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


slavery is not dead "A deep conviction of
the injustice and In policy of slavery yet lives
The conviction is now stronger than ever |
It,bas heen made 80 by the;.many crimes re-
comfy committed in the. name of the institu-
ton, In my honest judgment, Mr.. President
slavery and rebellion, By the action Of par
ties, by the course of events which none Of
us can now control, have become so closely
and intimately allied that they must share
the same fate. If stle. ,rahellion succeeds,
slavery. for many yebra may be cherished
institution in the Soath.s- Ifit falls, the reb-
els themselves will BE found too honorable
to ask its continuance. Ifmy position, Their,
be correct, 7tis following propositions Ere true
FIRST slavery, being detrimental 10 yublic and
private interests, anti-renah..lcan in its ten
denotes, and subseFsi-s Of good government,
should now Re abolished; second, the Con-
stitutson as it now stands, confers upon Con-
gross no power to abolish it; and third, to
attain the ends which are 50 essential to the
! establishment and maintenance of peace, D
change in the Constitution, the pc acetul and
effective made of governmental reform wisely
provided by our ancestors for throwing off
such evils as now affiict US, and for utilizing
the experience Of history as developed in ma
tional progress, should at once be made,
"Our, ancestors acknowledged the truth
when they proclaimed the inaiienable right
oil liberty unto all men, That declaration
gave them liberty. 1t fired the world, and
enlisted the sympathies OF civilization. SO
soon as they obtained it for themselves, how
ever, the false ceunsels Of expediency came
to refuse it to others. When the test OF prac-
teal government was to be applied, they
were content to declare in the preamble OF
the Constitution enc Of its objects to be Ito
secure the blessings of liberty to themselves
and their posterity. In the body Of the in
strument the liberty Of the African is not Sc,
cured His return to slavery is enjoined.-
In this oontr addiction is the element OF strife.
Truth and error cannot be reconciled, Right
and wrong cannot dwell together in peace
The effort to reconcile commissions; it then
brought war. In the kingdom Of nature
volcanic disturbances follow the union OF fire
AID combustible material. From various
causes the disturbances may be unielt for
many years, but eventually they return, and
cease not till the material is consumed. This
thing of slavery is heresy. The fire OF
truth is upon it, and the moral world will be
convulsed until it is consumed The strong
desire for peace may induce some new con-
cession in its favor. This might smother
the flames for few years. Such peace would
not be blasted by its uphcavings; our fields
again scorched by its burning lava"
But if the eight Senators named threw
their great weight on the side Of Liberty,
look OF the others, who are classed as Repub-
licans, and who voted with them. Herein
honest Democrats may see, as in mirror
the faithful reflection of their own honest ans
too often suppressed feelings, and the en-
enlargement to follow these feelings for the
sake of the country. Gratz Brown, James R
} Doolittle, Jas. H. Lane, Lot NJ. Morrill,, gave
many of the best years of their lives to the
Democratic party and Vice President Ham
lin, who does not vote unless his vote is ne
cessary to decide question, served his con
nection with the Democratic organization
only a few monthes before Mr.. Buchanan
nomination for President. Note, also, tina
the Senator'S from Kentuky and Delwar
give only votes from slave States against thu
} amendment and that but two from the FREE
: States follow their example. These are yer.
, significant Indications Let us now see hoy
e will operate upon the Democrats in the Hous
where the joint resolution to abolish SLAYER.
in the way pointed out by the Constitution
now pending. fan equal proportion of Dem
ocrats in that body will do as the majority Q
the Democrats of the Senate did on the 8t
instant, the work is moro than half accom-
plished. Allthat remains to make it thorosg
: and complete is for the Legislature of three
: fourths Of the States to ratify what Congress
t has done. So you see this great measure
( tranquillity-this drastic remedy for a dis
y ease that has corrupted our whole syster
. and brought the Republic almost to its dea
e is at the disPositio. Of the DemOcrats ct&
G House. If sufficient number Of these Rel
/. resentatives vote for it, the Legislatures {
\ the States will naturally confirm the actio
= Of Congress- Even now we can count two
. thirds of these Legislatures on the right sid
a and, if the patriotic Democrats give US thel
9 aid, the necessary three-fourths will be SURF
g ly secured. The arguments operating Q
9 such minds should be irresistible. We hav
j. been told that there is no right to abolls
T. slavery under the war power, or under I'll
d legislative power. We have been rerninde
it that the exercise of these powers was q vi
q lation Of the Constitution. Such has beef
n and still is, the logic of the Democratic pre-
IS and the leaders. A constitutional plan
N now presented. VIII it receive the suppo
ofthese champions the Constitution? Shou
4, it prevail, the agitation of the slavery que
n tons will die Quit may be gradually, b.
8, permanently and forever. The amendinel
a, Of the Federal Constitution, recommend
. by the Senate, ana now before the Hous
a, has been supported by some of the leadir
De Opposition papers Of the country; among the
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