The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1863-02-11

his master, and unwillingat least not I
sager-to accept the precious boon Of frse-
dom which they have profered him, 81
appeal to the President for the proof
appeal to the fact that fewer slaves have
escaped, even from Virginia, in now near
.ly two years, than Arnold and Cornwalhs;
carried away la six months of invasion in
1851. Finally, sir, We have learned, and
the South, too, what the history of the 4
word ages ago, and our own history might
have taught us, that servile insurrection
is the least of the dangers to which she is
exposed. Hence, in my deliberate judg-
ment, African slavery, as an institution,
will come out Of this conflict fifty fold
stronger than when the war began.
The South, too, sir, has learned most
important lessons; and among them, that
personal courage is a quality common to
all sections, and that, in battle, the men
of the North and especially of the West,
are their equals. Hitherto there has been
mutual and most mischievous mistake
upon both sides. The South overvalued
its own personal courage, and undervalued
ours, and we too readily consented, but at
the same time she exaggerated our aggre-
gate strength and resources, and underes-
timated her own; and we fell into the same
error; and hence the original and fatal
mistake of vice of the military policy of
the North, and which has already broken
donw the war by its own weight-the
belief thatwe could bring overwhelming
numbers.and power into the field and upon
the sea and crush out the South at blow
But twenty months of terrible warfare
have corrected many errors, and taught US
fthe wisdom of a century. And now, sir,
every one of these lessons will profit us
all for ages to come; and if we do but re-
unite, will bind us in closer, frmer, more
tdurable union than ever before.
Ihave now, Mr.. Speaker, finished what
II desired to say at this time, upon the
}great question of tho reunion Of these
Estates. | have spoken freely and boldly
I--not wisely, it may be, for the present, or
for myself personally, but most wisely for
the future and my country. Not courting
censure, L yet do not thrink from it. My
own immediate personal interests, and my
chances just nov for the more material
rewards of ambition, [ again surrender as
hostages to that great hereafter, the echo
of wheso footsteps already hear along the
highway Of time. Whoever, here or else
where, believes that war can restore the
Union of these States; whoever would have
awar for the abolition of slavery, or dis
union; and he who demands southern indie
\ pendence and final separation, let him
lspeak, for him [ have offended Devoted
to the Union from the beginning, will
not desert it now in this the hour Of its
sorest trial.
Sir, twas the day dream ofmy boyhood
the cherished desire of my heart in youth,
that might live to see the hundredth an
niversary Of our national independence,
and, as orator of the day, exult in the
expanding glories and greatnessof the still
United States. That vison fingers yet
before my eyes, obscured indeed by the
clouds and thick darkness and the blood
of civil war.-But, sir, if the men of this
generation are wise caough to profit by
the hard experience of the past two years,
and will turn their hearts now from bloody
intents to the words and arts ofpeace, that
day will find us again the United States
And if not earlier, as [ would desire and
believe, at leastupon that day let the great
work of reunion be consummated; that
i thenceforth, for ages, the States and the
people who. shall fill up this mighty cont.
nent, united underone Constitution, and
in one Union, aud the same destiny shall
celebrate it as the birthday both of Inde-
pendence and of the Great Restoration
4 Sir, repeat it, we are in the midst oi
the very crisisofthis revolution. Ito d.
we secure peace and begin the work Of
reunion, We shall yet escape; if not, sec
nothing before US but universal politica
and social revolution, anarchy, and blood
shed, compai ed with which the Reign oI
Terror in France was a merciful vista
ton.