The Semi-weekly Shreveport news. [volume] (Shreveport [La.]) 1862-1864, 1862-07-29
Speech Of Ben. w God Of New York.

We make the following extracts
from the speech Of Hon. Ben. Wood,
OF New Y ork, in the U.States House of
Representatives; on the state of the
country, it will be found wort ~ of
perusal, the want OF space prevents
our publishing it i'll full; aud We give
our readers what we can to the ex-
clusion of other matter:
1t is while the magazine is beneath
us and about, bursting with the
a~eucies of ruin, that we must choose
to sport with the iiami.g torch Of the
inccndiary? Sir, until our beloved
country shall be saved, the word
emancipation" should, by common
consent, be banished from the Ian
guage Of debate in this assemblase.
1t is spell which has wrought
enough already Of dcsolation. 1t is
a hellish formula OF incanta:ion,
which has conjured up the tiends of
discord and civil war; and it never
was so potent in its evil tendencies as
now, when it is being passed, like
the breath of the plague, from mouth
to mouth, in the council chambers of
the country it has ruined. 1t should
be spoken in a whisper, and with Il
prayer linked to it, as thing that
brings curse and spreads a pesti-
leAce. ] despair of my country. |
despair Of ever living in Il blessed
Union Of fraternal States, when !
hear all around mt the utterance OF
that ruin breeding word "emancipa
ton" mingling with the shouts of
battle, the fierce hurrahs Of triumph
over fallen brothers, and the groans
! Of our dying countrymen.
! Sir, in place of making the negro
! question q subJect-matter of debate,
this Congress would take into earn
est solemn, consideration SOME e1pe-
dient for securing peace. do believe
that success would crown our efforts.
If they would eater upon the task,
not with hearts embittered and intel
lect sway-a by sectional antipathies
and untimely meek philanthropies,
! but with all their souls devoted
TO that one sacred purpose--the re-
conservation Of the Union and our
! redemption from civil wa,; if they
would do this IN the spirit Of concill-
alton, OF forgiveness. OF tolerance, Of
brotherhood and kindly feeling, it is
my conviction that before he close OF
this even1iul session the prelimiuaries
OF peace would be arranged Bnt
while, with the obstinacy of blind
fanatic, and the instinct OF brutal
gladiator the first Objects 10 promul-
gate party creed. and the second
to crush an opponent and wear the
badge of victory, l see 10 fairer pros
pect than at some distant period,
reached through seas Of blood and
heaps Of carnage, the forced submis,
sion Of a crushed and devastated sec
ton, and the equally unhappy spec
tacle of a government triumphant
but exhausted by it's triumph, detcst.
ed by noiety ofthose sovereisn'ies
4 tina. gave it birth. and gazing with
horror and re,norse npon the desola
ton it has wrought.
;! Sir, it is not my purpose TO vent re,
proachcs even where l believe then
best deserved. ] have risen to cnte,
my protest against the discussion II
this chamber, of anti-slavery scheme
whatever at this crisis, and to otel
an earnest appeal to this Congress
that its Legislation shall embrace ev
cry ul2ans of securing an immediat,
peace. II, as the government claim:
the Confederate cause is hopeless
, the leadere Of the secession movement
cannot be ignorant of the fact ane
knowing it, they will be naturally in
clined to lend willing ear to what