The Plymouth weekly Democrat. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1860-1869, 1863-09-10
From the Boston Liherator.
From the Boston Liberator.
How the AbOiitfOniStS Dissolved
the IniOE--The Way they Work
1.-THE Programme Skefclaed--
The AbOlitiontstS and the War;
letter from wendell Phillips.

H tfC EOrS
The Aboii:ionists and the War;
letter from Wendell Phillips.
DEAR SIR You ask me how We, who
have hitherto been disunionists. now join
in supporting the Union?
| answer:
We refused to take Office and swear to
support the Constitution, because We could
not promise to do what we thought sin
return slaves to their masters, for instance,
as required by the Constitution. Further
than that. or cfoyt 10 JrcokMe Union a0ds
only the means 10 Mot end orr object
acas tie abolition IF s1opeyy No man can
foresee the future, or certainly tell the I'M
mediate, much less the final results of any
measure. We must act on probabilities,
and use those rightful means within oul
reach which seem most likely to end an
evil perfectly, in the shortest time and
with the least harm On this principle,
in the old times of peace, we labored to
break the Union. as the best and quickest
way to end slavery.
Let me remind you that we never un-
dervalued union; never had any objection
to union; but only to Union on prc-sla-
very conditions one that supported and
strengthened slavery The dsunion which
we sought was one which should be begun
by the North on principle. from conscicn-
tious objection to ipholding slavery. Such
division of the Union would have given
us nation III the North. united on high
principle, able to defend ,selfrigid against
granting any pro-slavery advantage to its
Southern neighbor and the vicinity and
example of such North would have CO.
operated with the essential weakness of all
slaveholding governments in finally abol-
ishing slavery at the South. Such disun-
ION must have been brought about by a
public opinion throughout the North ad-
verse to slavery. and would have gtaran-
iced one for the future The agitation for
such diSunion. based on the idea that sla-
very is a sin. to be Immediately rcpuliat,d d
a. every cost, was the most direct and eff
'i MT way Of educating the pujl:cto stern
aiti--laycry principle
Yoa see therefore. that the abolition 4
sl.ycry Was our obict disruiou o,,r weap-
on IN otlr nc;hod of reach:ur i St
convert he ION, AMI ,rea.e !, strong an
ti-sIavcry pul opinion. We sought such
,lisunion for Il. .-laye's sake. well knowing
all the time how much Of " hat his toll had
fairly carmel Iisuuon would sacrifice but
convinced that as things then stood. II was
the quickest and shortest way to free him.
We knew, also. that our plan would leave
the slave to struggle up to freedom against
thousand obstacles alone and unaiied
vcxcd and hampercd hva reluctant master;
but that disadvantage was inevitable. arr!
seemed ~ sufficient reason Why we should
i'r'go the on ) meth ID which pronis i hn
aiy speedy and certain relief We held
that for such reasons-the rights 0f the
slave AMI the sin (for anti-slavery mem Of
upholding the Constitution North had
the right Of revolution; the right to break
the | nion-and that such division would
sooner cad slavery than continuing under
Constitution that forbade the North, du-
ring peace. to interfere with the slave sys-
tenn Of the Southern States
What came. The South began war on
the nation. To accept disunion then, one
not begun by az anti-slavcry North. though
it would have killed slavery in the end.
would have lost the slave his share in the
nation he helped to found, and would have
left the slave obstructed in his path to free
dom by great obstacles, unpitied. unaided,
vexed and htmpcred by an embittered
master. Sucl disunion, too, would proba-
bly, helped to prolons slavery, seeing that
such North would have been willing to
grant its pro-slayery neiglbor many adj
yantaSes, the recapture of slaves, &c, and
that the South, i'll this secession planned
to found military despotsm, would have
been doubly able to protect and prolong
the hold of the master on his slave. The
conflict of two such nationalities would
haze entalled perpetual war On the con-
trary, the first gun the South fired gave
the nation the constitutional right to abol-
ish slavery wherever its flag floats. showed
that such measure would inevitably be
necessary, and that the Union must prob
ably cease, or rest on the equal liberty Of
all races.
In these circumstances, the Abolition
lists; who were not peace men. and hac
never asserted the sinfulness Of war, per
ccivcd that the war itself would produc,
al overwhelming national opinion advcrs'
to slavery sooner than any other agency
The manifestation war must make of tn,
nature and designs of the slave power