The New York herald., 1862-04-17

/ sssAssA~.A-4AAP0xtsnt SRSSsASs - ~
gress.
We publish to-day two remarkable speeches
delivered in Congress-one of them by Mr.
Blair, of Missouri, and the other by Judge
Thomas, of Massachusetts,. The speech Of Mr.
Blair is'impsrtant, not only on account of the
sentiments it utters, but because it is an ex-
position of the policy of Mr.. Lincoln and his
administration. The speech Of Judge Thomas
is admirable .for its constitutional law, sound
logic and overw, ,helming overthrow of the posi-
tions Of the abolttionists. If Wendell Phillips
and Charles Sumner are the bane Of Massachu-
sets, Judge Thomas.is the antidote. While we
commend the whole Of both speeches TO the
calm and earnest perHsal of our readers, we
would advert to two or three points worthy of
special attention.
Mr.. Blair, who is fom,a slaveholding State,
and well informed Of shs opinions of all classes
of the Southern commaaity, declares that it is
fallacious TO call the iasurrsction "slave-
holders rebellion" If such were the fact, two
divisions Of the army cosld have suppressed it
without difficulty. In feet, the negroes thenn-
selves could easily put down the two hundred
and fifty thousand slayeholders. But the truth
ia, that it b the non-slaveheiding whites Of the
South who are the rebels, snd that not from
any love Of slavery, but from the natural an
tagonism Of the white race to theidsa of equali-
ty and amalgamation involved dilemancipation-
the very same sentiment which prompts the
States of the Northwest to pass Laws prohibiting
the settlement Of negroes among their popula-
ton. Mr.. Blair srgues, therefore; that it is the
negro question, and not the slavsry question,
which has produced the rebellion. II was the
fear shat Mr.. Lincoln would emaEcipate the
slaves which led them to take up arms. Hence
Mr. Lincoln, in hisreeent message to Congress,
endeavors to remove their apprehensions. He
repudistes the idea of forced emancipation
and proposes that il shall only be accomplished
by the voluntary act Of the people Of the South
ern States; Congress merely passing isw to
assist them in the shape Of compensation. The
policy of tie President is 10 colonize them wi9n
emancipated; and Mr. Blair suggests Mexioo
and Central America as the proper region for
them, not Only, on account Of climate, but be-
cause the posulation Of these countries haveuo
natural antiIathy to the Black race. He says il
the republicans had proclaimed this policy of
Mr.. Lincoln we' should not havo had the rebel
lion, and if it were even now recognized by
Congress it would save. the blood of many Of
our soldiers, and bring back peace and good
will. With great truth He observes-'It.was
not love for the King, bu. impatience engen-
dered by the senseless. riger of the Puritans,
fhof hvOrvhf hoo ChorlAsa ~ <n Enr
tho pro-slavery democracy is restored to power,
it will be by similar folly on the part of tho.
most extreme opponents of slavery" Mr.. Blair,
goes on to contend that "we cannot subjugate.
the seeded States without maintaining vast;
army and without changing the very form 60
our government" He asks: @How long would
it be endured by the Northern people that
a war should be waged upon the people of their
own race at the Southsto make the blacks their
eqrals3" He exposes the absurdity Of the
whole. business by remarking that wheI, Nosth.
ern men go South their prejudice against
slavexy ceases; and the soldiers will he TO ,ex-
ception to the rule. On the contrary, r. our
troops should permanently settle in the South
the blacks would only change masters, of (which
theceaBe certain symptoms already.
These are sound and sensible vier 70, from
which we dissent only on one point, an that i
ths, colonization plan There is no aecessit,
fos it,. The labor Of the negroes isl leeded il
the cotton and sugar States. The lab Or of th
white man cannot Sapply it; and it would b.
extreme folly to deprive the count ny of sucl
an immense laboring population. If Their
must be emancipation, let the State that decree
it take charge Of thu negroes, inst cad of thei
former masters, and let vagrant |; AVIS, COMPEL
ing to labor, be enacted, and Il It fair rates O
wages be established. This wo, lid not be be,
ter for the negross, bat infnitel. better for tn
planters, who aranow bound I support then
in old age and in sickness as ell as in health
In he event of emancipation ONE such syste,
as this should be adopted as a substitute. II
give the blacks. the same p olitical privilege
ard franchises as the whites /; of the South an,
make them equally free, is an absurdity o
uhich nobody dreams b mt Utopian aboli
tionists like Greeley and So inner or Phillips ant
Garrison.
Equally important is. the speech Of Mr.
Thomas On the consti tutional question. II,
shows thst this is war for the constitution
and not q war to overt hrow it, He completed,
rsfutes the doctrine 'af Sumner, that the State
organizations can be- destroyed and that State.
have Forfeited their existence by rebellion fol
'thegs is notbiBg ia the doctrines Of secession
more. aisloyal to the constitution and more fa
tai to the Union ahan the doctrine Of State sui
eide. tits the gospel Of anarchy, the philoso
ply Of dissolution" The constitution has .
door for Statesto come in, but none for State
20 60 out. An ordinance Of secession has nc
legal forco, agd is wholly void. A State canno,
commit tseason: only persons can commit it. A
State cannot be indicted. "You cannot" says
Burke, "indict whole people," The loyal citi
Gems in the Southern States are not enemies
and cannot be treated as such under any gene