The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1863-01-02
sensibilaies Of an equal and powerful na-

ton.
No reply to that address, in any sucf
tan gible ard monumental form, has evel
been possible. 1t was impossible TO canvas
our vast territories with The jealous and in
defatigable industry with which England
was canvassed for signatures. In America
those possessed of the .pirit which led te
this efficient action had no leisure for it -
All their time and energies were already
absorbed in direct Efforts to remove the
great evil concerning which the minds ol
Their English sisters had been newly arous-
!, ed. and their only answer was the sil-n,
cont inus.ce OF these efforts.
From t.e Slavsholding s afes, however.
as was to be expected. came = food Of ind,g
mani recrmination and rebuke. No one
act. perhaps. ever produced IN re frantic
irruation or called cut more unsparing
abuse. Il came with the whole united
weight OF the British ari~tocracy and com
inonalty on the most diseased aud sensitiv e
part OF our national lite; and il stimulated
that fierce excitement which was working
before and has worked since till il has bro.
ken on, into open war
/ The ime has come. however. when such
an astonishing page has been turned in the
anti slavery history of America. that the
/
I great anti slavery work TO which their
English sisters EXPORTED th-m is almost
done, may properly and naturally feel
moved to reply to their appeal. AMI lay be-
lore them the history OF what has occurred
since the receipt Of their affeciionate and
Christian address.
Your address reached US just as a great
moral conflict wa, coming to its intensest
point.
The agitation kept mp by the anti slavery
portion Of America, by England. and by the
general sentiment of humanity in Europe.
had made the situation Of the slaveholding
aristocracy intolerabe. As one Of them at
the time expressed it. they felt themselves
under the ban Of the civilized world. Two
courses only were open to them: to abandon
slave institutions, the sources Of their
wealth and political power. or TO assert them
with such an overwhelming nationsl force
as to compel the respect and assent Of man
kind. They chose the latter.
To this end they determined to seize on
and control all the resources of the Fed
eral Government. and to spread their insti
tutions through new States and Territories
until the balance Of power should fall into
their hands and they should be able to force
slavery into all the Free States.
A leading Southern sen stor boasted that
he would vet call the roll uf his slaves on
Bunker Hill: and. for q while. the political
successes of the Slave Power were such AS
TO suggest to New England that this was
no impossible event.
They repealed the Missouri Compromise.
which had hitherto stool. like the Chinese
wall. between our North " estern Terrific
res and the irruptions of slaveholding bar
barians.
Then came the struggle between Freedom
and Slavery in the new Territory.
battle for Kansas and Nebraska. fought with
FIRE AMI sword and blood. w,ere a race of
men. Of VIII m John Brown was the immor-
tai type. acted over again III courage, the
aud the military religious ar
dor Of the old Covenanters Of Scotland. and.
ike them. sedsamed tho s.rs " Liberty at
the price Of their own blood aud blood
dearer than their owa.
The ii 10 OF the Presidential canvass
which elected Mr.. Lincoln was The crisis OF
his great battle. The Conflict hal become
narrowed down 10 the one point o. the ex-
tension Of slave territory. II the slave
holders could get States enough. they could
control aud rule; il they were out umbered
BY Free States, their ins'itutions.by The very
-
tion. Therefore, Fugitive Slave Law. Dis
trict Of Columbia. liner State Slave Trade,
and what not. we're all thrown out Of sight
for q grand rally on this vital point. A
President was elected pledged to opposition
to this one thing alone.--a man known to
be in favor o, the Fugitive Law and other
so called compromises of tine Constitution,
but honest and faithful in his determination
On this one subject. That this was indeed
he vital point was shown by the result
The moment Lincolns el-c,ion was ascer-
tanned, the Shareholders resolved 10 destroy
he Union they could no longer control
They met and organized Confederacy
which they openly declared to be the first
Republic founded on the right and deter.
ninstion of the white man TO enslave the
black man, and, spreading their banners,
declared themselves to the Christian world
II the nineteenth century as nation organ
sed with the full purpose and intent of per-
slavery.
But in the course of the strug lie that fol-
owed, it became important for the new Con.
10 secure the assistance of for
.ign powers. and infinite pains were then
.aken to bliud and bewilder the mind
u England as To the real issues of the con-
aict 10 America.
II has been often and earnestly asserted /
that slavery had nothing to do with
his Conflict; that ii was a mere struggle for
power: that the only objec, was to restore
Ihe Union rs it was. with all its abuses. 1t
is to be admitted that expressions have pro-
ce. ded from the National Administration
which naturally gave rise to misapprehen-
sion. and therefore We beg to speak TO you
on this subject more fully.
And. hrst, the declaration of the Coated
crate States themselves is proof enough.
that. whatever may be declared on the 9TH
er side, the maintenance OF slavery is regar-
ded by u em as the vital object of their
movement.
We ask your attention under this head to
the declaration Of their Vice President, Ste
phens. in that remarksbl. speech delivered
on the 2ls, of March. 1861. at Savannah.
Georgia, wherein he declares the object and
purposes of the new Confederacy. 1t IS
oue of the most extraordinary nansrs vh;eh