The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1862-03-22
Hon. Montgomery Blair on Emancipa-
ton.

WASHINGTON, D. c.. March .. .G2.

WASHINGTON, d. c., March ., CO.
GENTLEMEN Il have the honor to acknow-
ledge your favor Of Yesterday. inviting me to
attend meeting Of the citizens of New York,
at the Cooper Institute, on the 9th inst, and
requesting my views on the subject of the
call. l shall not be able to attend the meet
ing nor have the leisure to write out my
views upon the subject with the care demand
cd by the nature Of it, but will offer some
thoughts for your onsderation.
| do not concur in the proposition, that
certain States have been " recently overturned
and wholly subvercd as members OF the
Federal Unioa," upon which the call is
based. This is, in substance, what the Con-
tedcratcs themselves claim. and the fact that
secession is maintained, BY the authors of
this call, for a different purpose, does not
make it more CONSTITUTIONAL, Or prevent them
from being actual aidcrs and abcttors Of the
ConfedcrateS.
No one who knows my political career will
suspect that my condemnation of this doc
Urine is influenced by any indisposilon to put
an end to Slavery. / have left no opportuni-
ty unimproved to strike at it, aud have never
been rcsr d rom doing SO 10y personal con.
sidcraions. But have never believed that
the abolition Of Slavery or any other great
reform, could or ought to be effected, except
by lawful and constitutional modes. The
people have never sanctioned, and never will
sanction any other, and the friends o! the
cause will especially avoid all Questionable
grounds, when, as in the present instance.
nothing else can long postpone their success
There are two interests in Slavery, the
political and property interest, held by dis
tinct classes. The rebellion originated with
the political class. The property class, which
generally belonged to the Wing Organization,
had l,,et 30, ,,,t
rebellion broke out, and were prosperous. 1t
was the Democratic organization, which did
not represent the Shareholders as class,
which Matched the rebellion. Their defeat
in the late political struggle, and in the pre-
sent rebellion. cXtnguishcs at once and for
ever. the political interest of Slavery. The
election of Mr.. Lincoln put an end to the
hopes of Davis. Wise, CT III On,nc gcnns for the
Presidency of the Union. and hence the re-
bcilion. 1t exlngnishcd Slavery as II power
to control the Federal Government, and it
was the capacity Of Slavery to subscrvo this
purpose alone, which has given it vitality. for
morally and economically it is indcfcnsibe
With the extinction of its political lower,
there is no motive to induce any politician to
uphold it. No man ever defended such an
institution, except for pay, and nothing short
of the power ofthe Government could provide
such service and, therefore, Mr. Toombs
said with perfect truth, that the institution
could only be maintained, in the Union. by
the possession Of the Government. That
has been wrcsted from it, and the pay now is
on the side of justice and truth. Can any
man, who respec cts popular intelligence, think
it necessary, with such advantages on the
side of justice and truth, to violate the great
Charter of our Liberties TO insure their tri-
umph Such an act, in my Judgment, so far
from advancing the cause, in whose name it
is performed, would surely be disastrous, and
result in bringing our opponents into POWER,
in the name of the Constitution.
1t is not merely question of constitutional
law, OF Slavery, with which VIC have to deal,
in securing permanent peace" The
problem before us u.s. the practical one OF
dealing with the relations OF masses of two
different races in the same community. The
calamitics now upon us have been brought
| about, as | have already SAID, not by the
grievances of the class claiming property in
slaves, but by the Jealousy of caste, awakened
| by the ScccSsionists in the non shareholders.
| In considering the means of securing the
peace of the country hereafter, it is, there
fore, this Jealousy of race which is chiefly to
be considered. Emancipation alone would
not remove it. 1t was BY proclaming to the
laboring whites, who fill the armies of rebel
lion, that the election Of Mr.. Lincoln involved
emancipation. equality of the negroes with
them, and consequently amalgamation, that
their Jealousy was stimulated to the fighting
point. Nor is this jealousy the fruit OF mere
ignorance and bad passion, as some suppose,
or confined to the white people Of the South.
On the contrary, it belongs to all races, and
like all popular instincts, proceeds from the
highest wisdom. 1t u.s. in fact, the instinct of
self-preservation which revots at hybridsm.
Nor does this instinct initiate against the
natural Law, that all men are created equal,
If another law of nature, equally obvious. is
obeyed. We have but to restore the subject
race to the same, or to region similar to
that from which it was brought by violence,
to make it operate; and such separation OF
races was the condition which the immortal
author of the Declaration himself declared to
be indispensable, to give it practical effect
A theorist, not living in a community where
divers races are brought in contact in masses,
may stite the voice OF nature in his own
bosom, and, from determination to live up
to mistak, n view of the doctrine, 20 so far as
to extend social intercourse to individuals OF
the subject race; but few, even of such per-
sons, would pursue their theories as far as
amalgamaton and other legitimate conse-
qnences of their logic. Indeed tor the most
part, such PERSONS IN our country, like the
leading spirit in Exeter Hall, are so far
removed by their circumstances from any
practical equality with working people of any
race, that they have little sympathy for them
and nothing to apprchend for themselves from
the theory of equality. Not SO with the
white workingman in community where