Cincinnati daily press. [volume] (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1860-1862, 1861-11-11
SUMNER ON TnE RRBBLLION.
Address of Charles Sumner Mt atPhiIadeiphIa.

day evening last, Charles Sumner delivered
an address on "The Rebellion-Its Origin
and Mainspring." We copy the following
passages from the report of the Inquirer:
THE ORIGIN OF THE WAR.
History (said Mr.. Sumner) unhappily
counted by wars. Of these, some had been |
wars of ideas like those between the Catho- |
lies and Huguenots, and that between our |
fathers and the mother country. Others |
arose from questions of form or family con-
tentions, or the Vaccinations of politicians. |
But the war in which we were now engaged, |
whatever might be the reasons assigned by
its unhappy originators, had an origin SO
clear as TO be beyond question. Ideas were
sometimes good and sometimes bad, and
there might be war for evil as well as for
good. Such was the rebellion waged by the
fallen angels against the Most High, and
such now was that wsged by the slave mas.
ter against our National Government. Ap.
plause .Hf .. r
The speaker proposed to unmask this great
rebellion in its origin and mainspring. This
was necessary, in order to know how TO treat
the rebellion itself. The steam-engine was
stopped by simply turuing off the steam. A
cancer would not yield to lip-salve.
He proceeded to detail the main incidents
of the period between the election of Mr..
Lincoln and the present time. He referred
TO the admission, on the part of Southern
Senators and others, that the design of break
ing up the Government of the United States
bad been conceived long ago, and that the
intention was TO form Southern Conteder-
acy based on slavery. The design of found
ing their Government on slavery was openly
proclaimed by Stephens, the Vice President
of the Southern Confederaey, with a savage
frankn1ss which showed an insensibility to
shame.
1t was a matter of history that South Car
olina hesitated with regard to the Declara.
tion of Independence in l776. Her vote
| was once openly recorded against that Dec
laration, and its final passage was effected
only formally for the sake OF apparent un-
animity. So little was that State imbued
! with the spirit of this instrument that ct one
time her Commissioner publicly rendered to
the British General return Of allegiance to
! the Crown. The same hestarcy was mani
tested by South Carolina with regard to the
Federal Constitution. This latter disposition
was also manifested by the States Of Geor-
gia, Alabama and Mississippi. i.-
These States, the chief seat of this con-
spiracy, refused to become parties to the
| Union, except on the condition of the recOg-
milton of the slave trade. 1t was to be con-
fessed with sorrow that our fathers instead
of spurning this overture, ignobly submitted
and thus opened wide the door to our pres.
were satisfied and took their places in the
Union, to which they were bound by the
most revolving tie. Regret for the past was
not useless, if out of it we could draw wis.,
dom. [Applause.]
Had our fathers met this evil as it became
true people, this whole conspiracy would
have been crushed before it saw light. The
Union was formed, but the seeds of conspi-
racy were latent in its bosom. The doctrine
Of State sovereignty was embraced and has
ever since been q cloak for treason. In
1920, when the Missouri Compromise was
brought forward, instead of throttling the
monster we consented to it. Ia 1882 the
conspiracy assumed the front Of nullifca
ton, but was crushed by jackson, the pa
triot stakeholder. [Applause.l
THE OUTBREAK.
Mr.. Sumner reviewed the condition of oul
country at the time of the breaking out o
the war. In the first place, our army was il
such disorganized condition that the illus
trious General Scott prolonged applause
could with difficulty bring together one thou
sand troops for the defense of the Capital
Secondly, our navy was not in condition
to offer us any effectual assistance.
Thirdly, the forts on the extended line O
the Southern coast had been abandoned, 81
that the property which had been erected a
the expense of six millions of dollars fell int
the hands of the South. Fourthly, the pro
ductions of the National arsenals wer
emptied into those of the slave States, an
two thousand muskets were sold at an enor
nous sacrifice; and filthy, the Treasury 0
the United States was on the verge of bank
J ruptcy, six millions of dollars having beei
stolen from it.
But this was not the worst: the Presiden
of the United States, solemnly bound by hi
oath, registered in heaven, to see the execu
ton of the laws-of his country, virtually al
dicated his authority, standing always lik
a painted Jove, with idle thunder in hi
hand. [Applause and laughter The traitor
in his Cabinet did their evil work. The as
sault on Fort Sumter caused change {
. policy, and it was decided that Major Andel
son should be maintained, and, the speake
would say, that policy was owing greatly
distinguished Democrat, Lewis Cass. [AI
plsuse.l l.. ...s
It did this much, it saved the Nations
Capital. The pretended right of secessio
q was made the pretext for rebellion begu
: in conspiracy. The pretended right OF Sc
a ting aside the Constitution to the extent
= breaking up the Constitution, was the ma
n ural companion of the pretended right {
!, setting aside human nature to the trafickin
: in our fellows. They were both well ftte
: to live together and perish together. TAR
plause1 Instead of scorning these prefer
siOns in the legislative halls new concession
were maQe, ike new SdCrlHCe 10 du OOsCbI
divinity. Against all such concessions the
was one insurmouutable objection-tht
amounted to an acknowledgment of the rig
l of secession. Slavery was the single subje
matter and single integer of the origin OF Il
rebellion. #fit.
SLAVERY AND THE WAR.
l. The speaker heartily aud profoundly 7
GREETED that we had not always confront'
the doctrine of slavery boldly and perseYe
ingly. 1t was we ourselves, alas, who hi
- encouraged the rebellion. In our endeavo
to uphold the Union we had betrayed
The Concessionists OF the North had play
into the hands of the Secessionists of d
South. Secession and concession have bo
had their rule in slavery.
,, AS the slaVe-trade was the ultimatum
80 the entrance of the Southern States into Il
/. Union, SO the perpetuation of the peculi
institution was the condition of their I
manning in the Union. The popular W
9 was against concession, and the rebels rails
Il their hands against the noble editice OF o
y Government. The action of the rebels W
: what might logically be predicted from the
a institutions. They desired to own the go
ernment. The Government they could
longer rule they determined TO ruin. I
Southern rebellion, like every other, "
the working of minority, but had be
strengthened by constant accessions en-
mating from slavery. Never has rebelli
= assumed such 'front.' and all this IN
name Of slavery, for the sake Of slavery, a
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