Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1861-09-11
Past Events and Future His
tory OF Our Country.

it would have been answered sooner. With
your views about the war, the cause of it
and the only safe grounds Of permanent
peace, | fully agree.
You will recollect that several months
since | wrote an article on allow to save
the Union" in which I took the ground
that the cause of the trouble must be re-
moved before the trouble could be cured J;
and that as SLAVERY was the cause, and at
the bottom of all the trouble, and threats
of dsunion that had ever been made, slav.
cry must be abolished, or permanent
peace could never be expected.
| wrote that article before Fort Sumter
had fallen, and proposed a purchase of the
slaves by the government, as cheaper than
a civil war, which | with most others saw
menacing US as a nation. | also limited at
the right Of government to force the re-
moval Of the cause of the trouble, if it could
not be done peaceably, on the ground OF
the higher law of selfpreservation, which
oyer-rides all other laws A man has a
right under the higher law, to kill his
neighbor TO preserve his own life, or when
he must either kill or be killed.
1t was then thought by many, and |
was chided by some-not you--for being
too fast. But the fall of Sumter charged
the public feeling materially, and many
prominent papers began to hint strongly
the ground | had previously taken. and
since the retreat from Bull Run, they have
come out more bold. and now the most con
sentative seem to give up the idea of com
promise with the evil, and demand an un-
conditional submission to the laws and the
constitution, and a removal OF the cause OF
the war.
You will recollect, also, that | strongly
limited at the coniiscation of slaves, as we'll
as the other property of rebels and traitors.
and quoted the law in such cases. This
was also thought to be too fast. But Con
gress has enacted the same thing now; so
that only happened to be little too soon
in advancing my views.
will now venture another assertion
Not that | wish it to be so, but if worst
comes to worst, and the thing has to come,
as Wade Of Ohio said of Louisiana, "we
bought it when a wilderness and will con-
troll and govern it, or make it a wilderness
again." if the rebels kill off all the loyal cit
liens, and then to quelI the treason the
North have to kill off all the traitors; thus
divesung the entire South Of its inhabitants
- ,,,.,i,a - . u,,l1arnase i,,Iabifa,i t,nt4
by the blacks; the whole South being con
fiscated to government and the government
should survey it, and sell it, as il did these
Western States; removing the blacks as II
did the Indians, by purchase or force, in
fifty years that country would be worth
more to itself and to the nation than it is
now, or was before tbs nefarious war be-
gun. For white population would occu-
py it, such as now occupies the North west.
Towns, cities, farms, villages, manufacto
ries, common schools, DC, would spring
up in every direction. In sixty years ten
free States have sprung upin the North
West, the direct tax of which is over mil
lion of dollars more than that of ten of the
most Southern States including Virginia,
indicating a difference OF hundreds OF mil
lions of property, and millions of people
ia favor of the tree States over the slave
ones. And as soil and climate in the South
are deemed more favorable than that Of the
Northwest and being nearer to the sea, if
those States were now wilderness, they
would fill up faster from emigration than
the North est has done, and OF course be
worth more in fifty years than they now
are. such is the blighting curse OF slavery
upon any soil, and such would be the adj
vantage if slavery were removed. | repeat
| do not wish for such a state Of things but
make the statement to show good reason
for the abolition OF slavery, aside from the
necessity now upon the country to do 50
for its own peace and safety.
In the care of loyal shareholders, it
would be cheaper to pay them for their
property, (D than TO fight them out Of it,
and therefore it is policy, as well as justice
to them to pay them. But the evil must
be removed, or another rebellion will follow
this. if the blacks don't themselves rise and
strike for freedom,
This war, it is true, was not waged on
the part of the government against slavery,
but TO preserve and perpetuate its own ex-
istence. But to do this, whatever endan-
rers it must be removed. The war on the
part of the rebellious States was, and is
waged purposely to extend and perpetnata
slavery, and therefore, to put down the re-
bellion, that which gave rise to It must be
abolished. When the cholera ragged IN ths
country every cause Of the disease was de-
clared nuisance and abated. The same
where the yellow fever, or any other cpl
demic prevails. liza stagnant pool or mill
dam engenders disease, it must be drained,
no matter what the damage to the owners.
And SO it must be in our national affairs.
If liberty, either of speech or the press is
abused and becomes a nuisance, it must be
curtailed, no odds what the damage. And
so. if liberty to hold any kind Of property,
is so abused as to endanger the existence OF
the government, aud the liberties OF the
great mass OF the people, as 1t y IN tins
case, that liberty must be curtalled, what
ever the. damage might be to the owner OF
Z. ,,,ot. - .rilnxrn1 f.Al have