The national Republican., 1862-09-10
SLAVERY AGITATION.

There hes been q good deal said upon this
question Of slavery agitation in certain quar-
ters; and In oil cases those persons who have
professed to deprecats agitation the most,
have been the most persistent ssitators In The
country.
This bas always been The fact. In the early
days, whsa abolition vas in its infancy. the
pro-slavsryisss, or, In other Words the Demo-
cratic and bunker politicians, agitatsd ind
nitely more to put down agitation, than the
sbolitionists did 10 put down slavery.
They have never been willing 10 lot the
question rest. II the abolitionists were dis
posed 70 keep silent, they would not lei
them.
After the compromises Of 1850, II was agreed
BY the politicians TO let the slavery question
rest, both 10 and out Of Congress. In short
they told US that the measures then adopted
were q nnality, and nothing was to be permit
ted by the great Democratic party then In
power to occur to disturb the peaceful rela-
tons then existing between the North and
South. All further agitation was forever to be
" resisted
And the people, excepting very inconsid.
erable number Of u1ra abolitionists scattered
over the North, acquiesced.
Who, then, commenced this agitation with o
tenfold fury? The men who are eternally
discussing the negro question to-day; the men
who can zee nothing worth preserving under
the Constitution but negro slavery; whose
motto Is, "the Constitution as II Is and the
U.ion as Il was" II slavery can be preserved
intact, but If not then slavery without the Union.
These are the agitators the country has most TO
fear. The men who love slavery and hate free.
dom, who ere endeavoring night and day to 90
influence ard shape the policy Of the Govern.
ment that slavery, their darling idol, shall re-
ceive no detriment from the prosecution Of
this war. To these men We owe our defeat
before Richmond, and our recent disgraceful
ro,a in front Of Washington both Of which
disasters will cast our own PEOPLE into the
deepest slsugh of humiliation and despon-
dency, and give US q most unenviable reputa.
ton abroad % nation Of do.nothings or Of
towards, neither Ct which we are. It is not
real, but apparent, and only apparent because
Of the treachery or blunders Of this very class
Of agitators, the pro-slaveryites.
How long will great and mighty people
with an abundance Of men, good men, courage
ous men, and ample resources, suffer itself to
be hoodwinked and cheated out Of It's victories
BY this cruel devil Of slavery, led on by its be-
fooled and knavish sdherents and worshipers.
The patton is, where Il is to day, disgraced,
because this war has not been prosecuted upon
right principles, because the certain and up-
Indications Of Providence have
been disregarded, and slavery, the cause of
this internecine war, has been left to the South
as their strong tower.
No more suicidal policy could have possibly
been adopted, and still, with the lessons OF the
past week and the CORY battle.6elds Of vir-
ginia full before us, we go on the rame old
way, and the advocates of slavery are as ram.
pant ss ever. 1t will not do 10 touch 1t, they
tell US. When shall We learn wisdom from ex.
perience? When shall we strike the rebellion
in its weakest point!