Holmes County farmer. [volume] (Millersburg, Ohio) 1857-1926, 1863-02-05

+ generally, oil unjust and burdensome t,
the We,t equally with the South, | pas
; them bv now.
, What. then, ask, is the Immediate
direct cause OF di>uniou aud civil war
} Slavery, it is answered. Sir, that is tn,
philosophy of the rustic in the play---tha
great cause of the night is lack of tn
sun" Certainly slavery was in one sens
very obscure indeed---the cause of th,
war. Had there been no slavery here
this particular war about slavery woulC
never have been waged. In like sense
the Holy Sepulchre was the cause of tn,
war Of the. Crusades; and had Try or Car
thage never existad there never would hav,
been Trojan or Carthagenian war, and NJ
such pcrsonages as Hector and Hannibal
and no Had or Enead would ever hav,
been written. But far better say that the ne
negro is the cause of the war; for had ther,
been no negro here, there would be nc
war Just now. What then? Extermin
ate him? Who demands it? Coloniz,
him? How? Where? When? A
whose cost? Sir, let us have an end o
this folly.
But slavery is the cause of the war
Why? Because the South obstinately
and wckedly Sefuses to restrict or abol
isd it at the demand Of the philosophers
or fanatics and demagogueS OF the North
and West. Then sir, it was abolition,
the purpose to abolish and interfere with
and hem in slavery which caused disunior
and war. Slavery is only The Salye.t, but
abolition the cause, of this civil war Ii
was the persistent and determined agita.
tiOn in the free States of the question
Of aboIish.pg slavery in the South
because of the alleged "irrcprcs,blc
conflict" between the forms of labo,
in the two sections, or in the false and
.mischioyous cant OF the day, between
freedom and slavery, that forced coils.
ION Of arms at last Sir, that conflict was
not confined to the territories. 1t was cx.
pressly proclaimed by its apostles, as be
tween the States also, against the in,titu.
ton everywhere. But assuming the plat.
forms Of the Republican party as ;he stan.
dard, and stating the case most strongly
IN favor of that party, it was tho refusal
OF the South to consent that slavery should
he excluded from the Territories that led
to the continued agitation, North and
South, Of that question, and, finally to
dhuulon and civil war.
Sir | viii not be an waral now by the
oId cIamor Of ''.he og-a,-ion Of the slave
power" That miserable spectre, that
unreal mockcry has been exercised and
expelled by taXstion AMI blood. II that
powerdid govern this country for the sixty
years preceding lhi, Terrible revolution,
then the sooner this Administration and
Government return to the principles
and policy Of Southern craftsmanship,
the better for the country and that
sir, is already, or soon viii be, the iuig-
ment Of the people. But deny that it
was the "slave power that governed for
so many years, and 50 wisely and we'll 4"
1t was the Democratic party, and it. prn-
cipIe, and policy, nodded and controlled,
indeed, largely by Southern statesmen.
Neither will | be stopped by that other
cry Of mingIei lonaticism and hypocrisy,
about the sin and barbarity Of African
slavery. Sir, see more of barbalism
and sin, a thousand times, iu the contin-
uace Of this war, the dissolution of the
Union, the breaking up Of this Govern.
ment, and the cnslavemont Of the white
race by debt, taxes and arbitrary power.
The day of fanatics and sophiats and CO.
thusiasts, thank God. is gone at last; and
though the age nf ehivalry may not, the
age OF practical staresmanship is about
to return
Sir, | accept the language and intent
Of the Indiana resolution to the full, "that
IN considering terms Of settlement we will
look only to the welfare, peace and safe
~ OF the white race, without reference to
the effect that settlement may have upon
the condition of tho African" And when
we have done this, my word tor it, the
safety, peace welfare of the African, will
have been best secured. Sir, there is fifty
fold less anli--lavery sentiment to day in
the Wcot than there was two years ago;
and if this war be continued, there will
be still less Il year hence Tho people
there begin, at last, to comprehend that
domestic slavery in the South is qucs
ton, not Of morals, or religion, or human
ity, but a form OF labor, perfectly cumpat-
ible with .he dignity Of free white labor
IN The same community, and with notion
al vlgor power and prosperity, and espc.
cally with military strength They have
arnd, or began to learn, that the evils
OF the system affect the master alone, or
the community and State in which it ex-
list; and tlNt we OF the free States partako
Of all the material benefits of tho institu-
ton, uumiXrd wish any of its mischcls.
lhcy believe also in tho Subordination OF
the negro race TO the white where they
both exist together, aud that the coudl.
ton OF subordination, as established in
the South, i, far better every way for the
neg o than the hard service of poverty.
degradation md crime. to which he is
subjected in the free States. Althis, sir,
may be "pro-elavoyism if there be such
a word. Perhaps it is; but the people Of.
the West begin now to think it wisdom
and good son @. We will not establish
slavery in our own midst; neither will we
abolish or interfere with it outside OF our
1wn limits.
Sir an anti-Slaycly paper in New York
the Ir6"Pe, } the most influential, and /
herctor', most dangerous OF all that elias, /
1T would exhibit more of dignity, and /
command molo influence, if il ", re always
% discuss public questions and public
men wIIh decent lcspect--laying aside