, 1861-01-09
RECoNSIRU NOT pRACTICA-
: EET.E

BLE.
The prctc1cc that a reconstruction of
the Union on terms more satisfactory to
the South, is sure TO follow the destruction
Of the present confcderacy, is SO bald and
shallow a lie that we do not believe it will
influence the action Of solitary Union
man in tic border slave States, where it is
now so pcrsistcntly Piled The present.
Union is the only one possible between the
free and slaVc States. as our fathers made
it and pledged themselves and their poster
ity to its observance, SO the people Of the
free States will abide by it, SO long as their
loyalty can preserve it. But if the slave
States, on whose account all Of its COM
promises werc made, should violently rcnd
it asunder, there can be no reconstruction
Of it upon the slave basis. The founders Of
our present Union believed that tho lore Of
liberty could be preserved in the presence
Of Slavery, and that ut no very great distance
Of timo the latter would wholly give way
to the former and 80 believing they made
concessions in favor of the Slave States,
struck down tho principle Of State cquali-
ty by giving 10 the latter an undue power
in tho government, by means Of which they
have, up to the present date, shaped its pol
icy go as to favor their peculiar institution
and secure to their own citizens its Chief
cmoluments and honors Our fathers were
deceived. The love Of liberty has wancd,
and the love of Slavery has become the
ruling passion with the South. An ine-
quality which they supposed would be
temporary, at most, growing fainter and
fainter as Slavery slowly but surely died
out, has become more strongly marked as
years have passed away, and Slavery
has acquired new territorial posses
sions rs the number Of its sub
jects has multiplied. Slavery has at this
day twcnty-th1ee representatives in Con-
gress, and it gives the same number Of votes
in the election ofa President. Those who
made our present Union contemplated no
such result as this. And we, their child
ren, enjoying the advantage Of additional
experience, should the present Union be
destroyed by those who reap its cLief ad-
vantages, will never, no never, consent to
another based upon the same principle OF
slave representation in the federal govern
mcnt. If another Union is formed, the
slave States can hare no part in
it except upon tho principles OF en-
tire and perfect equality: They must
take the twenty-threc slave representatives
out Of Congress; they must bo content
with twenty-threc votes less in the elect
oral colleges; they must forego fugitive
slave law, and consent to be confined to
their present territorial limits. Upon some
such principles as these only would re-
construction be possible. It is barely pos
sible that it could not be secured on any
terms. In these days, when Russia is en-
franchising her scrfs and when Holland
is restoring liberty to the last of her slaves,
it is not likely that the free States Of North
America would consent to take d single
step backward If Slavery madly throws
away the advantages it now enjoys by roa-
son Of the loyalty Of the people Of the free
States, it will never secure them again.
Reconstruction on any such terms is an
utter impossibility.