Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1863-10-01

: las certainly no right to place IN the Plat
/ form Of o constitutional PARTY, asld If is hz
i. any force, it applies more strongly to thos
who voted on the same occasion for Brcckin
ridge, than to any class Of men in the coun
, try, some of whom are upon the State ticket
? But the other extract traces the giant crime
Of rebellion to its proper source. It reads a
> ollows.
= But the truth is that the apostles Of secession
We're traitors heart, indepe ndcIt OF the election
and that they wanted and used the election only
lever to precipitate the South from its allegi
ance. They duped the South into the belief thai
the entire people of the North infected witt
the leprosy of abolition"
| And the resolutions to put both Of these
statements at defiance, and taking sides with
the revolted States, informs US that the abo.
litionists were the original and accursed
cause of the civil war now raging. And the
learned and able gentleman who was the pre-,
siding officer Of the nominating Convention, de-
ctaJed that orr oocn government dreac the IRIS,
fire from Southern guns by poeconce,ted trick
to initiate ciV1 1Cdr. Indeed, the Address
through many paragraphs, lab0r5 to divide
the responsibility OF our present condition
| between the secessionists and the sectional
parties in the North. But the account given
by the presiding officer of a viliainous anu
unchlvairous act OF the South, goes beyond Il
mere palllation; it acts Justification d.
1t is intended to do, and to throw the caSaas
6eAi upon the North alone.
But these inconsistencies and historical
peryersions would not have been endorsed
by the delegates if they had for moment
thought OF the past Many years before the
~Aoohtionists" or Republicans" had voice,
South Carolina Ito whom the term Original
and accused cause" of this rebellion is far
| more applicable than where we find It'll re
| fused to vote at the Presidential election at
| all; and III 1882, this State had levied armies
| ana prepared everything for resistance to the
| laws, as much if I, foreign invasion was
| about to enter her territory She adopted
an ordinance of conditional secession. and
such was the lndomitable spirit that appeared
! to prevail, and the determination not to per-
NIT the laws Of the United States to be exc
cuted, that all act OF compromise was effected
solely TO avert the consequences her threats
| OF civil war predicted. General jackson was
President at the time, and he was about to
give an appalling explanation Of what he con-
sldered Unreasonable prgctlces."
He considered that Calhoun had incurred
the penalty OF death, death by the gallows
without an overt act OF violence and in the
presence OF the Great Eternal he ayowed his
solemn determination that he should be
| brought to justice. He did not stop to pa
! LAYER with South Carolina through platforms
about their having received long and grievous
| provOcatlon, by assaults upon their constitu-
| tlonal rights, on account OF the revenue laws
| which they affirmed to be sectional for the
benefit OF the North. The dispute was ended
| by compromising the protective system; and
| every national measure tor the last thirty
years that the South has found too long or
too short for their views, has been denounced
as sectional, and such no doubt do they re-
gard even the bOmbardment Of Charleston l.
| self General jackson declared that nulltl-
| cation was the preteXt Tor dISunion then, and
that their next pretext would be slavery
The Ryan platform verifcs MS prediction
But it is a most indecent exposition to engraft
palliatlons for unpardoned traitors In the
| democratic creed.
That portion of the address relating to sla-
very is one OF the most singular passages to
be found in political literature. Itrivals any
| OF the tortured detenses which bondage calls
| to its aid, Tor although we are told that 'tbe
democracy mas no apology for Southern sla-
very, yet considerable space is devoted to
| Its VIndlcat'on. NItnln Il quarter OF a cell
| tury, although slavery had put forth more
| apologies Tor Its own existence and extension
than any other subject OF criticism III the cir
| Gle OF human affairs, yet the democracy have
| never been SO un"lSe DIS to make defense OF
! slavery all elemcnt OF party, wisdom and pie
| ty. We nave always regarded the lnstltu-
ton as within the protection Of the constitu-
| tlondl compromises and even Southern dem
| ocrats, OF the most extreme opinions, never
asked us to defend 1T outside OF the const ltu-
ton. But while the masters ana partIZAls of
slavery have had no little anxiety in dispos-
ing OF its imputed crimlnaity within tner
own conscience, and before the world, the ter
rlbie question Is disposed ofby the conscience
keepers of the Wisconsin democracy, by de-
clarlng, as an abstract proposition "tnat the
"proper condition Of the African was SUBJ
Election In some form to the white x
when brought together the servitude of the
inferior is the best condition for both
| races" Nature has made social
Equality impossible without fatally SHINING
against her laws" X < TINS state OF
| things Is pronounced "a misfortune not /,
crime j" "a necessary evil resulting from
{" the violation OF natural law III bringing them
together" &c, sc. This goes far beyond
the serious opinions of reasonable Southern
ers, and the philanthropist of the address
should not have withheld the opinion of Mr.
| Jefferson, whom we have always regarded as
the best possible authority, who, upon this es-
peclal subject IL the abstract has said that
| the Almighty has no attribute that take
| sides with the slave master. The attempt is
now made, we believe, for the first time, to
make this dogma not mere expression of
opinion, but an article of political faith and
perhaps we should not be surprised that the
| attempt to discredit the war and its active
| powers should be coupled with a vindicaton
OF the peculiar institution our enemies up
| hold as the basis of their government and
| which has led to the blood and ashes of this
| rebellion.
| AS political organization the loyal demo-
| Gratis have nothing to do with it whatever
It's present treatment is one purely military,
its future consideration will be urged before
competent tribunals, or disposed of by the
direct course Of events beyond the control of
| political action. The Union must and shall
be preserved, even if slavery should perish
in the dreadful contest.
! The address designates the present hour
| las a time of great trial and calamity :" ''of
national suffering and sorrow" land a crisis
of fearful peril to the Union )" and it might
have added infinitely stronger terms to ex-
press the appalling dangers of our condition.
yet IN such a moment, when 1t was necessary
to unite all patriotic citizens, it forgets and
torg ives no differences OF party opinion, but
it recalls and embitters them all. The fear
tul peril" calls for an amnesty of party ami
mosities, and an offer Of peace for past differ
ences of opinion. At the moment Of its ap-
pearance Cancellation was the overruling tho't
of the people. Instead, however, of this,
the address becomes sweeping and ungra-
| clous accusation against an immense body of
tie loyal people of tie North mho, as it would ap-
pear from the returns, hare FURNISHED our armies
| oCih so mann of our defesders The changes