, 1862-06-27
Hiss MnrtIneau on America:

1lACllllau i tHZlne |
The abolition of slavery in the District of
Columbia i6 the greatest event IN the history
OF the American republic. 1t suits the policy
Of certain parties in this country to conceal
the Importance Of the fIct il they cannot con
ceal the fact itself; but not the less will wise
men now, and all men hereafter, rccognize in
tie event of April 1G, 1862, tile closing of a
period of guilt and danger and the entrance
upon one Of genuine rcpublicanism. In the
feweEt words the case is this: The District Of
Columbia, space Of ten miles square, is tue
only portion OF territory subject to the federal
government. al the people OF the republic
are, 10 specified extent, the subjects Of the
are Under State rule, with the one exception
Of this standpoint for the national legislature
and executive. While slavery existed tier: /:
Was national institution; now that it was
abolished there, slavery becomes State in-
stitution, and tho national government ID as
free to announce and condemn it IS thu gov
eminent Of any other country. One more and
the greatest Of the few powers Of Christeu-
dom, which have been reckoned as slavehold-
ing Dations, has come over from the wrong
side to the right. The eamc sort Of people
who would have called Luther's Theses piece
Of Taper with writing on it, and the ship
money controversy question OF a few shil-
linns, may now point out that the District OF
Columbia is only ten miles square, aud .that
there we're rot near SO many slaves as for
mer]y; but I.ot the less will one of the great
chapters Of history close, now and forever, at
the date Ct April the 16fh, 1869, because on
that uay the American republic ceased to be q
slavcholding power,
For the game reasons that the magnitude Of
the event is concealed in England, the tokens
Of its approach hare been denied. We still
ste it assumed that the civil war in America
was something sudden, unexpected, and
even absurd and revolving in its need
1eseness. So far from this being true, it
would be difficult to point to any great egent
in history more distinctly and confidently All
tieipated b all public men in the country,
and hy all well.intormed observers abroad.
From GeorgeW ashington to Abraham Lincoln,
every statesman bas aeen what must happen,
and has done bis part in bringing on the Cd
tastrophe; and, as the time drew near, per-
sons Of any political insight knew and eaid
years. II the disruption did not take pl.cc in
l&G, It must in 1860 AS it would be seri-
ous Justification Of history to say that the
civil war was unnecessary, sudden, unexpected
and the like, 1t may be worth while to record
What one person can testify to the contrary.
OF the first generation OF the public men OF
the Republic, four, land believe no more)
were living when wss in the United States,
and I knew them all, more or less. They
Verc Madison, Gallatin, Chief Justice Mar
shall, and the venerable Bishop White OF
these four, three were nnquestionably aware
on the extinction Of negro slavery, In one
WY or another; and no one Of them saw any
probability Of the thing being done in time
Chief Justice Marshall was Virginian, tho
son Of g PLANTER, who found 1t difficult 10 make
bis small estate suppor: his fifteen children.
! Father and eon fought in the Revolutionary
| war, and in contending almost hand to hand
| with Lord Dunmore, theJ felt their pride il
! their Own State groF into passion. When
| knew The Chief Justice be was eighty three
| ht{T HaA b.
| while as dignitied judge as ever filed the
highest seat in the highest court Of any coun
try. But his love for his own Virginia was moi
| the proud alteration It had been 3 half cen
| tpr5 before; it Was mournful love, teuderes1
in adversely. he said he had seen Virginia rht
| Ieadu State for half his life; he had seen 1al
become the second, and sink to be II think
the fifth Worse than this, there was no ar
| resting her decline, If her citizens did not pu
| IN end TO slavery: and he saw no signs Of AMI
| intention to do 60, east Of the mountains a
least; BE had seen Ehq}e groups OF estates
seen agriculture exchanged for human stock
breeding, and he keenly felt the degradation
Tie forest was returning over the tiue old es
tafee, and the wild creatures which had no
been seen for generations we're rcappearing
numbers and wealth were declining, and edu
cation and manners were degenerating.
would not have surprised him to be told tha
on that soil would the main battles be tough
when the critical day should come which h
foresaw. t'Where else could the battle b
fought" he would naye asked, ''if the slsy
Statee persist in claiming the control OF tn
republic, by means OF. and for The sake Of thei
nero slnvery?"
To Mr.. Madison despair was not easy. q
had cheerful and sanguiue temper, and
there was one thing ratbsr than another whIc
he had learned to consider secure, 1t was th
constitution which he had So large share
making. Yet he told me that he waa aca1l
in despair and that he had been quite so tt
the colonization society arose. Rather tha
admit to herself that the South must be lsi
waste by scFvlle WAT, OF the whole couut1
by civil war, he strove to believe that mi
lions OF negroes could be carried to Africa, an
20 got lid Of. need not speak OF the veal
ness Of such hope. What concerns Us no
il that he saw ard described to me, when
vas his quest, the dangers and horrors Of tt
. state Of seciety in which he VIVA living. 3
talked moro Of slavery than Of ali other sui
jeets together, returning to it morning, 400
. and NIGHT. He said that the clergy per7erte
tbs bible, because it was altogether again
slavery that the colored population waa Il
creaEiDE faster than the white; and that Il
/ state of morals was srch as barely peraitt: