The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1863-02-18
stientes 6autatpn 9gritn4ure Wlarkas, 9nuscnn, f,
NUMBER so.

NOlIlDAlG OU
this crisis, point Us to the proper action.
His purely Northern character, his great
abilities, hn lofty aspirations, his sacrifices
for freedom, the entire. confidence Of his
State, SO spontaneously bestowed upon
him-and that State the noblest IN Amer
ica-aH single him out as one authorized
and required to speak witha decisive 4oice.
on this great occasion.
There are also in this House gentlemen
whose words on this slnomcntous theme. the
country will listen to with interest. The
honorable member from Pennsylvania,
MIR. Thaddeus Stevens one Of the truly
great meh.. of Amorica-full of learning
and wisdom-tried by long years Of afdu-
GUS service in this cause, who has never
faltered, and is now reelected in his Dis
trict by overwhelming numbers, stands
foremost among those of whom the nation
will expect deliycrance from the dangers
which encompass it. Let these men, and
such as. these, speak, and tell the country
what to do in this hour of transcendent
pc ril.
Nevertheless, can not -retainIfron ex-
pressing my individual opinion that ths
true policy of the North is to terminste
this war at once. The longer it tcontinues,
the worse our.situation, becomes. Let the
two Houses Of Congress adopt the follow
ing resolutions:
"Resolued, By the Senate and Housc Of
Representatives, DO, That the Executive
be, and he is hereby requested to issue
general order to all commanders Of forces
in the several military departments Of the
United States3 tol discontinue offensive
operations against the enemy, and to act
for the future entirely on the defensive.
Resolred, That the Executive be, and
he is further requested to enter into mega
tiations with the authorities of the Con-
federate States with reference to cessa-
ton of hostilities, based on the followink
propositions:
l. Recognition Of the independence
of the Confederate States. 2. IA uniform
system of duties upon imports. 3. Free
trade between the two States. A. Free
navigation of the Mississippi River. s.
Mutual adoption Of the Monroe doo-
| trine."
/ CAN LIVE TOGETHER.
/ entirely disagree with those Who assers
i that it is impossible that the North and
South could live peaceably side By side,
because there are no natural boundaries
between the two, such as Recky Noun.
tains. or the Atlantic Ocean. This ID :
bugbear with which We impose upon our-
selves. The people of the North and
South can never become foreign sotsons
to each other in the sense in which the
; French and English or Russians Srs
!. They are sprung from the same origin
speak the same language, possess : oon-
: mon literature, inherit similar politics
and religious views, and inhabit regions
closely connected by natural and artificial
, ties. They WILL. therefore, both b al
ways American. The only grcat diler-
cnce between them, is of . social and
political nature, namely, that which arises
: from the existence of African slavery in
!, one, and the absence Of it in the Other.
!. This fact, however, offers no obstacle
: whateverto such separation as is involv.
: ed in independent political jurisdietiSns
o on the contrary, it greatly facilitates h.
. Before the Federal Union was establisA
e ed all the States were Independents IN,
r associated under Articles Of Confsd
: Grafton, in the nature of treaty. ID
' arguments now adduced to show the i'm
!, praeticability offpfesent ,separstien Be
ir tween the North and South, golwith oaua
force to prove the ,::impessibiiity- Of VIA
then actually existed and was sccepte,
in the case of the thirteen original St3tu
: of the Unions The latter stood S62.r'
= Z each other precisely as the North San,
|, South would stand should they stppst
y !, war and enter into treaty. It would sin
8 ply be resolving the North and the 6outl
- into confederate States, resuming, ID t
os :, them, the old basis of the -Confsderatiou
i This would be the whole of Il. Il 4
: n therefore, very simple operation.
/ do not suggest this, however. o. -
,e idea that should it ever be adoptsd. IL
4 separation it implies would be pefmaassl
e. Iibelieve that it would insure an ultiaaA
III reunion Oman antislavery basis. ~. :
ID / have confidence in the inherent vilsl
J. ity of Northern civilization. + hase :
t, fear to set it in competition with thss Z
IN the South. Let them proceed side ~ u
is. in the race Of empire, and We sksil @
IN which will triumnh s-.,s A ~