Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1862-03-19

BoueIy Dtalrl on emancipation, to the Com
mittee Of Invitation Of the late meeting at the
Cooper Institute:
WASHINGTON, D. C, March 2. 1852.
EENrLENEN. 4 have the honor to scknowl-
edge your fryor Of yesterday, inviting me to
attend a meeting of the citizens of New York,
at the Cooper Institute, On the 9th Instant
and requesting my views on the subject OF the
call. L shall not be able to attend the meeting,
nor have the leisure TO write out nv views
upon the subject with the care demanded by
the nature oft, but l will offer some thoughts
for YOUR consideration.
do not concur in the proposition, that cer-
tain Ststes have been "recently overturned
snd wholly sObverted ss members Of the Fed
eIal Jnion,' upon which the call is, based
This is, ia substance, what the Confederates
themselves claim, ana the fact that secession
Is maintained, b. the authors OF this call, ter
different purpose, does not make Il more
constitutional, or prevent them from being
sctuSl siders and abettcTs of the ConfedeT-
ates,
TO one who knows my political career will
suspect that my condemnation of this doctrine
is influenced by any indiSpostion to put an end
TO slavery. have left no opportunity unim-
proved to strike at 1t, and have never been re-
strained from doing 50 By personal considera-
tons. But have. never believed that the
abolition OF slavery or any other great refsrm
could or ought to be effected, except by lawful
and constitutional modes The people have
never sanctioned, and never will sanction any
other, and the friends Of cause will especially
avoid all questionable grounds, when, as in the
present instance, nothing else can long post
pone their success.
There are two interests in slavery-the no.
htical and property interest-held by distinct
classes. The rebellion originated with the ro-
ltical class. The property class, which gener-
ally belonged to the Whig organization, had
lost no property in the region where the rebel
lion broke out, and were prosperous 1t was
the Democratic organization, which did not
represent the slayeholders as a class, which
hatched the rebellion. Their defeat in the late
political struggle, and in the present rebellion
extinguishes, at once and forever, the political
interest OF slavery.
The election Of Mr.. Lincoln put an end to
the hopes Of Davis, Wise, et I'd Omnc gems
Tor the Presidency Of the Union, and hence the
rebellion. 1t extinguished slavery as a power
TO c0atrOl the Federal Government ard II was
the capacity Of slavery to subserve this pur-
pose alone, which hes given II vitality: for
morally and economically Il is inde:snsibIe
Nilh the extinction Of its political power
there Is no motive to induce any politician to
uphold it No man ever defended So h an in
susution, except fOr pay, and nothing short of
the power Of the Government could provide
sufficient qualification to ambition to nav for
such service; aud, therefore, Mr.. TOombs said
with perfect truth, that the institution could
only oe maintained, in the Union, by the pos
session Of the Government. That has been
wrested from it, and the pay now is on the
siie Of justice and truth. Can any man. who
respects popular intelligence, think it neces-
sary, with sGch advantages on the side of JUS
uce aud truth, TO violate the great Charter of
our Liberties to insure their triumph? Such
an act, In my Judgment, so far from advancing
tAe cause, IN whose Rame ii is performed
would surely be disastrous, and result in
bringing our opponents into power n the
name Of the Constitution.
Ii Is not merely question of constitutional
law, or slavery, with which We have to deal,
An securing permanent peace" The problem
before as IS, the practical one of dealing with
the relations of masses Of two different races
IN the same community. The calgmities now
upon us have been brought about as I have
sipeady said, not By the grievances of the class
claiming property in slaves, but by the isaI-
ousy CT caste, awakened by the Seeessionists
n the nOn-slaTehOlders.
"A considering the mesns of securing the
peace Of the country hereafter, tits, therefore,
tSis Jealousy Of race which is chiefly to be con-
sldered. Emancipation alone would rot re-
move IL. IL was by prOclaiming to the labor.
InS whites, who hll the armies Of REBELLION,
that the election Of Mr. Lincoln involved
emancipation, equality OF the negroes with
them, and consequently amslgam alton, that
their jealousy was simulated to the fighting
point. Nor as this jealousy the fruit Of mere
Ignorance and bad passion, as some suppose. or
confined to the white people of the South. On
the contrary, 1t belongs TO all races, and, like
ali popular instincts, proceeds from the highest
wisdom. Ii Is, in fact, the instinct of sslf-
preservation which reyolts at hybridism.
Nor does this instinct initiate against tho
natural law, that all men are created equal, il
another law OF nature, equally obvious, is
o6eyed. We hsTe but to restore the subject
race to the same, or to a region similar 10 that
from which 1t was brought by violence. to make
It operative; and such q separation of races
was the condition which the immortal author
Uf the Declaration himself declared to be in
dispsnscbie 70 give il practical effect A the
OTist, Eot living in a community where divers
races sre brought in contact IN masses. NAV
sslae the voice Of nature in bis own bosom. and
from determination to live up to a mistaken
view OF the doctrine, go so far as to extend So
clal intercourse to individuals of the subject
race; bat few, even Of su,h persons, would
p1rsse their theories as far as amalgamation
and other legitimate consequences OF their To-
gle. Indeed, for the most part, such persons
in our country, like the leading spirits in Ex-
eter Hall, are 80 far removed by their circum
stances from any practical equality with work.
ing people Of any race, tha, they have little
sympathy for them and nothing to apprehend
tor themselves from the theory Of equality.
Not so with the white workingman in COM
munitJ NneEe tnere are many negroes In such
circumstances, the distinction Of caste is the
only pro.estiono OF the race from hybridism and
cOnSeq Uent determination
That this Jealousy of cause is the instinct of
the highest wisdom. and is fraught with the
greatest good, is abundantly attested by its
effects on our own race, in which it is stronger
than in any other We conquer and hold our
eOnqussts by it. $3.50,
The difficult question with which we have to
deal is, then, the gnestion Of race, and I do not
think it Is disposed Of or that our difficulties
viii be lessensd BY emancipation by Congress,
even il such an act was constitutional 1t
would certainly add to the evaporation of the
nOn-slayehslding whites Of the South, and
might unite them against the Government, and
If so they would be uncoGquerable. As mat
ters no" stand, we can put down the rebellion,
because the people Of the natural sarongholds
OF the southern country are with US. II is chiefly
IN the low lands, accessible from the ocean and
naVigable rivers and bays, that treason is ram
pant The mountain Businesses. where alone
guerilla war can be maintained, are now held
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