Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1863-08-01
SATURDAY MORNING, AUGUST |, 1863.

/
own mouth | have condemned her.
Yet | am not assuming to sit in iudg-
mcnt on her motives. | but show you
where the difficulty lies, and how deep p.sunll
and radical it is. Opinions (she dccarcs)
stand in the way. Based on religious SEN
timcnt, these opinions render vain (she says)
all hope of remedy for her government is
! founded on opinions diametricallv the re-
verse. And | show you further, that in this
she stands alone among the nations calling
themselves civilized. Alexander II. Stevens,
whom, in February, 1861, she named her
! Vice President, with commcndablc frankneIs
admits that she does SO. In Savannah. the
| Mayor presiding, Mr. Stephens, addressing
an immense crowd on the 2lst of March fol
| lowing his election, spoke thus: Slavery is
| the natural and moral condition of the ne
gro. This, our new government is the first
{ in the history of the world based upon this
great physical, philosophical and moral
! truth
alone she stands the first government
in the history Of the world founded on the
principa Slavery is good; slavery is mo-
raj; slavery is just; ; the only people in the
eighteen centuries since Christ preached
Justice and mercy, who rose in rebellion be-
cause, among their brethren. His religion
|
tion which, within the last thirty years,
| England and France and Sweden and Den
mark and Portugal and Russia and Holland
| have all conceded tribute to Christian
civilization.
THUS then. Opinions not carried out in
practice-opinions untayorahle to slavery
| expressed in the North and held by the
| President eleCt-the same opinions that are
entertained and have been acted upon by
almost every civilized nation-thosc. accord
ing to southern declaration, Were the imme-
| dia,c cau-cS of the war; opinions, not acts :;
the acts were all the other way.
AN OFFER REJECTED.
'Inaugurated on thc 4th of March. 1861
! Abraham Lincoln expressly reassumed in
| his message the ground occupied by him
self, and by large majority of his support
crs. before the election. i have no purpose
said hc) directly or Indirectly to interfere
with the institution OF slavery in the states
where it exists He went much further
! Abiding in the same message to an amend
ment to the constitution, which had passed
Congress on the 20th OF February, to the
effect that no amendment shall ever be made
to the Constitution authorizing Congress to
interfere with slavery in any state, the Prcsi-
dent said: 1 have no objection to its being
made express and irrevOcable.'
This was the first act an offer sanction
ed by Congress, endorsed by the President,
SO to amend the Constitution that never
while the world lasted, should the power
be given to Congress, by any subsequent
amendment, to interfere with slavery
"The scene when, on Mr.. Corwin's motion,
this amendment passed, is recorded in the
newspapers Of the day. AS the vote pro-
cccdcd, the excitement was intense, and on
the announcement of the result, the mex
pressible enthusiasm Of the members and
crowded galleries found vent in uproarious
/ demonstrations. All feel that it is the har.
/ binger of peace
"What is the harbingcr of peace Did
! this cOnCUssien--bordering surely on humiii-
ation---a promise AS to slavery, never through
all time to amend our acts no matter how
| we may change onr opiuions-did this un-
! heard of concession to the slave interest
conciiatc the South or arrest her action p
! 1t passed by like the idle wind. State after
State seeded. Security against the en-
Croachment allcdged to be intended-the
ampIest within the bounds Of possibility
1 had indeed, been offered but the remedy
did not reach the case. Opinions remain
unchanged; and the rebellion was against
]
human seryitnde was sinful The President
still believed that slavery is in the course of
ultimate extinction No fraternity with
such men. No obedience to such Il Presi-
dent.
/ "And yet this President, IN the same in
augurai from which have quoteG, pushed
forebearance to the verge Of that boundary
/ beyond which il ceases to be n virtue. The
government the said to these cessionsts al
/ ready in arms against lawful authority
the government will not assail YOU. You
can have no conflict without being your
selves the agrcssors' And In mild but CO.
/ gent terms he reminded them of his and their
/ relative situations, and of the final necessity
which his position imposed upon him.
+ You have no oath said registered in
heaven to destroy the government while |
have the most solemn one to preserve, pro
tcct and defend it
1 "He spoke to the deaf adder. As if they
/ had sworn before God to destroy the go
vernment under which, for eighty years,
/ they had enjoyed prosperity and protection,
| they became the aggrCssors. Unassailcd by
/ that government, they opened fire, on the
memorable 18th OF April, from the bate
/ ries of Charleston, on Fort Sumter.
The echo Of that caunonade rcyerbcrated
| throughout the Union. The North rose up
/ like strong man from sleep. 1t needed
not the Presidents Proclamation, issued
| three days thereafter to call men forth. In
advance of that call the farmer had left his
plough in the furrow the mechanic had
deserted his workshop; the People had
taken the war in hand.
"Such were the causes of this rebellion /;
such were the acts on either side