Mineral Point weekly tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1859-1868, 1864-01-13

perchance some Territories should be shut
out from the conquest of slavery.
In vain we seek in the United States TO- a
nationality striving TO regain its independence.
Not only has independence been nowhere
! assalled, but there is absolutely no trace of a
separate nationality. Nowhere, perhaps, is
there d more thorough national homogenetv.
North and South the race is the same; faith,
| language, history, and, we boldly add, inter
/ ests, are all the same. All these States have
| struggled together, suffered together, and tri-
umphed together Their glories their de
| teatS, are common. Their Constitution sprung
! from the free consent of all, all pledged
themselves alike to remain faithful to its obi
cations.
This pledge is no empty word with which
| caprice may idly sport Among the insen-
| tions of our epoch there is none more extra
| ordinary than the right of secession. Those
! who discovered il viii no doubt teach Us
where II should stop. II each section has a
| right of secession from the country as a
! whole, why not each State a right of seees-
sion from such section Why not each
| county right of secession from the State :?
| Why not each town a right of secession from
the county? Why not each citizen right
| of secession from the town
| The truth Is that, but for slavery, the South
/ would not talk of its suppressed indepeud-
| ence, nor of the right of secession. Slavery
| has brought the two sections TO strife. The
/ extinction of slavery viii restore unity. The
/ North and the South Will some DAY wonder
/ that they could have failed to appreciate the
/ most complete and homogeneous OF nation
| alities.
| 4 last resort remains. That we here NAV
not see the great struggle on the subject of
| slavery, an attempt Is made 10 present the
| struggle as one of domination
! But this latter struggle is the very life of
| free countries. 1t is not surprising that the
/ North and the South each stroye actively,
energetcally, noisiIy for the triumph of their
! candidate and policy But when one of them,
! losing the battle of the ballot, pIunges with
/ out hesitation into another kind of battle :;
when 1t resists, arms IN hand, the result of a
regular election; when on the very day that
! It ceases to rule II tears into fragments the
4 common country, II IS guilty of crime for
which 1t Is difficult to imagine an excuse.
u.-1ou viii crush the revolt, gentlemen.
You will succeed-such Is our belief-in re
establishing the Union. 1t viii emerge from
the bloody trial stronger, more free. more
worthy OF the noble destiny TO which God
summons il.
1t has been demonstrated to US, il Is true,
that the re-establishment of the Union was
impossible; but was it not also demonstrated
/ to US and by irrefutablc argument, that YOU
would be always and of necessity defeated :;
that you would never know how TO handle a
: musket; that recruiting would become i'm
practicable; that your finances would be ex-
hausted: that your loans would not be taken A:
that YOU would become bankrupt that riots
would rayage your cities that YOUR Govern
mc1t would be overthrow , You have given
to ali these oracles the simplest aud best an
! swer. You viii reply in the same manner TO
those who assert that the re-estabhshmeut of
| the Union Is impossible.
IL
Hstore the Union. Where draw the line he
tween the North and South How maintain
! between them a state of peace, or even of
( truce How shall slavery and liberty live
| side by side How. moreover, restrain the
/ South from European protectoratcs. and bv
/ what means arrest the frightful consequences
/ of such pr0tectOratess Geographically, NOR
| ally, politically, separation would create an
unnatural situation, a situation violent and
I hazardous, where each would live, arms in
/ hand, waiting for the hour Of conflict
| We have full faith, gentlemen. that such q
/ trial viii be spared 10 you. 1t Is not that we
/ overlook the difficulties which still remain
/ for you 10 overcome; they are great, greater
| perhaps than we imagine. War has its yfcis.
/ STUDIES, ana you may perhaps be Vet called
/ upon TO pass through periods Of ilI-fortune.
| Yet one fact always remains, and shows on
/ which side the final triumph will be found
/ suPpoSing that there be no foreign interven-
/ ton. TIE flag Of The Union has nor Tg5. flr0
! gears seuey paused ne is zEaglce 1t floats TO-
/ day over the soil OF every revoIted State
without exception. Ihe South has had Is r.c-
t2ZteS-'t bGs 5tslty' ga2aoi az i'teh 81 ground
TIE North has had lis aefs0tg-t has itese. fall
| e5, back. Master to-day of the entire course
Of the Mississippi, master Of the Border
| states and OF Louisiana, all that remains Is
TO stIhe the revolt in the narrow territory
where it first burst forth and back TO which
it has been driven. We believe that YOU
will succeed in this; for Europe, the only
| nope OF the South, seems now little disposed
to give her aid.
In short, the rebellion Is already reduced TO
such narrow proportions that should it ever
become distinct confederation, accepted as
such from WEAKNESS Of war, the Confederacv
thus created viii not be born with the func-
tions of life. Neither European recognition
nor your own could give it a serious chance
OF duration. 1t would end in a return to YOU.
But we delight to believe the re establishment
of the Union less distant. And in the pres
ence of that prospect which thrills our hearts
with JOY, permit Us, as your friends, to offer
you some sincere advice. The dangers Of
victory, YOU are aware, are not less than those
of the combat, We give you, therefore. our
loyal, frank opinion, sure that in the main IL
viii agree with your own, and feeling, also
that these communications between Us have
an ann more serious tudIl q simple exchange
Of words of sympathy.
We hold it to be of the first Importance
that the cause CT the war shall not survive the
war; that your real foe, slavery, shall not re-
main upon the field. We have often asked
| ourselves these last three years why God
permitted the prolongation Of this bloody
struggle. Vas It not ttGt tie real issue n5igLt
present ITSELF nth perfect c}earnesS2 Conquer
ing earlier, the Federal Government would,
| perhaps have been led TO make concessions,
to enter anew upon the fatal path of com
! promise To-day, all eyes, not willingly blind,
/ see clearly. The New York riot, breaking out
at an appointed day 10 aid tie jzyasiora Of Lee.
and tallaag instantly npo,s tie negro IN a ray to
shog TO every lcjteSs Of its oogarag feocity eotat
| kind Of spirit animated certain friends Of the
| Soalth-the New York riot was a supreme
! warning 10 your country. Your line Of action
| is clearly traced. So long as anything of sIa-
| very remains, there viii be q cause Of antag-
| onism to the bosom of the Union. There
| must be no longer any question of slavery
| It must be so ordered and settled as never to
/ return. An amendment TO the Constitution
to this end must be proposed and adopted be-
/ fore the return of the States.
| T. a