Mineral Point weekly tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1859-1868, 1862-08-04
The Duty of To-Day
lFrom the y. Y. Independent. ]

hc ooutn sacflnceS everything that
conflicts with her central idea The North
must do the same. The South is not
ashamed OF Slavery. The North must not
be ashamed of Liberty,
Under such circumstances we hold
l. That 1t was unwise to call for 800
600 volunteers The day has gone bv for
that The Administration should have
drdfted half a million men for instant SER
vice, and half a million more as reserves.
1t Will waste months of time and millions
OF money, and encourage growing discon-
tent, and expend precious popular enthu-
siasm-and then be obliged to draft Was
it not prudent2 The people might be dis
contented To this is repl. ed
1t was, and is necessary The people
must consent to that or dismemberment
This call for volunteers is one more step
in that iust-behind- -the-time policy that
has marked the war. Volunteering would
have sufficed early in the war; had the
Administration been wise according to
the exigency They did not want the men
that wanted TO 90 Drafting now will sue
ceed. Wait four months, and that Will
have become four-fold more difficult than
now Always behind
The Government can no longer avoid
choosing the issue that has been made up
and thrust upon it-Ereedom or .Slarery
The time has come. So long as there s
chance of solving this question as civ
| il question. it was wise to leave it, as far
as possible, to the States concerned, and
to employ the moral influences which
change mems minds But slavery has be-
come military question. One year has
changed all things. A remiss and vaciIl>
atins policy Of the Administration !:
the committing of he armies of the
United States at West Point giving
n four years s course of instruction to 300
600 men, infinitely at leisure, has changed
the relations and possibilities of things
1t has taken slavery out of the realm Of
discussion AMI placed it in the arena of
war. 1t must 6e settled by force There
is the country, and slavery on it like n
deadly cancer Diet and regimen will
not cure it The knife may Choose =
Shall the patient die or shall the cancer
be cut out The question before the
American people to day is Knife or Death
Liberty and Slavery cannot live any long
ger together. Choose between them
The crisis is reached.
8 Let no one fear that bold policy of
MILITARY EMANCIPATION will dis
tract the country 1t would have exactly
the opposite effect. There is now no cur-
rent Of public feeling Administrative
hesitation and policy so fine and intri-
cate to be beyond popular comprehe;-
sion, have checked popular enthusiasm l.
The Administration like a dam across the
river, and the ration has flowed back into
vast currentless, slackwater pond
This is condition of public mind that
breeds discomfort and divisions. These
ilstagnant waters breed insects, vapors and
diseases. They are beginning to rise and
show themselves already. But once make
4 channel, remove the dam, give course
to the waters, and they will flow irresisti-
bic as the Mississippi. There may be at
first some dissent, some resistance, some
hesitation Of men who bring old tradi-
tions to new affairs but, like eddies on
the Mississippi, they will but wrinkle the
edges of Il stream that moves on with ON
impotence.
Nothing Will unite this people like I,
bold annunciatiDn Of moral principle
Let the American flag be lifted up by Mr..
Lincoln, as was the brazen serpent, that
every man who looking upon it in this
continent, should be free, and tide of
Joy and, irresistible enthusiasm would
sweep away eyery obstacle. Let MIR Lin
coin decree it. The nation Will stand up
to it.
Such policy would carry the consci-
ence of the North would kindle the en-
thusiasm for liberty, which is always the
most potent of Influences would bring
all the historic traditions of the old Amer
lean struggle to enkindle the ardor of the
Young, who are to form our armies. 1t
would brush away at one stroke a thou
sand hindrances, give simplicity and uni
. ty to our plans, distinetness to our policy.
1t would give to the American armies that
Pillar OF Smoke by day and Fire by night
by which God the Emanoipator led forth
his people from Bondage to Liberty