New-York daily tribune., 1861-11-09
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THE STATE AND NEEDS OF THE COUNTRY.
A SPEECH BY GERRIT SMITH,
In Eew.York City. Oct 20. IeCl.
have risen to offer this rcooluton, and to make a

rcou1t o eir compeau or political social or domestic
,riuu te erelv 10 all pos,be wsys ind at whaey,f ex
and sytoms, stsutes and conutins, and
however frequent substitution OF the sure sWt summary
wceprg processes Of msal law. fof the tNdy, uieorsin
nd IL ,quate step8 ol civil law.
JAt the close Of Nj Smiths speech, the resolution WIS
,dored by the large assembly voy enthusiastically and, With
be exception Of two or three voices, unonimouayI
Less than one year ago, and all this broad land,
from Canada 10 Mexico aud from ocean to ocean,
was one country. Ii is now rent in twain Evil
minded men have at last accomplished that which
they had been so many years plotting. With pa
thence IT, indeed, ii was nothing worse than patience
never before oqusled in the history of nations, the
North quietly witnessed and interestingly suffered
The progress Of the great conspiracy And tie great
conspiracy would probably have been allowed to 60
on essentially unhndered by her, had not The impa-
tient conspirators unwisely rosoIted 10 arms. Ere
long they would have been able TO persuade AL the
Slave S aies 10 Join them and that being done, the
North rather than shed blood, and cbeyshing, more
over the hope Of the speedy penitenee andIetun Of
the Seceders would have consented to lot them 60
Not "a speak of other liuks between the North and
South, and especially of those dearest and strongest
ones welded in the war Of the Revo ution by tie
mingled Northern and Southern Fathers, the natural
features OF our country forbid the sunderirg Of it
into q Northern and Southern nation. Nevertheless,
had the people-not merely the politieians-of the
South, at my time peaceably and respectfully asked
the North 10 let them 20, she woud have afsented:
reluctantly aud sorrowfully it is true, but still she
would have asseuted. But the conspiratos, having
ever been under such domestic and social influences
as generate the utmost haughtiness, dsdained the
attitude Of petitioners. 1t WIS their bab not TO ask
for what they wanted, but 10 take it, and to take 1t
forcibl7, if they could not take it otherwise Not
strange is il that men 70 educated had rather seize
mint, fire at n ship, or capture fort, than con-
sume weary months in negotiating the peaceable dir
solution Of nation. Not strange is it that the proud
tyrant prefers getting violently and Immediately
what different person prefers getting quietly and
ultimately.
II was the violence-the robbery and shootiug-to
which the impatient conspirators had recourse, that
finally availed to arouse the North. She had always
argued and justly too that there isno Constitutional
right of Secession: no more in the case of a State
than Of an individual But now she argued, and
with irresistible truth, that the nation which suffers
armed rebels for the great conspiracy had now grown
into the great rebellion TO dsmember her, is no
longer worthy of place among nations. The worlds
respect for her is gone and her respect for herself
IS gone. Her Government is reduced 10 q farce in
The eyes both Of other people and her own. She has
basely suffered herself 10 be unmede and she u 10
10 hencefOrth only what Others may choose 10 make
Ter.
Even al this however-and ! confes3 It is very
nuch--would hardly have sufiiced TO make ne re-
oice in the aTming of the North So exceedingly
reat is NY adherence of bloOdshed, and 70 thor
)ughly pelsuaded am / OF tho soundness OF the ar
,uments which have used 30 many years in ,"han
II tie revolutionary rght Ol Secettion, 'ha' ISi
ans needed even more then all this TO make the
,ru,ipe OF the North entirely welcome TO me. But
what more needed was not lacking
had never consented to tie idea Of an entirely L
nqnaliHed secession Of tie Slsve or other St-tes.
sast Of all had ever sented 20 secession for
he avoWed purpose OF carrying on tie most sweep n
pg, shameless piracy, which the woii1 has e'ef
n own refer not here to Tie boasts of the Rebels
hat their scbeme extenoed TO tie capture OF ash-
ngton Philadelphia New-York, and Boston, and to
he spread Of tie presence and reign OF Slavery over
he whole North. For IN point OF fact, their .eheme
vas not secessiOn 80 mu b as conquest. SectRlOn Il
was their mears Of conquest; aud the getting away
II the South steppingstODe to the getting away OF
he NoriL also. These boasts by the way, were not |
,rour dless. The Nor,h WIS already nearly theirs.
Sine was last acquiescDg in the doctrne sancllonea
and it is not TOO much say coined, by TIE Supreme
Court of the United States, that q" hack men have
no rights which the white is bound 10 respect"
She was last tiuking down into PREPARATION ioE tie
forthcoming decision Of this Court tbat men may be
held in Slavery in Free Stale, the s,a'utee, ana
even the Constitution of the Stale TO the contrary
IL every Free Sla,e large share
Of the demagogues, and no small share OF tie mef-
chante manufacturers aud editors, lot TO ray Of the
clerRynen also, were III the taveholdlng interest |
The aiistocInts were of course s IN that lnterest-
every srstocrat the earth being esseuaiy Pro-
slavery because Slavery feeds and gratilies thai
contempt OF lie humble, which enters 30 largely into
he spirit Of aiistocrscy. The outgoing Congress
md large share Of the Northern people, were fcr
living what would be virtually new Constitutional
Of Slavery. Finally the new Adninis-
ration was pledgipg its service Of the Slave Power
through the President, aud performing u through hrs
,wn chosen Marshsls, more signaly and appalhngiy,
"A hundreds of our oOr hunted brothers and sisters
an testify, than any Administration had done be-
lore. Oh no, these boasts Of The southern traitors
and there were similar boasts Of the Northern
rstOrs aleo) were, as we see In the light oi these
Iacts very far from being groundless. Had these
trailors been patient only hle longer, they would
have been able, by means OF the policy they had for
years been so successfully pursuing, to capture
Washington, Philadelphia, NewYors, and Boston
much more e6eetually than by any number or
weight of guns. little more patient pursuing OF
.bis policy and tbe whole Norb would quite pIoba.
,ly lave been carried TO the ride OF the South aod
slsyerv. The South had her hook IN the Norths
nose. Az, not even yet is it entirely WITHDRAWN.
said that in charging the rebels with the guilt
,f sweeping, shameless piracy did not refer to
hese boasts Of which / baye spoken, Nor did
refer 10 those extensive debsuchlngs ana eonques
II the Northern mind which the rebels had in past
cars been able to achieve and which their ooasts
were mainly founded. referred 10 tie character
The new Government which they have organized, ana
which they intent on mixing the character u
civil government everywhere. They yargue its excel
lence not on local and temporary grounds, but on
uhlosophical principles Of upiversa! and enduring
sDplication. 1Leirs is Government for enslayiDg
& ito sd u0