Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1863-05-27
From the Belfast Qrland Whig April g.
An Irish Divine on American Affairs,

- Dlll, April I'D, 1903.
id But it may be asked, How do we CO
re meet Slavery with secession ? How do
Il make out this to be the cause of the w;
N Well, it would be a long and dreary bu
lie ness to go through all the facts and r,
+ soalngs which establish this statement.
To do so would require us to puzzle ov
and try to unravel the tangled skein
politics for the last thirty years. A fe
= observations on this point must suffice.
The slave power in the United States h
a been always an aggressive one. IL W
\ greedy of power and influence. and. lii
: the horseleech, was continually erwin
a Give, give. Not contented with havir
Slavery protected in those States whel
It had been long established, they d
E manded that it should be extended int
the Territories, and protected there 1
law. They succeeded in passing the Fl
gltIve Slave Law, TO the everlasting di
grace of the free Northern States, wh
thus consented to a law which was belle,
ell TO be unconstitutional law whicl
brought the whole Union under the con
trol OF the Southern planter from Texa
to Maine, from Wisconsin to New York
and which converted the entire territor
INTO preserve or hunting ground, wher,
the Southern planter might lawfully pur
sue, take, and even kill his game-tha
anthropoid animal called a negro. Nay
by IT the tree-born Northerns where re
auired 10 be aiding, assisting, and com
tortlng the slave-hunters in the chase
Still, not content with this law, the South
erners demanded that neither the Con
gress nor the Territorial Legislatures
shall have the power TO prohibit Slavery
in any of the Territories of the United
States, but that a Southern planter shall
have the same right and liberty to carry
ms slaves IN TO any new region that the
Northern farmer had TO take with him
his cows, his horses, his pigs, or his asses;
and that Congress was bound TO pass laws
to protect mans human properly as well
as his bovine, equine, porcine. or asinine.
Now. 1t was because this doctrine was re-
pudiated at the election of President
Lincoln that the secession took place. 1t
was because the North would not give
them leave TO perpeIuate and extend the
peculiar institution indefinitely. 1t was
because they felt that in order 10 perpet-
uate Slavery it must be extended. Ii was
because they wanted room to carry on the
slave trade since Africa and the ocean
were closed against it, 1t was that they
might have pick and choice of fresh and
virgin soil to which to transport their hui
man cattle after the old plantations had
been exhausted by the rude, thriftless and
wasteful cultivation of slave labor Here
we have the true cause of the whole mis- |
chief which has ensued. The demands of |
he South received decided and stern |
negative In the election of Lincoln, and |
hence the rebellion. People talk fiippant-
y OF the South as fighting for independ-l |
nee. And that magic word has stirred |
Up sympathy for them in this land of
reedom to which they have little claim.
We are apt to be misled by their battle
ry OF independence, which has echoed to
S across the ocean and as at this mo-
lent 1t mingles in the breeze with the
houts OF fdowntrodden Poland battling for
'eedom against the cruel despotism of !
.ussia, we are liable to confound, or rath-
r indemnity their sounds. But never.
ire, was there greater, wider difference.
outhern independence, indeed Yes Ii
n independence of the Abolitionist c
orth that the Southern planter may be |
ZEE to rivet more closely the letters ofIr
lie slave. independence yes, that she 5
lay shut herself in from the annoying t
lze of the world. and render herself in e
ependent of opinion of mankind. Inde- p
yes, that she may be enabled d
traffic in human flesh, and human souls "
'o-aye, for the truth must be spoken V
at she may sell her own children. In t
,pendence of Northern tariffs. indie n
yes, an independence of hu- d
anity, of conscience, and of Godl Great Il
'plause. Are these mere idle words 81
len read the inaugural address of the te
on. Alexander H. Stephens, Vice Pres al
ent OF the Southern Confederacy. Com te
ting the views of those who allege that fl,
e "enslavement of the negro race is II
olation of the laws of nature. and wrong al
oraly, socially, and politically" he goes ell
to say: ''These ideas, however, were al
ndamentally wrong. They rested on in
3 assumption of the equality of races OF
is was an error. 1t was q sandy foun- sh
ton, and the Government built upon co
When the storm came and the wind gr
wv, 1T fell. Our. new Government is pr
nded upon an exectly opposite idea. all
foundations are laid its cornerstone of
is on the great truth that the negro is of
equal to the white man; that Slavery, ca
TO the superior race, is his str
tural and normal condition. tol
his, our new Government, is the first Iii TN
he history of the world based upon III
great physical, philosophical and az ~
raj truth" 'Anti-slayeTy men, he SAYS, al
fanatics, because they assume that the at.
70 Is equal, and hence entitled to equal ge'
Illeges and rights with the white men. sh'
heir premises were correct, their con- y ass
ions would be logical and lust. But Du
II premises being wrong, their whole poC
lment fails" And, again-"It is not sur
us," Mr.. Stephens says, ito question MS
IS ordinances. He has made one race sen
rior to another. Our Confederacy is
,ded in strict acoordsnoo ,,;tL tHaso the
!. This stone which ,roc ra;aotaJ L,, to
first bnilders ie bacon,a tba ohicf era
le of the corner in our new edifice. - MS ITOi
h these facts before us, why should we we
e be any doubt as to the aims and OBJ III
J OF the Southern Confederacy, or why one
lid there be a moments hesitation as poIl p
lie party in the conflict that deserves WIN
But then, it is said, the Peo
IN Is not fighting for emancipation, ner
should the Union be restored, Sla- ing
VIII come back and nestle as before r1ii0
er the wing of the American eagle Ior
D the restoration of the Union and NOV
conditions on which, in that event, nop'
South would return, he would be ina. y
man who would, at this stage, ven siiai II
to predict anything certain. Divine oI u
ldence seems to have taken the mat the
Is it were, out of the hands of both ing
es; and who shall venture to pene- tle
into His hidden counsels? But, al oehe
gh we may not prove all that the Ihe'
has done, we must not forget the GUur' 5c'
nous difficulties with which they me
o contend, and we are bound to give clou'
credit for what they have actually GUS
Since the outbreak the whole spir- "eap
policy of the North have been tend rush
ward universal emancipation. The ne eI G
cipation proclamation of the Presi- as u
may, in one view, be called a war chali
ire; but, even as such, it would be glol
and unfair to disjoin it from the oars'
scheme of his administration. of enne