The Grand Haven news. [volume] (Grand Haven, Mich.) 1858-18??, 1862-01-22
ABoLITIONIsTs IN CONGRESS.


There never was time, since the for
nation Of this Government, that we have
required more skillful statesmen or truer
pilots to guard the Ship of State through
the shoals and rocks that lay on either
side of her course. And yet we find men
who in part have control Of the destiny
of this nation that have thrown the chart
aside, and are determined to run US on n
rock that will dash us to atoms, if they
can not accomplish their object. Men
who are willing to hazard our existence
as nation. A nation that never had
a parallel in prosperity and growth under
any other form of government since the
the commencement of time. Men wko
are willing to jeopardize the liberties of
twenty-eight millions of whites for the
sake Of liberating four millions Of blacks.
Not so much through sympathy for the
slaves as it is feeling of envy and hatred
toward those who hold them. Or, in
other words, il is a dissatisfied spirit that
forces them TO interfere with the affairs Of
others, no matter what the consequences.
What provision could they make for four
millions of destitute beings who have
never been compelled to provide for them
selves? They would be as helpless as a
mariner on land, when left TO their own
resources for obtaining living. Not on
ly do they lack experience in providing
for themselves, but they would have the
prejudices that exist against them in the
Northern States, on account of their col
or, to contend with, which would exclude
them from any profitable employment,
and it is probable that they would be de-
MED the privilege of coming among us.
l heard prominent Republican,
a member of our Legislature, say that il
the slaves were liberated he would consid-
er it a duty he owed his constituents and
the State TO have law passed excluding
them from the privilege Of becoming res
idents Of the State.
Therefore | say it is not their sympathy
on account of the condition of the slaves
that has led them to take the course they
have. A course that, if carried out sue
cessfully by them, would be as sure to
destroy this government as we arc certain
that the Southern States have rebelled
against the government. The constitu.
ton of the United States is the founda.
tion OF our government, and when that j:
violated it impairs the strength Of tho
Government, and these men are doing cv
rything in their power to destroy the con
stitution, by trying to pass laws in viola
tion of it. They know they can not at
tain their aim without destroying it. Fo
the constitution was framed by slave
holding people, and they made provision
in the instrument itself that would protec
slavery in any of the States as long a
the people chose TO hold them in bondage
When South Carolina declared her inten
ton of leaving the Union, the Union mel
in Congress became satisfied that w
would have rebellion extending through
most, il not all, the Southern States--un
less we could satisfy them that SLAYER,
would be protected by the incoming nd
lninistration, to the extent it had been b,
parties that Dcre not sectional parties
They drafted resolutions TO be submit
ted TO the people; resolutions that wer
in accordance with the constitution, and
approved by the people were TO be on
grated into the constilution-thus re