Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1863-12-02

plished its mission here. great mission it
hao. A new-and fertile country mas been dis
covered, and must be made useful The me-
eessities of mankind pressed for its speedy
development. Negro slavery was the in
strument to effect this 1t alone could open
up the fertile and miaSmatic regions of the
South, solving the problem of their utility.
| wnich no theorist could have reached. 1t was
the magician which sudd emily revoutionized
the commerce of the world by the solution of
| this problem. Ii peoped and made opu-
lent the barren hills of New England, and
| threw its powerful influence across the great
Northwest
Standing as wall between the two sec
| tions, it caught and rolled northward the
wealth and population of the Old World /; and
heid In their places the restless adventurers of
New England, or turned them along the great
prairies and valleys of the West. Thus New
England reached its climax, and the North
west was overgrown Of its age, while the
| South with its negro laborers, was sparsely
settled and comparatively poor. Thus sla-
very had done its utmost for New England and
the n ortweSt, and was a weight upon the
| South. III, at this point, its disappearance
could have clearly commenced, what untold
suffering and sorrow might have been avoided.
It's existence had become incompatible with
the existence of the Government. For, while
II had stood as Il wall damming up the cur
tS''t "Hi UdCh the people ana IdUOf-
ers OF the orth, it had, by thus precluding
tree intercourse between the sections produ-
ced marked change in their manners,
toms and sentiment. And the sections
were growing more divergent every day.
This wall or the Government must give
way. The shock came which was to settle
the question. | thought that the Government
was divided, aud regro slavery established
forever. | erred. The Government
stronger than than slavery. Reunion is
certain, but not more certain than the down.
fall OF slavery.
As have said, the mission OF the latter is
accomplished. And as his happiness must al
ways be subordinate TO that OF the.white man,
he must, ere long, depart on the foot prints
of the red man, whose mission being accom-
p'Ished, is fast fading from our midst
While think the mission of the negro is
accomplished here, L clearly of the opin
ion that the time will come when civilization
and learning shall light up the dark abodes
of four hundred millions people in India and
when their wants and necessities will put the
patient and hardy negro to toiling and open
ing up the great valley of the fertile but mi
asmatIc Amazon. But such speculations are
out OF place here.
Let us, fellow citizens, endeavor TO be calm.
Let us look these ideas and our novel
petition squareiy IN the face. We topht for
negro slavery. We have lost. We may have
to do without it. The Inconvenience will be
great for while. The loss heavy. This,
however, is well nigh accomplished. Yet, be-
hind this dark cloud is silver lining. If not
for us, at least for children. In the place
of these bondsman will come an Immense in
fux of people from all parts of the world,
bringing with them their wealth, arts and i'm
provements, and lending their talents and
sinews to increase our aggregate wealth. |
Thrift and trade and a common destiny will
bind us together. Machinery in the hills of
Arkansas will reverberate to the music of ma
chinery in New England, and the whirr of
Georgia spindes will meet responsive echoes
upon the slope OF the far off Pacific.
Protective tariffs, il needed, will stretch in
their influence. from the Lakes to the Gulf, |
and from ocean to ocean, bearing alike, at
least, equally upon Arkansan and Vermonter, |
and upon Georgian and Californian. Differ |
ences of section and sentiment will wear away |
and be forgotten, and the next generation be |
more homogeneous and united than any since |
the DAYS of the Revolution. And the descen- |
dantS Of these bloody times will read, with as |
much pride and little jealousy, of these |
battles of their fathers. as the English and /
Scotch descendants of the heroes of Ffodden |
Field read of their ancestral achievements in |
the glowing lines of SCoTr, or as the descen-
dants of highland and lowland chiefs, allu-
siOns TO their fathers conflicts in the simple |
strains of the rustic BURNS.
Let us live in hope, my grief stricken broth
ers, that the day is not far distant, when Ar
kansas will rise from the ashes OF her desola-
ton, to start on path of higher destiny than
with negro slavery, she ever could have
reached while the reunited Government,
freed from this cankering sore, Will be more
vigorous and powerful, and more thrifty, opu-
lent and happy, than though the scourge of
war had never desolated her fields, or made
her hearthSiones.
The sooner we lay down our arms, and quit
this hopeless struggle, the sooner our days of
will return.
wHYIHEsITATED-THE sITCATIoN-THE REMEDY.
| hesitated long, my fellow citizens, before
| determined to issue this address. | dislike
to be abused and slandered. But, more than
all, dislike to live under cloud with those
friends who have not yet reached my stand
point, and, besides, all possess is in the Con-
federate lines. Their leaders will deprive my
family Of slaves. home, property-debts due
me-in word, reduce them from competence
and ease to penury. Aside from what | have
inside the Confederate lines, | could not pay
for the paper this address is written upon.
But it may all go. Did L desire future pro-
motion, and could bring my conscience 10 1t,
would dc like the JoHNsoNs, safe from bull
let's and hardships themselves, they assist In
holding you on to this hopeless and ruinous
struggle, and at the end of the conflict, will
come back and say 81 staid with you to the
last 10 Honor me and mine !" God de-
liver me from such traitors to humanity, and
% the interests OF our bleeding people To
ne, the path of duty is plain. 1t is to lend
ny feeble aid to stop this useless ehusion of
blood. And though it beggar my family and
cave me no ray of hope for the future, shall
ollow it.
l have witnessed the desolation of the
Southern States from one end to the other.
This hopeless struggle but widens 1t. Each
lay makes new graves, new orphans, and new ,
nourners. Each hour filings into this dreadful {