The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1863-05-01
RICHMOND, WAYNE CO., IND,
may be one thousand years hence. Let US
consider the actual status.

. may Dc one tUou>dUu years neuCc. LSt "
consider the actual status.
In certain localities of Southern Africs
. there is a remarkable flv, the Tsetse fly
In the ordinary course of satisfying II:
: hunger this insect puuctnres the skin of a
horse. and the animal dies in consequence
A fy makes lunch, and horses life pay:
the price Of the meal This has ever seem
! ed to me 10 represent the beast Of prey
prnciple in Nature more vigorously than any
, other tact But in that system whose fangs
are now red with the blood OF our brave
there is an expression of this principle no,
less enormous 1t is the very Tsetse fl oil
civilization. That a small minority OF
Southern men may make money withou;
earning it,--that lew thousand individuals
may monopolize the cotton market of the
world, what a suppression and destruction
of intelligence it perpetrates what con-
sumiDg of spiritual possibilities what en-
tai wreck aud waste Whites, too, suffer
equally with blacks. Less oppressed, they
are perhaps even more demoralized No
parallel example does the earth exhibit OF
the sacrifice of transcendeut values for pit
ful ends.
Ia attempting to destroy free government
and rational socialization in America, this
system is treading new road, it is only
proceeding on the old. Its central law is
that OF destroying any value. however great,
for the sake of any qualification. however
small. Accustomed to battening on the
hopes Of manity.--accustomed to taking
stock in human degradation, and declaring
dividends upon enforced ignorance and
crime,-existng only while every canon Of
the common law is annulled. and every
precept OF morals and civilization set at
/ - ha to
| when, or rather just because. it had appar
emily found the richest possible prey p!
Could it be expected to withhold its fang
for no other reason than that its fang was
allured by . more opulent artery than ever
before The simple truth is-and he
knows nothing about this controversy who T
fails TO perceive such truth-that the system |
whose hands are now armed against US has
always borne these arms in its heart that
that the fang which is now barred has hith
erto been only concealed, not wanting; that
the tree which is to-day in bloody bloss m
is the same tree it ever was. and carried
these blossoms in lis sap long ere spreading
them upon its boughs.
To this predaceous system what do we
oppose We oppose socialization that
has features,--I will say no more,-has
features Of generous breadth and promise,
that are the best fruition Of many countries
and centuries. Faults and drawbacks it has
enough and to spare; conspicuous among
which may be named the vulgar and dis
gusting negrophobia. "a mark Of under
breeding W which one hopes may not disgrace
US always. Bat let US be carried away by
no mania for self-cri:icism. Two claims for
ourselves may be made. First, a high her grade
of laws nowhere exists with less amount
of coercive application, exists. that is. by
the rational ndsconstant choice Of the whole
people Secondly, it may be questioned
whether anywhere in the world the devel- {
opment Of intelli yence and moral force in
the whole people is to a greater extent a a
national aim. But abandoning all compar 1
ison with other peoples, this we may say S
with no doubtful voice We stand for the I
best ideas of the Oh World in the New ,
we stand for orderly freedom and true social
ization in America; We stand for these, and ,
with US these must here stand or fall '
Now, Of course. we are not about to be- {
come the offscouring of the earth by yieli- I
ing these up to destruction OF course, we I
shall not convert ourselves into q nation of {
Iscariols. and give over civilization TO the
bowie knife. with the mere hope of SO max {
ing money out of Southern trade,--which t
we should not do.--and with the certainty t
of gibbet in history. to mention no greater
penalty. II
But refusing this pertidy. could we have {
avoided this war? No; for it was simply .
our refusal of such rerfiy which. SO far as
we are concerned. brought the war on 5
The South, having ever since the Mexican +
War stood with It's sword halt out Of the I
scabbard. perpetualy threatening to give q
its edge,-havin5 made it the chief problem i
of our politics. by wha, gift or concession TO '
purchase exemption from that dreaded i
blade,--at last reached is ultimate demand :
" Will YOU" it SAID 10 the North, +" abdi /
cate the privileges of equal citizenship = /
Will you give up this continent. territory. a
Free St and all. to our pred ,ceous, q
blood eating system? Will you sell into l
slavery the elective franchise itself? viii G
you sell the elective franchise itself into q
slavery. and take for pay barely the pol I
troon's price. that OF being scornfully spared !
b, the sword we stand ready 10 draw - v
rEe North excused itself politely. In the !
softest voice, but with a soit-voicedness that {
did not wholly conceal an iron thread of
resolution. it declined to comply with that |
most modest demand Then the sword ca re {
out and struck at our life. Was it matter of c
choice with US whether we would 6gh, = c
Not unless it were also matter OF choice O
whether we world become the very sweep {
ings and blemish of creation :
But we might have permitted seces- b
sion." No, we could not. Ii was clearly I
impracticable. But why not 4? Because =
that ,ooali haze been TO sxrreader the rIole
under the gHise of giring mp half Such
concession could have meant 10 the people t,
OF the rebeliious States. and. in the existing >
state Of national belief. could have mean, 10 :
!" We submit do what you will we are q
and cowards we must have 6
your trade and besides, though expert in =
the use of yard-sticks. We have not the ,
nerve for handling guns" From that mo- c
ment we should have lost al! authority on {
this continent. and all respect on the other. !
The English papers have blamed US for a
hshting but had We failed 10 fight, not one I
Of these censuring mouths but wopld have 5
hisseed at US Ike an adder with conie,r at. .
Nav, We ourselves should. as it were, soon \