The Weekly Perrysburg journal. [volume] (Perrysburg, O. [Ohio]) 1861-1???, 1863-02-11

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tentative, except in cowardly and abioc,
submission TO the demands of the South
IL you wish peace, il can be had tomorrow
by giving up all that the South exacts; hut
il would be u hollow truce of not years
duration. The permanent ACKNOWLEDGMENT
OF this country is geographical impossi
bility. From every State west aud south ul
New England, except New Jersey, pcla
ware, South Carolina and Florida the Al
mighty has sent the waters of this great
continent flowing from myriads OF fountains
down this mighty valley, which must for.
ever belong To one people, and share one
destiny. 1t is impossible for one people tu
own the trunk of the Mississippi, and hos.
tile people its mouth. There is no room
for two discordant nations between the
great Northern lakes and the Gulf of Mex
leo. The same political institutions must
prevail over that entire region. While the
South WAS satisfied to let Slavery retain its
original character as u mere system of do
mestic labor, there was no more necessity
for discord than there is between INC, n non
STAKEHOLDER, and my neighbor. a stakeholder;
but when the South lnade u political god
of the peculiar institution" and determined
If Slavery could not expand its dominion
here, TO rive this nation asunder, and take
up its line of march through devastation and
carnage to the final subiugation of the West.
ern Hemisphere to that Institution. then il
became manifest to rejecting men that the
die was irrevocablv cast, and that upon this
generation was devclved 10y an Allwisc
Providence the dire conflict between Free.
dom and Slavery, which is 70 decide for.
ever the fate of America. Slavery presents
that issue at tho point of the sword: lEr
SLAVERY PERISH ny THE SWORD.
We have long enough struck blows as in
dreams at this horrid revolt, and held back
the home-thr,Ist ut its vital point We have
slain the soldiers of Slavery by thousands
but bowed with hat in hand to Slavery
itself We have braved death in every form,
Tor our noble country, but found il hard
learning to brave the destruction OF her
relentless foe. We welded every weapon
against the rebellion but the very one that
would be fatal to il. We attacked armies
of white mcn in the front hut left untouched
more numerous army of black men behind
them, without which the rebellion would
never have existed, or existing, could not
have lived month. While we f~ht the
rebellion We must also watch foreign Gov.
ernments, which, as we are not the subjects
of n dynasty, but Republican, frecmen, have
no sympathy with our struggle for national
life; hut rather would rejoice at our humii-
iation and dismemhermcnt, oven ut the
hands OF that institution, towa Il which they
and their subjects profess unbounded hos
tility And so it would ever be, as long rs
we ourselves held Slavery too sacred to be
assaied, though warning for our destruction.
But when we learn to treat Slavery as a
Observation-Disclosures traitor a marauder
a pirate, aid disturber Of the peace of ma
tions, and pronounce for it's extirpation be-
cause it is all these, then we touch the
worlds heart, and the popular voice in other
lands will be heard, in toues which no Gov
ernnent however despotic will dare defy
That time has come--that lesson has been
learned. On the first day of January in this
year of Our Lord, one thousand eight hum
dred and sxty-three, the President, of the
United States, "by virtue of the power in
him vested as Commander-iu-Chief of the
Army and Navy of the United States. in
time cf actual armed rebellion against the
authority and Government Of the United
States, and az q fit and necessary war meas
ure for suppressing said rebellion did, 10y
solemn proclamation, drer anil dcciareM0t
dV persons heia as Sl1reS pHhia deSiJHHf@J
StWeS and parts Of States, are ant heRcs-
f0riras'9 sHALL BE FREE. And MW the E,r-
ecntire GOperNmem ofMc United States. ia.
clutii,,g he military and narm authorities
thereof, 'oW recognize and MAINTAIN Me fiee
dom of said persons" Upon this act which
the President declares is sincerely hc.
lieved to be an act of justice, warranted by
the Constitution-upon military necessity
he invokes the considerate Judgment OF
mankind, and the gracious favor OF Al
mighty God
My friends, if any words have in the his
tory of the world, emanated from the rulcl
of any people, which had more august and
enduring import than those, know not OF
them. An involuntary feeling of awe rises
within me as read them and endcavor "a
scan their probable influence upon the fu
ture of America and of humanity. They
ring out the glad peal of this nations deliv,
eraicc, or toll the kneli of its downfall; not
because the fate of the American people de-
pends upon the mere question whether
some millions of negroes shall be held Ill
slavery in a portion of our domain; but be
cause it does depend upon the question
whether the masters Of those negroeBr--a
meager minority of this nation-shali, ovcI
the ruins of our glorious patrimony OF Free
dom, erect an aggressive, warlike aud ruth
less empire Of Slavery. That is the last
and momentous issue which this pruciama
Ion lays before the American people and
the world, concerning which the President
of the United States invokes the consider
ate Judgment of mankind" As part OF
that people we have met 10 express our
Judgment of his act 1t is our high priv
ilege and our duty to do so. Not that oui
action can give il additional effect; but, az
ours is Government of the people, that he
may see that all men may See whether
we are for or agaihs. this blow at the enc
mics of our country. And now, my conn
trymen. with as deep sense as ! over en-
tertained OF the importance OF a right Judg'
ment IN regard 10 any question of public
moment, hesitate not to declare my firm
and unquestiOning conviction that tha
| Proclamation was CoNsTiTu TIoSAL, EXPE
nIENT, AND JUST, aud ought TO be enforced
with all the strength of the army and navy
Of the United States, to the end that Tho
power of SoutherR traitors shall be broken
| shattered, and crushed, for ever and ever
am not unaware that there are true
Unionists who do not approve the action o
| the President. To such ! would say what
ever your past Judgment as 10 the eXpe
diency of such measure this is not the
time to moot that point. The question il
not, Shall the act be done? IT IS DONE The
point is. VIII you stand up TO it like pa
triots, or falter in your devotion to the Union
because henceforth its fag is to carry free
dom to the slaves that make the very thewi
| and sinews of the rebellion? ..q.
Do you withhold approval because yol
do not see that the Constitution anthorize'
lit? Then take that instrument and read ans
study every line and word Of it, and find
if you can, one syllable that restraints th'
Commander-in-Chie of the army and navy
| In kaenina, hia sacred oath . 10 nresorNa