Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1863-04-09

| become obsolete and ceased to excite public
| attention
The old Democracy was in favor of preserv-
ing the Territories as homes for free men the
modern Democracy would fill them with
| slaves
The fruits OF the old policy were peace and
harmony of the new, discord and civil war
On the 10th of May, 1854, 10 a speech
mode in the House of Representatives 10 op-
position to the repeal of the Missouri Compro-
mise, said that, as q lover of peace, harmony
and fraternal concord among tie citizens of the
Confederacy, and as devotee at the shrine
of this Union, with all its precious hopes to
man, | desire the defeat of this bill for its
passage will tear open wounds not yet healed,
lacerate spirits already frenzied and the bond
of confidence which unites the two sections of
the Union will be rent .asunder, and years of
alienation and unkindness may intervene be-
| fore it can be restored, if ever, to its wonted
/ tenacity and strength. That has verified its
cor rectDess.
The conspiracy to destroy the liberties of
the country was the natural product of the in
sttution of human bondage. For it teaches
its votaries 10 dispise labor, and as a necesSa-
| ry consequence to assume to be an arislocratic
class, arrogating the special privileges ever
claimed to belong to an arstocracy. This spir-
it had been sedulosy cultivated 10 the South
from the days of notification and the exis,
! tance Of slavery was the lever by which the
discontented spirits of South Carolina sought
to overturn the Government established by
| our fathers, thus verifying the warnings of
Jefferson, published more than three qu arters
of century ago. in his Notes on Virginia, in
| which be says:
There must doubtless be unhappy influence the
of people, produced by the existence of sa
| very among The whole commerce between master
and slave perpetual exercise of the boisterous
| passons-the most unremitting desposIH the one
| part and degrading submission on the other.
With what exocration should the Statesman be load.
ed who permitting half OF the citizens thus to tram
pie the right of the other transforming those into des
pots and these into enemies destroys the morals Of the
| one part, and the amor patrin OF the other.
"with the morals of the people their industry also
destroyed for in climate, man aiiI labor for
himself who can make another labor for him
" And the liberties ofa nation be thought secure
when We have removed their only firm bass--a convc
tion in the minds of the people that these liberties
the gift OF GOD that they not TO be violated but with
his wrath? Indeed trenbe for my country when l re-
fleet that COB is just that his justice not sleep for
| ever"
Without slavery there would have been no
rebellion, and the country would have been
| saved this waste of treasure and sacrifice Of
priceless blood. 1t was to appease the de.
mands of the slave oligarcby that the present
democratic party abandoned the cherished
principles Of the old party and reversed the
policy of the fathers of the republic in the leg.
iSlation of the country. Yet it did not avert
the storm. The aristocrats, defeated in pop
ular election for President did just what oil
arstocracies have ever done-resorted TO
physical force to maintain their waning pow
er Now the bloody field Of battle is to de-
termine whether the will of the maio;ity con.
stitutlonal!y expressed is TO be the law of the
land. ln minority in this government, de.
feated at the ballot box, can appeal successful.
ly to the cartridge box, then is the holding OF
elections u farce and the theory of elective
governme BITS. q deusion. This war, then, is
necessarily wagcd in behalf of the vital prnci-
piles of free elective governments, as well as
to maintain our national existance. Resis-
tance TO the further spread Of slavery was not
only preserving the Territories for free men.
but was also preventing any further augmen.
tation Of power dangerous, as the rebellion
has clearly proven, to the liberties of the ccun-
try aud the stability of the government
The fidelity with which you have adhered
to your early convictions is proud testimo-
NAL of your devotion to the best interests of
the Republic Nor has the struggle of the
freemen of the nation to restore the Govern.
ment to the policy of its founders been in vain.
Again, as in 1889, slavery is prohibited by
law in all the territory possessed by the general
government. Washington signed the first
law, and Lincoln the last
During NY term Of service as your Represen-
tative another of your cherished measures of
legislation has been consummated. The auds
of the Government have been dedicated by
law, in free homes for free men, So the sons
of toll may escape everywhere from the crowd
ed alleys and byways of poverty and want to
repose under their own " vine aud fig tree" on
the public domain.
With this brief retrospect as to the meas
ures that have absorbed your attention for the
last decade, you will perceive that not little
has been accomplished for the future greatness
and glory of the country.
One word as the present and probable fu-
ture and | close this somewhat lengthy CON-
nunication.
The existence of the republic is threatened
by rebellion the most causeless of any in the
history of the race An attempt is made to
establish separate nationality within the lim-
its CT the Republic, on the plea that the peo.
| PIE eau DO longer i've toSeIner In peace as one
nation. If that we're true, how would it be
possible for them to live in Epeace as two
A separation would not change the geography
of the country, nor the local position of the
people to each other. A separation, were it
possible, would be but the beginning of untold
woes-frowning battlements, brisling armies
and endless border conflicts What patriot
would bequeath such legacy to his children?
There is, in my judgment, no calamity so great
that could befall the present or the future as
dismembermeDt of this Union Rather than
that, better to make desert of every foot of
soil trod by traitor. If the present is wor.