yERY NOT TO BE ISrERTkREp WITH WHERE
1T ALREADY EXISTS.
Wrong as we think slavery Is. we can yet
AFFORD to let italOne where II Is. because that
much is due to the necessity arising iron Its
actual presence in the nation; but can we,
while our votes will prevent il, allow It to
spread into the national Territories, and to
oycrrun us here in these free States? C'No,
never" and applause. "A voice-"Guess
not" Laughter II our sense Of duty
forbids this, then let us stand by our duty,
fearlcssly and effectively. Let US be divert
cd by none Of those sophistical contriyances
wherowith we are 50 industriously piled and
Neutrality-suspicious. such as are cropping
for some middle ground between the right
and the wrong, vain Us the search for man
who should be neither q living man or dead
ran-such as policy Of "don't care" on a
question about which all men carc-such as
onion appeals btsecehing true Union men to
Weld "a disunionists, reversing the divine
rule, and calling, not the sinners, but the
righteous To rcpcntincc-I cheers
and laughter such Us inyOcations OF WASH |
in.ton imploring m,n to unsay what WASH
in:ton said, and undo what Washington |
did. Neither let US DO slandered from our
duty by false accusations against US, nor
frightened from il by menaces Of destruction
To the government nor Of dungeons to our
selves. Applause. Let us have hith
that right makes might; and in that faith
let us, to the end, dare to do our duty as we
understand il.
Mr.. Lincoln then bowed, and retired
,,,,,il ,ha l,uI apl nproarious applause of his
hearers-ncarly every man rising spontanc..
ously and cheering with tho full power oil
his lungs.