Mineral Point weekly tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1859-1868, 1864-07-06
Slavery DESTROYED.

| consequence of the rebellion, Is unquestlon-
able. So severe, that many consider that 1T
is entirely destroyed; but there Is power
still left in it, and wise councils must prevail
in the land to completely crush it out. 1t
has lately shown itself in Congress, on the
vote to repeal the fugitive slave ANYWHERE
the democrats voted in solid phalanx against
repeal-and in the effort to amend the Con
stitution so as TO prohibit slavery In the coun-
try-where the measure failed for the want
| of a two-third's vote. 1t will have strong
party for a long time, making every effort to
save it. That it will fall, before tbo country
can have permanent peace, we entertain no
doubt; but it will require true and wise men
at the helm-men of nerve, to accomplish
the great work. The Missouri Democrat, IN
an article on this subject, discusses it thus:
GIVE have had in this country oflate sever
al convocations of politicians, who have I'M
dertaken the regulation of the affairs of the
nation. All these parties have met with
most formidable difficulty in the slavery
question. 1t has proved too large a matter
to ignore, while taking position with refer
ence to it has required no small amount of
moral courage. To declare against slavery
has demanded high order of political hero
ISM and to declare for it under existing cir
cumstances, is looked upon by shrewd politi-
clans as equally perilous. In this emergency
the embarrassment of which can be readily
Appreciated happy expedent has sugges
ted itself to some of the politicians-being
| nothing less than strategic movement Tor
| thanking the knotty question, which has been
| executed by declaring that slavery is already
" destroyed" OF course, if slavery is dead,
| there is no use of either taking a position
| for or against it, It's out of the way, and
| there is practically no longer any such thing
| as either anti-slavery or pro-slaVeryism. So
| to escape the necessity of showing their hands
of avowng themselves either for or against
| the institution-the political trimmers allud-
ed to have written it down in their platforms,
| and published it to the world as " Destroyed"
| This they did in a convention recently held
| in this city, where both protested anti slavery
| and pro-slavery men met their object being
| to secure the support of both ant-slavery
and pro-slavery voters. The same thing was
done in another meeting of recent date in
| Cleveland, where the odds and ends of sew
eral parties, which have occupied very differ
ent positions upon the slavery question, came
| together, and where to take a position one
| way or the OF er was consequently extremely
embarr assing if not impossible. So to avoid
| a commit al, hey wrote dc IN that slavery
was destroyed" which, meaning nothing, was
| equivalent to taking no position. The phrase
in itself is false, and its use, under the cir
cumstances and in the present crisis of the
| nations peril, is cowardly, but then it is a
trick of politicians, and ii, politics as in war;
| the saying is, that alrs fair
But little did those political strategists,
who thus placarded the demise of slavery,
| while three millions of men and women were
yet wearing its chains probably think how
| speedily the contradiction would be given to
| their words in a way which none could mis-
understand The contradiction, however, has
| come. In the Congress of the United States
| two important questions involving the exis-
| tence of slavery have arisen, and been decid-
ed upon One was proposition for the re-
peal Of the Fugitive Slave Law, and with
single exception, every Democrat-the De-
mocracy having been the pro slavery party of
the countrywide against ii, thus deciding to
| stand by slavery, for which, were it already
| destroyed, there would of course have been
no necessity. The other was a proposition
for the amending of the Constitution, so as
really to destroy slavery, and which acas defeat-
ed By slare7y's friends. When thus see the
institution welding such power in the coun-
ellis of the nation, what folly to talk about it
being destroyed"
No, no, slavery is not destroyed in this
country. 1t is now defying, as it has defed
for the last three years, the entire military
power of the government. And even if the
army of the Union succeed, as we believe
it will, it does not follow that slavery is " de-
stroyed." So far from such being the case,
that party which is now known the Demo
crazy, including not few of those who are
now talking the most hippantly about slavery
being dead, will at once insist upon the ac-
acknowledgements of the right to hold slaves as
one of the conditions of settlement This
battle with slavery does not end with the re-
bellion. 1t is an institution which is not
" destroyed" by the breath of a political
convention, nor even by the fiery blast of
battle. 1t is wonderfully tenacious of life.
Il will require wise, prudent brave legisla-
ton to make an ending of it. Now in what
condition will those parties be, who have
subscribed to the doctrine that slavery is al
ready destroyed" to engage in this contest !?
They viii be like men who have thrown away
| their swords. True, they may plead they
l meant nothing by their assertion, but then
why make it? 1t is dangerous TO take a
false position in such vital matter 1t may
: deceive some-it may dis rm others The
truth would, under all circumstances, be in
fniteIy better."
TO convert an artless woman into a
heartless one, there only wants she"