Holmes County farmer. [volume] (Millersburg, Ohio) 1857-1926, 1864-04-14


ted by the South a. a basis of final settle |
mcnt. lSec Con0reQi0nai GLoJe. second |
session Thirty-sixth Congress, volume for
ty-iour, part two, pages 1890 1917 Had |
Mr.. Lincoln, after his arrival in Washington,
but SAID the word peace, these resolu- |
tons would have been accepted and the war
avoided. South Carolina would have stood |
alone At this crisis it was apparant that |
the danger of dissolution and civil war was
both real and imminent. Mr.. Lincoln was
unequal to the occasion. The peace confer |
encc adjourned without important action. -
Congress adjourned leaving everything un-
settled and the whole country shaken by the |
most violent agitation. The collision in the
harbor Of Charleston was the fatal conse-
quencc.
In the President proclamation which fol-
loved he called for scvcnty-fve thousand
volunteers TO defend the capital, to recap
ture the forts, and enforce the laws The
volunteers thus called for came forward with
promptness and alacrity which did credit to
their love Of country, and indicated their
attachment TO that constitutional govern
ment left them by their fathers and their
resolution to repel at all hazards the sacrile-
gluus attempt thus made upon its existence.
The pcopl le were still further assured of the
conservative purposes and character of the
warnow proposed by the instructions issued
by the State Department to our representa-
tives at European Courts, a. well as in the
policy announced in the President 5 inaugu-
raj address Of the 4th Of March, 1861, and
in his message to the special Congress which
met in July following. Mr. Seward declared
III these Instructions that
Moral and physical causes have determined
infiexibly the character Of each one of the the
territories over which the dispute has arisen.
and both parties, after the election, harInonl-
Ously agreed on all the Federal laws required for
their organization. The territories will re-
main in all respects the same, whether the rev
! Olution shall succeed or fail. There Is not even
a pretext for the complaint that the disaffccted
states are TO be conquered by the United States
ifthe revolution tall for the rights OF tho states
] and the condition Of every human being in 1t
VIII remain subject to exactly the same laws and
/ forms of administration whether the rcy0ll-
! ton shall succeed or fail In the one case tine
states would be federally connected with the
! Constitution and laws customs, habits. and in
sttutlons i'll either case Will remain the same.
1t is not necessary to add to this incontes-
table statement the further fact that the
new President as wellas the citizens through
whose sufferages he has come into the admin
lstration. has always repudiated all design.
whatever, and whenever imputed to hin
and them, of disturbing the institution o
slavery as itexists under the Constitution anc
ltNS. lIe East llDN NOultl IlDL NC luilN pre-
sented if | were to omit to say that any oucl
effort on his part would be unconstitutional
and all his actions in that direction would bt
prevented by the proper authority, even
though they were assented 10 by Congress.
and the people
Here is the language Of the President on
the 4th Of March, 1851
Apprehension seems to exist among the peo-
pie OF the southern states that by the accession
OF republican administration their property
aud their peace and personal security are tobe en-
| dangered. There has never been any reasona-
BILE cause for such apprehension. Indeed, the
Il while existed and been open to their inspection
1t is found in nearly all the published speeches
Of him who now addresses you. do but quote
from one of those speeches when declare tha
: 81 have nopurpose, directly or Indirectly to in
. terfere with the institution of slavery in tn,
States where it exists ] believe have no law
n ful right to do 50, and have no inclination L
do So"
= In the Presidents message to the specia
+ Congress which met in July. 1861. Mr.. Lir
i coin declares that after the rebellion sha
have been suppressed. the executive deems
q proper to say, it will be his purpose ther
s as ever, to be guided by the Constitute
= and laws" and that it may be expected h
y will adhere to the positions taken in his il
a augural address. lie adds
He desires to preserve the government that
may be administered for all as it was admins
. tered by those who made IT. Loyal citizens eN
: erywhere have the right to claim this of the
h government and the government has no risf
in giving it, there is any coercion, any conque.
| or any subjugation in any just sense of thos
terms.
Well, Mr. Speaker; how long We're the ad
ministration true to these their solemn, pub
lic and reiterated pledges Why, sir, jus
until on the faith, of these solemn assuran
ces million of men were induced to aban
-, -
armies OF their country to fight in the sa
cred cause of constitutional government
Then, when the physical arm of the gov
ernment was deemed sufficiently strong fo
, the overthrow of the South, the mask i
+, cast off a new purpose and object for tn,
war is boldly avowed and proclaimed. Tht
y hideous form and repulsive features of abo
: litionism were at first disguised in the decep
. tive and alluring garb of patriotism. ltwa
= no longer to be war for the preservation c
= the Union under the Constitution, butin IT
= ality for its destruction, and in the form {
~ conscience as well as in that of the supren
:. law, places the radicals, in the attitude
: rebellion and revolution.
~ Of the abolitionists as a party, nearly
n quarter ef century ago their true chara
: ter was happily touched off by the pencil I
Henry Clay. He says:
l With them the rights of property are nothin
= the deficiency of powers of the general govern
IN ment are nothing, the acknowledged and incol
- testible powers OF the States are nothing. Civ
49, war dissolution of the Union, and the owe
y throw of a government in which We are concel
1t trated the proudest hopes of the civilized worl
N are nothing. \ single idea has taken posseSslC
~ of their minds, and onward they pursue II, owe
" looking all barriers, reckless and regardless
10 all consequences.
/ This party was then small and insight
l. cant, but its numbers have increased until W
now behold it numerous and influential er
k ough to control the administration Of tn
C government Their influence was first te
e in interfering with the conduct Of the war
l. and in ostracising and excluding from con
l. mand the generals who had manifested
n respect for the Constitution and who ha
% shown skill in the field, They were not sa
t. isfed with passing Il bill offering protectio
q and freedom to the slaves Of rebel master
l. who should come within our lines; not sa
l. isfed with directing the physical power {
It the country to the suppression of armed r,
l. sstance to the authority of the government
= but they proceeded to carry the war direc
1t ly against the property, the homes, the tir'
= sides of peaceful non-combatant residents
o seceeded States. This was in violation NJ
n only of the Federal Constitution, but of e.
+ cry principle of public law. While the e
N feet of this policy has been TO unite Il
IS South, the proclamation of the 22d and 2it
4 of September, 1862, and and of the lst
le January, 1868, have signally failed to di
ot turb the relation of the slave beyond I'll
II hostile presence of our armies The Pres
in dent, it's true, made timid and weak +
i sistance to the adoption of this policy, b'