The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1862-07-18


Tell who or where could not ask, but the
locket was the picture of one who might be
wife, sweetheart or sister.
Gen Rosseau Oh the Slavery Question.
banquet was recently given to Gen Ros-
seau of Kentucky, by the Union men of Lou
isville. The general discussed the slavery
question with great boldness, and showed
clearly enough that he is not conditional
Union man. and if the question comes
whether slavery must perish in order to save
the Union, there will be no doult as to how
he will meet it. Gen Rosseau said -
"'This rebellion is lie, from the begin
ming. There was never any cause for it
To begin and keep it up a system Of whole
sale lying was adopted. and is pursued in
dustrously to this day. 1t is the only stock
in trade they have. They could teach the
devil himself much he never knew before
about lying. Wherever the army has gone
it has met this fell spirit of falsehood. We
have taken none of their property; We have
excluded their slaves from our lines; when
needed, we have placed guards of our sold
lers around their houses, to protect them,
and yet they persist in calling US abolition
lists and negro thieves. Behind and before
us this has been the cry OF the enemies of
tie government. Now the army of Gen Hal
leck is eminenty conservative. | believe
there is neither an abolitionist nor a seces-
sonist i'll it. If there is one of either fac
ton, do not know it. SO orderly. so pa
trlotic, and so conservative a body of men
believe never before assembled together
That army, in its intercourse with the seces-
sionlsts. has pleaded, and is still pleading for
peace under the cid government, offering to
our southern brethren all they ever had,
and claiming nothing except in common
with them. They want to take nothing from
any one, but desire that their southern breth-
rem shall enjoy all their rights unimpaired.
But the negro is in the way, in spite of all
that can be done or said Standing before
the eye of the secesSionist. the negro hides
all the blessings of our government. throw
ing black shadow on the sun itself. If it
had been any other species of property that
stood in the way, the army. provoked as it
has been, would willingly have seen It's quick
destruction. But the negro they did not
wish to interfere with in any way. Yet with
all its conservatism and patriotism. the army
has grown weary of this insane cry of 'aboli-
tionlsm' as a cause for breaking up the gov
ernment.
81 have warned our southern friends of
the danger of continuing it much longer :
and tell You tonight that, if this war con-
unues year from this day. there VIII not be
slave on this continent. The great revolu-
ton will take care Of itSelf-the dead will
bury its dead-and those who are causing
all the bloodshed and desolaiion around Us
under the false pretense that we desire tC
tree their negroes, will, if they persist, one
day find slavery snutfed out as YOU would
snuff out candle. Slavery is not worth our
government. 1t is not worth our liberty.-
1t is not worth all the precius blood now be-
ing poured out for freedom. 1t is not worth
the free navigation of the Mississippi river
No; we must still have our government
not as it now is, with slavery in it, still VT
must have our government. We cannot
be slaves to jeff Davis X Co. We must and
} will be free. We must have the free naviga
ton Of the Mississippi river, and if SLAYER,
gets in the way of any of these rights, VIII,
slavery must get out of the way. Tha
: would be the last resort. and | should b,
sorry to have resource to it: bat | am fo
: the government of our fathers against al
things and everybody. While the libertie
of the people are secure under it, as the,
ever have been, would allow nothing bu
death to prevent my upholding it. And
10th as YOU may be to decide, you will soon
as believe, be called upon TO DO so. Il
h spite of your entreaties, the issue will
), cruelty thrust upon you, and YOU will b
t forced to decide between slavery and YOU
= wives and children. AS for ME. | am read
g for the responsibility. Southern man as
d am. born and brought up in the South, wit
It all my >ympathies with the South. | coul
o not hesitate one moment when the issue
II presented between the niger and the go,
d ernment of or fathers. | am for the 60,
l. ernment OF the United States against all il
lie enemies. hope and pray that our soutl
ern friends will not force us to extremes @
1t this sensitive point. We deprecate such
e, result, for we want our rights under the Col
n stitutlon, and We are all ready to fight {,
e. theirs under the good old government.
le would to-day most willingly grid on N
'p sword and fight for any right belonging
es them, slavery included, but they must n
lie put slavery between me and the governme
e. and laws of the United States. | will n
We sacrifice the happiness of my wife, childr,
re and friends, the welfare of my beloved sta,
ri and the g glory Of my country, on an alt
ne dedicated to the Ebony Idol When | S
r placed on one side 4 government formed
st the noblest men the world las ever produ
,e, ed, the legacy of Washington to the hum
to race, a glorious country filled with happy al
re enlightened people, and admired or fear
ne on every spot that is trodden by the foot
no civilized man, and on the other a count
n rent into insignificant fragments, engaged
continual wars with each other, each on
TE knees begging assistance from some forei
monarch or other against riva! fragmel
w. an object of contempt to him who uses it
N. his own purpose, then shall not be long
'rs coming to decision, though negro slave
no may be on one side and not on the other
no Secretary Stanton on Enlisting til
ew Blacks.
ks