The Union. [volume] (Georgetown, Del.) 1863-1866, 1864-04-29
satsf4IaHS6ns.
The Necessity Of Emancipation

The Necessity of Emancipation.
Mr.. Sala, the correspondent Of an English
paper, seems to have been, surprised, in his
visit to the Army of the Potomac, to find that !
the troops were not collectively visible. HS
waa. unable 10 realize the fact that thousands
Of men were around hisp being uhabI Il toEee (
eniy a few hundreds al one time. Tho vast L
ness Of the area over which the host was r.
spread COMPOUNDED him, and he naturally re-
fers to- the answer Of the Duke Of WellingtoR,
who, when present at ball, and asked BY 4
lady to describe Waterloo, inquired if she
could describe.to him the perpetual changes z
of the brilliant pageant around him. AS it
is with the soldier in battle, or the civilian in
camp, it is with us We live in revolution
which we cannot appreciate, The lttleness
Of the war eclipses lis greatness, az the body
a ola dwarf can shut out theAview of q distant {
mountain. We read every day Of the rival
ries of distinguished generals, of the jealous
les of politicians, Of the opinions Of great
thinkers, of armies of navies, Of battles, Of
triumph and overthrow, and few, in the whirl
why the struggle into which more than thir-
ty millions of people have been drawn is the
grandest struggle of modern times. Even of
those who are most profoundly impressed
with the deeper elements Of the tragedy,
there is not one who Can truly understand
them. From those who have no appreciation
Of the causes Of the, war, nothing can, Of
course, he expected but petty criticisms OF its
daily or secondary features. So we fnd the
opponents OF the people entitled occupied in
eriticisiag the biandets Of the Government,
and apparently Obvious Of the moral gran
deur Of the great battle. 10 them the mighty
spirits of good and evil, whlch have this con-
tinent for battle-ground, are Invisible and
unknown. They live in TINS terrible revolu-
ton, and talk eomplacently of tribes. But
the destinies are strongest, and tho war long
since passed beyond 'the controlsof mortal
power. A statesman could not have made
the war--a statesman cannot stop it. En.an
cipation was not in thepower OF the Govern
rnent to Withdraw, nor is peace blessing
now to be obtained by the wisest and mos
impartial of conventions. We speak of VIVA
the Government has done. and it has don,
we'll; yet it should be understood that thu
very nature of the struggle has forced th
Government to adopt a certain course, ant
that, as the great ship flies before the storm
all that can be done is to stand firmly by tn
helm.
just row we are all rejoiced to hear of tn
emancipation of Maryland. This is, indeed
agreat eyentt measured by ordinary stant
ards, but, absolutely, it is but au incident
the war. What is it compared with IL
emancipation d. the whole North? "a triupr
which has nc parallel in history. III thr,
wears the North has been transformed; it h
become a new lands it has enshrincd in
action principles Of 'liberty, which former
it was almost afraid to embody in its prof
sions; it no longer has Southern 2aster,
longer answers to the swapping Of III; sla'
whip, it is not the North Of 1860, hesitatin
uncertain, Inconsistent it is in earnest; it
free; it has redeemed itself, and will red e.
others. The emancipation of Maryland
but natural consequence of the freedom
the North, and now that the North is p
foundly, sincerely, aud enthusiastically al
slavery nothing can prevent slavery FROM
ing destroyed in every Southern States
Slavery existed by permission of the
States, and was too long protected by thu
1t is not strange that Maryland should EN-
cipate her slaves, when she has the grand
ample of national sympathy. 1t would
strange indeed if she had refused TO embr
this golden opportunity of national sym
thy. 1t would be strange indeed if she
refused to embrace this golden opportunit
rebuilding her prosperity. 1t will be stra
IT even South Carolina should not be free,
the end, for the progress of liberty 81
1860 has been almost miracle, aud still
work is unfinished
All honor should be given to those b1
men who told the people o. Maryland t
duty, and wrought So we'll to rid of the c,
which kept her poor and weak. But I
have but hast.nea an event which was a
cessity. No man or men can take the G
Of emancipation; many Of us have aide,
but zone could have prevented it. 1t
and is inevitable. The terrible angel of
whose dark wings nave shad1wed the W
LAND. has done lnJre ior American FIRE,
than the beautifUl angel u peace. ans
not only stricken tie iron shaokles from
body OF the slave bul rem yea those he
letters which bOand iAyisitly the spiri
the free.
The BLESSED ONEs.-Blessed are thew