New-York daily tribune., 1863-05-14


bapeinps ano, burnrgs and tarrings and feath.
erings, through scriptural e1egesis and Ethno-
logical demonstra. .ons, through Congressional
Compromises, and Seventh of March Speeches,
and Sumner Assaults, and annual vistations
from Mr.. George T. Curtis, we have como 10
find ourselves in death-grapple with Slavery
at last When Mr.. Seward spoke Of "the
irrepressible conflict" some wise ones giggled,
and some sour ones sneered-but, unfortun.
ately. neither incredulity nor contempt could
arrest the steady march Of events. or suspend
the laws of cause and effect. So here we are
at la.t-the time for talking pretty much gone
BY, the time for action definitely come
And it is to this point that We respectfully
beg leave to call the attention of those who
are now, for q week or two at least, pos
SCISSORS Of the public ear. Society has made
immense strides during the last two years,
and under the schooling Of war, which Is e1'
pensive but xcelent, has outgown the horn
book of theories. The heart is healthy, and
now our chief business must be wisely to guide
the hand. With pleasure akin to that with
which we read of victories, do we read also
Of every genuine and practical blow struck at
the continued existence of Slavery-of the or
panization of Black Regiments, OF the Combs
cation of the Slaves of Rebels. of the estab-
lishment of Schools for the Freedmen. These
may, indeed, be short steps, but they are
made in the right direction, and We cannot
expect to accomplish great reform In day.
Between confusion and reconstruction, there
il Herculean work to do. In getting
this African race into something like
respectable status, in making it productive In
order that we may be pecuniarily able to
remunerate it, in training it to social duties
and bringing il within social restraints, there
is business which is worthy of any hVlBg,
which would have been worthy Of any dead
statesman. The slave system itself is doomed.
Il has been weighed and found wanting in
every element of permanent success--it mas
been tried and found incompatible with our
republican form Of government-lt Is too
clumsy and barberous for the rapid and skill
ful work of the age. Years ago, when Hum
boldt was in the West Indies, he emitted one
of bis most magnificent sneerS at what the
,layeh, 'ders there called industry and ciylli-
zation." What we here want is not merely
tho names but tho facts. IL we have not OUT
lived feudasm in any of its forms, our Schools
our mechanical and scientific discoveries, and our
progress in social ethics have been but money
aud mind wasted. 1t is time that here, where
such wide opportunities offer, We should show
to the world fine theories hardened into finer
practice and :sh...ac. .:G.hs ..s eodifed by saga.
cious legislation. We should very much like
to see able and practical thinkers assisting
society in the solution Of that problem which
manumissiOn upon so great scale VIII lnial-
liby present. All difficulties would be, in fact,
immeasurably decreased, by stringent en-.
forcement of confscaton, and its rigid and
uncompromsing extension to the land OF Rebel
shareholders, who have shown that they arc
not fit to be intrusted with their own interests,
and much less with those of an ill-treated and
systematically enfeebled class. But surely the
want of land can never be pleaded in extern
untion of our neglect. On tho contrary, the
immense territories which we possess, inviting
settlement and cultivation, would seem to have
been direct gift to US from Providence.
making that which would otherwise have been
out of the question entirely possible. We have,
as Nation, determined upon justice to the
Slave; but, by all the wrongs which he has
suffered in the past, we are called upon to
make a wise provision for his future. Talk is
good, but Intelligent Action is better.
s@esssss7r.1