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


to interfere Nth IL.
But these propositions were not submit
ted. They were opposed by the abol-
tionists in Congress, whose names will be
remembered by the present generation,
and who will be cursed by generations
yet to come. There was nothing to be
submitted 10 the people; they had got the
control Of the government, as they thoght,
and they were determined to cxtinguish
slavery in the United States, or destroy
the Union. They were deaf TO the en-
treaties Of the members Of Congress from
the Southern States, who wished them to
do something to quiet the feelings of their
constituents; deaf TO the voice Of the peo-
pie of the North. Petition after petition
was sent to them to submit Crittenden's
or Douglas resolutions to the people, and
instead of paying any proper attention to
these petitions, they ridiculed those who
sent them. They said that those who
signed them were weak in the back, and
shaky in the knees, and more frightened
than hurt--the South dare not rebel---and
as State after State left they told us the
tale of the man who told Noah, when he
was refused admittance into the ark, with
the water up TO his neck, and rain pour
ing in torrents on his head, he said &c
on with your ark, guess it won't be
much of a shower" They said all that
would be necessary for us to do would be
to arm few thousand men and send
them down South where the rebels would
see them and they would slink away TO
their plantations and sue for pardon. The
time soon passed for a peaceablo settle
ment. And as the cry went throughout
the North to arm for the defense Of the
constitution and the Union, these men
echoed the cry. To be sure the cry for the
constitution was echoed in very low key,
but their cry for the Union was loud
enough to make up for any deficiency in
the first. f.
There was noble response to the call
to arms, and those that were stigmatizcd
as being weak in the back, and shaky in
the knees, were among the first to prepare
for the defense of the constitution and
Union-not being blinded by hatred en-
gendered by sectional prejudices and pos
scssing souls large enough to feel an inter
est in the whole Union, they could ap
preciate the unnumbered blessings thai
we as a nation have derived from this gov,
ernment. When there was q sufficient
force raised in the opinion of these aboli-
tionists to subdue the rebels, then it wa:
they showed what their intentions were
by demanding Of the President the viola
tion of his oath TO support the consttu
tuition, by declaring freedom to all the
slaves, and arming them to fight thei
masters.
Now, this would be dangerous powo
for the President TO use, even If he pos
sessed it, under the constitution. For j
he has the power To liberate the slaves by
proclaiming them free, he has the powe
to establish slavery throughout the UniteC
States, and it could be done as easy a.
he could liberate the slaves in violation o
the constitution. For these same mel
that were stigmatized as being weak il
the back and shaky in the knees would q
soon think of destroying the substance
that they have left at homo for the sub
sistencc of their families, as to destro,
the property of the Union at the South
We thank God that neither the en-
treaties nor threats of these men could in
duce the President TO act in violation O
his oath, and that he has shown a deter
mination TO carry out the intent and mean
ING Of the constitution in his admipistra
tion of the government. We will Civ
you an extract from speech delivered il
Congress, Dec. II, 1861, by Mr.. Conway
In reading it you will see that the rebel
and traitors of the North are not all il
State Prisons yet: Con-.
Even if the present war should cease
new one would Immediately begin
Moral forces would take the place of phys
ical ones, and the anLi-slavery editor an,
lecturer would appear instead of the dra
goon and musketeer. The center af abe
litionism would be in time transferre
from Boston to Richmond, and we sboul
see n Virginia sliberator in the person Z