Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1863-09-09

the rebellion, peace and prosperity reign
ed throughout the land. We were in fact
marching on to untold magnicence ant
glory, the conception of which had neve
entered the mind of men. Why, then
attempt tc break down tie Government
Oh, it is an outrage of the darkest kind
and | believe that the men engaged in i
have one of the worst of crimes to answe
for. The rebellion of the Devil himsel
Was hardly worse than the attempt t,
break up this best of all human Govern
ments.
| OBJECT OF THE REBELLION.
have shown you that the object o
the rebellion was not 10 secure any con
stituiional rights, for these they had with
out molestation; nor any privileges gran
ted by the laws, for everything they hac
asked had been given them. What, theI
was the purpose of the rebels? 1t was t.
alter our form of government, so as t.
conform to the spirit OF their local insti
tuition of slavery. They could easily
enjoy all the rights secured To then
by the Constitution. They wanted more
| They wanted to change and modify the
Constitution of the United States, so a;
to make slavery the corner stone of the
only free government in the world.
Sometimes our Democratic friends say
they are in favor of the Constitution as
it is. But who is it that has proposed to
change the Constitution of the United
States? Did ever any Black Republican
! propose to do it? Who, tell me, in the
history of this Government, has proposed
to change the Constitution, since the
adoption of the original amendments, ex-
cept for the interest of slavery? No
change has ever been proposed by any
one for the interest of freemen. We OF
the North have always been in favor OF
the Constitution as it is. No Northern
man has ever proposed to change it, ex-
cept such a one as Vallandigham, and he
did it for the interest of slavery. APP
plause. No, my friends, they were not
satisfied with the provisions OF the Con-
stitutiOn on that subject. The trainers
of that instrument were anti-slavery men
such as Madison, Jefferson and other
wise fathers of the Republic. They be-
lieved slavery to be wrong, and provided
only for its temporary existence in the
Government, supposing that in short
time it would be done away with volun-
tarily. | might read you testimony in
abundance on this point, but do not deem
1t necessary. 1t is familiar to all who
have read the history of the country, and
| only propose TO give you bit of Iesti-
mony on the other side of the question,
to prove the different views of those who
are attempting to establish the Confeder-
acy.
SLAVERY THE CORNER STONE OF REPUBLIC.
| will read again from Alexander H.
Stevens, who gives the reasons the South
had for seeding. | read from a speech
made March, 1861. after Georgia had
gone out of the Union, in which he was
comparing the new Constitution of the
with the old Constitution of
the United States:
Not to be tedious in recounting the
changes for the better, allow
me to refer to one other-though last not
least-the new Constitution has put at
rest forever all the agitating questions re-
lating to our peculiar institution, African
slavery, as 1t exists among us-the prop
er status of the negro in our form of civ
ilization. This was the immediate cause
of the rupture and the present revolution.
j Jetferson in his forecast anticipated this
rs the rock on which the nation would
split. He was right. What was conjec-
ture with him is now a realized fact. But
he fully comprehended the great
truth on which the rock stood and stands may
be doubted The idea entertained
by him and most of the leading states
men of his time, of the foundation of the
Constitution was, that the enslavement
Of the African was in violation of the laws
Of nature: that it was wrong in princi-
Pile, morally, politically. 1t was an evil
they knew not we'll how to deal with. but
the opinion of the men of that day
was that, some how or other, in order
Of Providence the institution would be-
come evanescent, and pass away.
Those ideas 1e hare found to be essentially
0rOng. They rest upon the assumption Of the
quality Of races This lcaS an error. 1t was
| sandy foundation, and the idea of a GOV
efnment built upon it; when the storm
,sme and the wind blew. it fell. Our
Government is founded entirely upon the op-
'osite idea; lis foundation Is laid, the corner
tone rests upon the great truth that tie neqro !
S not equal 10 tse tChite man that SLAVERY, the |
Of the negro race, IS he's natural
y normal condition. Thus our Government
5 the first in the history based upon this |
,reat physical, philosophical, and moral
ruth"
Here then, after all that has been said |
md done, Is the reason for the rebellion, |
md the cause of the war in progress. All |
'ther alleged causes of complaint were |
mere pretences. They were determined |
o break down the old Constitution and /,
'uild up a social fabric upon human
lavery. Their object was to establish a
lew Government they were not satisfied /
nth the freedom and equality of the old |
ne. That was the whole of it. And to /
revent this, is just what our brave SOL
iers are fighting for. The question is,
Thether you will surrender the old Con-
titution, the old Government and the
Id flag, and allow these shareholders to
stablish a nation in our midst whose cor
Ter stone is human slavery?
SLAVERY ABsTRAcTLY CONSIDERED.
Allow me to stop here a moment and
i've my ideas in regard to slavery, indie
endent of its connection with the war.
10 man was ever more honest than my
Elf in his determination and desire
OF to interfere with the peculiar institu-
on in the States where it already existed.
il desired, in common with those who
Ssociated with me politically, or 1 with
hem, was to enjoy the privileges of our
zee government unmolested by slavery,
nd to preserve the same for our posterity
fter us. But since they of the South
ere 10. satisfied with their part in the
and have sought to break it
p and establish another, based upon sla-
cry as the corner stone, the question aris-
whether, in resisting the establishment
such Government, we shall strike at
lat cornerstone, or allow it to stand an
npediment in our way. l, for one, have
o desire to interfere with it, believe a
igher power is now controlling the order
eyents-a power higher than any mere
uman agents.
l do not believe that any man, with ;
Ugh religious feelings, can look at events
J they are transpiring, without seeing in
lem the hand of Almighty God, in the '
ght of these events. believe the time
i'll never come when we can have per- {
lanent neaca until this oreat evil shall