Cincinnati daily press. [volume] (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1860-1862, 1861-05-20

hlIlblOcThlc tlhhks huu 70 hVuld tAteut aUonB
these also, the same want Of general industry,
Thrift and intelligence which characterized
the Southern people, away. from the centers
ofrefnement, of a hundred years ago, eharac-
terize them 70. day, and the sentiments ex-
pressed by Washington, Jefferson, Madison
and other patriots and statesmen Of Virginia
in their day and, generation, can not be ut
ptrils of martyrdom. Such is the retribntion
which God works among a people who har-
Dor and cherish, from generation 70 genera
tfon, a great wrong like that of slavery, II
destroys. their moral sense; 1t accustoms
them to barbarity aud injustice; it takes
away their reverence for God and their love
Of humanity; it encourages sensnaism, cru
city and the indulgence Of every bad passioni
and it leads TO, q disregard for the law Of
God and the tights of man. 81. r. So q,
-.lt.is not surprising that among such peo-
pie you find SO little loyalty TO righteous
government SO little fidelity TO moral obli-
gstiopJ so great an unwillingness to submit
TO the constituted authorities of the land.
To the terrible influence of slavery must we
attribute the present wide spread treason
and rebellion Of the Southern States against
the lawful and constitutional Goverument
of the Union. Theheathen proverb, "Wh6m
the gods destroy they first make mad, !" seems
aboutto be fulfilled in their history. In the
language of inspiration, they have not
known the time Of their visitation, and the
things that belonged to their peace. They
have not improved the opportunities Proyf-
dence has given them, gradually 10 emabci-
pate the dangerous class among them--danl
geTous only while held in slavery--snd TO
convert them into paid laborers, upon their
plantations, For these things God is about
to visit them in judgment, and TO make their
own violent passions their efforts to over
throw. righteous Government, their deter
A mipation to perpetuate this great wrong, and
to defy the moral sentiment of the Christian
world, the means of their own punishment
aud ruin. And should they persist in this
wicked course to the end, ii is possible they
4 viii bring to pess the ancient year of jubilee
/ in which liberty was proclaimed to al the
inhabitants of the land, .... ..-s
Having violated the Constitution of the
4 United States, and rebelled against its au.
4 thority, they can no longer justly claim the
benefit OF those provisions which are gener-
ally considered as favoriDg slavery, and as
requiring the return of fugitive slaves; aud
the free States will be justified in SO far
amending the Constitution as to relieve
themselves from any responsibility for the
continuance of the institution, leaving it
wholly to the slave States to get along with
it as they best can, and to whatever conse-
4 quences may arise. from its continuance
II among them. Under the changes which
they themselves are forcing upon us, there
will be no obligation on the part of the
United States Government to prevent the
slaves from asserting their freedom, or from
1 escaping fiom their masters. Or should the
4 slave States finally achieve their independ-
II ence, weakened in their resources, with the
H line of freedom brought to their own bor-
4 ders, with no constitutional obligation re.
] naming to return escaping slaves, or to
4 permit their reespture, what shall hinder An
exodus like that which brought the Israelites
Al of old out of the land of Egypt and out Of
4 the house of bondSge2 In any view of the
question we may take, it seems as if the
1 Southern people bad about filled up the
measure Of their iniquity. and that the time
of their Tetribution is at hand and as il the
day of deliverance to the oppressed drew
nigh. u" y"
4 How lamentable il is to reflect upon the
great opportunities which the Southern peo-
4 pie have thrown Rwayl How intelligent
and free; how rich in all the blessings of q
Christian civilization they might have he
come; how smiling their fields; how abundant
theircities; how virtuous and great people;
under a system of free and compensated
labor, had they known the time OF theirPsis-
itation, and listened TO their own patriots
and statesmen whose counsels they have
despised and set at noughti But instead of
this, they have hardened their hearts, and
closed their eyes against their own true in
terests and welfare, and now they are madly
rushing on TO a vortex of destruction. a'
From the judgments which Divine Justice
Is bringing upon the land, because of this
great iniquity, the free States can not wholly
escape. War itselfis an awful calamity, ex-
hausting the resources Of people, demoral-
izing in its influence upon society, and in Z.
furious to the cause of religion, carrying
with it train of moral evils, and spreading
mourning and desolation far aud wide.
While the sons of the North must go to the
tfeld of battle, and defend their country aud
its laws; and while there can be no doubt of
the final issue, from which many of them
will return as heroes, thousands of young
men, the flower and beauty of the land, will
never return, to meet the smile of welcome
in their happy homes, to hear the prattling
voices of childhood, and to receive the warm
kiss of affection again. Fathers andmothers,
brothers and sisters, wives and children, are
parting with their beloved kindred to see
their faces no more. lt is great sacrifice
to make; but not so great a sacrifice as
would be the loss of country and liberty.
Thousands of heroic souls are feeling to-day
that ID will be sweet to die in so holy and
just cause, and God will bless them,
whether in dealh or in victory, with the
consciousness of his approving smile, and
his gracious benedietion. In the heat of
1 battle, in the conflict between the civiliza-
lion Of these free Christian States, aud the
half bar barous' civilization of the Sonth, the
4 valiant men, who are now responding 10
H their couptTy's call, will never quail before
| the armed hoIdes of slavery, with their
\ piratical flag, marching on 10 infamy and
\ death. But for every one of our sbraYe sons
who shall fall in battle there will -berweeping
\ and bitter anguish in Northern homes
Il Besides the sorrows of war, there must also
lI be serious injury to all the Industrial inter
ests of the people, and great waste of
n treasure. r -. 2 - e., .-.7- .-.., -,,- ..,,t
During our existence as nation the free
Il States have shared largely in the guilt Of
n slavery, and they must share also in the
n retribption.s Our fathers compromised for It's
II continuance and allowed the slaEeholders a
n representation upon their slave property,
N and gave them right to reeapture fugitiYes
from slavery for the sake of union with the
H Southern States, From, the formation of the
II Federal Constitution TO the present time
N there has been a large portion of the North
n ern people who have sympathlzed with the
institution and considered it a just and de-
N siIable condition for the negro !, and this
\ Northern pro slavery sentiment has demor-
4 allied the religion and politics of the lapd
i and been the real bulwark of slavery, cor
n rupting the consciences of the people and
n giving the Slavery Propaganda powerful al
4 lies in the free States, enabling the South to
i rule the nation for more than seventy years
to purchase additional slave territofy, to
i make nine more slave States than existed at
II the time the Federal Constitution was
adopted, to dictate the policy Of the Govern
4 sment, 70 I'll the most important offices, and
10 give national sanction TO slavery in the
District of 1COlumbis, u upder the exclusive
jurisdiction Of the United States tilaq l7dio
Had the people Of she North been faithful
to their own History, and the teach inRs Of
CbfistiRnity on this subject, and early used
their power and influence IN the Government
to limit the existence of slavery, and TO pre-
vent the admission of more slave, States, as
they might constitntiongily have done-had
they borne faithful and united testimony