New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1862-09-20
STAND ~ TIE GOVERNMENT
(scrrit Smith 20 his Friend.

1t il true that have long been opposed to war
by war the armlng OF nation against ma
ton. But it s also true that at the same time
have opposed war, have conteuded for the right OF
Government 10 use arms III subd1lng its rebcihous
subjects.
Ii is true that am an Abolitionist-snd 20 thor
ough one that refuse TO recognize any law Tor the
superlative piracy which makes merchandise Oh
men; any law which cannot be honestly admlnis-
tered any law which the best of men, were 1t 20 be
brought TO bear against themselves, would feel al
liberty to difhOnor, escape from, or resist, even
tnoneh il were fortified and consecretsd by ten
thousand Constitutions Statutes and DEGREES. And
il ID ,rue that III these respects our Government
occupies other positions. But am not therefore az
liberty to refuse to help il put down the Rebellion
However unsound il may be AT any point, 1t Las
nevertheless perfect night to conquer the Rebels,
and perfect right to the help of all the people
in doing it. The thief mu.t not be exempted from
conviction because he can pick flaws IN the chnrac-
ter OF the magistrate who is trying him; Lor n'ih
the people therefore refuse TO stand by the mags-
trate. So, too, be the Government good or bad, we
must 20 with il in iis duties; and among them all
none is more imperative than the crushing oil II
cau,eless, wicked and ldely'extended Ievoit. lle
Abohlouists must not refuse to help The Govern,
mert because il IL not sutlcIently AuuSavoryi and
HE Ami ooliiiouists must lot refuse BECAUSE II Is
too Ar,i Slavery. The Abolit ouisis and Auii-Aoo-
h,ioniss differing however widely tl-ewhere, m1't
be a unit in their support OF Government Niilain
Lloyd Garrson and James Gordon Bennett Inrtt
lock hands here. j am happy to ielevs mt tboie
are no AboliliOnsts who would weaken Tie bthds
Of Government, in Its fight wiz the Rebels. Nay,
feel sure that there is no other che. of who are
20 intensely desrous 10 have the hands and heart oi
Government made strong ia this hght.
OF course ! do not deny that, were Government
PLAYING the traitor, the people would owe u no help'
H. that care, "a might ana should reVOiuilolze
apainst IT, Bat Government II not tlaiioIor.
. IL nj IA
Rebels and saving the country.
prOc I'd 20 ray that II IS altO irue that my .Npec-
tatons Of the salvation OF our country are hot conn
dent. But tits lack Of confidence in not owing t.
any doubt of the justice OF the issue which the ma
lion has made with the kebels. Never wiis there e.
cause more just urgent AMI vital than hers.
Tie Rebellion wac utterly ubprovoked. Her m
ca ssant WELDING To the Unreasonable claims Of The
South was the OILY wrong which The nation lad
done 10 ne South. Such and even greater e!dlns
We were willing 10 continue 10 be- gully Of. bus
when il came 10 the utter aud hopeless surrender OF
Government aud nation and that nothing short Of
lhis would satsfy tie South, We lad 10 iiisiand
her Had she a. Led MS 70 lot her 20, would have
let her goreluctanly indeed, and 10, 81 MI ~ re
spOnse 10 any demands OF Jlfuce-ior u such t' r.
were none. III Che sprlt Of pity sud humanity, con-
hined with the confident exrec, ftiou that she would
room return repeating OF her FOL y would We have
let her 70. To almost anything and everything
would we lave nsented 10 save our own and our
sister blood. But We could no, consent 10 Lave
her break away from We, aud defy us. ard spt ulou
u. and rob us, and tLOOt He. Her p.accable
and respectful departure would have efi us a
Government ,lill, AUD nation slil. But We could
not consent 10 her scoruiul and Yolcnt depart
ure without therein COZ senting u the ind IDLE
disgrace and eventual ruin Of both Government and
nation.
On no, 4, is not from any doubts Of the u.tice Of
her issue with the Rebels thai | nn ever tempted
to despair of the salvation Of NY country. That jus
tice il entire and emuhalic. u il only when look
AT the Issue which my country has made with the
Great God that fear she If lot iretrieyably Loot.
He ia the side OF the oppressed, hud ale II on the
side OF the OBJ ressors. Therefore, and only there
fore 30 | tremble. Could see her r.penting ]
should hope che ight b. saved. But not even then
would / be certain OF Ter salvation. Her peoJ
might repent and ave Themselves without saving
their nation. To make her sIgua monument OF His
abhorrence Of oppresfion ana "A loud warning 10
other nations God may have determined. 10 she
penitent OF impeuiteui TO break up this nation
trey and perhaps forever.
IT, holding that onr nation IL prominently guilty
Of depressing the poor, DO not agr,e with tho-e
who sy that she began Ter eXi,iebce M the spnt Of
oppression. Her founders cherished the expectation
that ia not much more taan score II years Der
expiring Slavery would become quite extinct
And this, too, was ouly farm aud house Shycry,
the pIicc Of The adult male subject Of which ged
ut from 800 TO 500 How much greater would
sugar-produong type Of slavery, tho hards lips and
horrors Of which indicated BY tie cnioli greater
price of the slave By such crimes Hs The Missouri
COMPROMISE and the repeal Of il, snd he annexation
Of Texas for subdivision INTO Slave Siaies, and the
war upon Mexico, md the Fugitive Slave statute
did our nation prove her pre-cninence IN Pro-
Slavery wickednesr. She proved IL. too by the
succumbng of her political ard ecclesintiica parties
10 Slavery. But by nothing has rhe proved Il 20
strongly 70 atrociously, and ro nGmously IA by her
readIucss year and half ago 10 widen atd
strengthen and perp-tuate Slavery for the sake
Of avoiding Il rupture with the South. That
readiness TO repeat the making Of peace between
the North ard the South al the expeLs~ oil those
poor ones whom the North and the South had
often combined TO oatfago-and 10 make the
peace this time by crushing theh far moic thor
oughly and endurinely Than ever before be-
tween the Northern ana Southern millsones-that
readiness, i ray, was a climax Of iLahghty aud
meanners, Of nhunIanity and atheism, such a.,
other nation since the world began had ever
reached.
Tie nation nay succeed in her issue with the
Rebels, (which, admit, il not on our PART about
Slavery but soely about the obedience due TO Gov
eminent from unwronged aud yet rebelious sub ccts
and stlll not be saved. Out OF this itfue fhe may
come triumphant, aud yet e'ish IN the issue which
she has made with the Great God. Or rhe may
perish in her struggle NTH the Rebels, and ptrrh
il not at all becau.e there il any Justice on their -ide
hut simply becaufe God has chosen them for Ills IN
struments in destroying peIsistngly and supreme
" guilty nation. ! confets that the amazing blind
ness and nfaunton, which characterize her in this
struggle, make me apprehensive tat the time for
her outward and material ruin TO follow her long
ripening inward and moral ruin, has come. Come
il must, if she does not repent. Cone It my, even
If she does repent Money without limit aud nuIi-
tCns without limit has this nation: III courage she
j. unsmp passed: in energy aud invention unequaled.
And yet how little have these awaited her in this
Three times as many white men are for
her against her-and yet she cannot conquer.
Immense are her powers aud buundless her advn.
tages. But spell is upon her, and she cannot WELD
them She has eyes, bat abe not; oars, but she
hears not; and her heart cannot understand. 'Ae
five millions Of blacks, between three snd