Fremont journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County [Ohio]) 1853-1866, 1864-02-19

The New York Herald comes out fairly and
squarely for the abolition of slavery. We
quote from its leader" of Wednesday morning:
In various manifestations we perceive that
the more astute of the managing politicians of
the Northern Democracy are beginning to real
ize that the maintenance of Southern slavery
for political purposes has become an obsolete
idea" that from this terrible war the institu-
tion has received such shock through all its
vitals that it cannot survive; that the hope of
restoring it, with the restoration of the Union,
as Democratic balance of power, is gone; that
the public sentiment of the loyal States is drift
ing irresistably along with the current of events
10 universal emancipation; and that before the
broken fragments of the late Democratic party
can do anything, as a national organization,
they must be relieved of this incubus of South
slavery.
The immediate and all-important object in
view is the next Presidency, and it is morally
certain that, upon pro-slayery platform, the
Democracy against an anti-slavery platform viii
hardly obtain the vote ola solitary State partic-
ipating in the election. Even in 1856, the sue
cess of Buchanan turned on scanty Democrat
ic majority secured in Pennsylvania by lavish
outlay of money in her October election. Since
that day Buchanan's administration and this
Southern pro-slayery rebellion have forever
swept away the Northern conservatism which
rested upon the perpetuation of this Southern
Democratic balance of power. 1t needs no ar
gument to prove that this balance of power has
disappeared, the foundation upon which it was
established being overthrow.
They did the best they could under the cir
cumstances to unite the States concerned and
yet to leave the door wide open TO emancipa-
ton. Neither the word slave nor slavery, nor
STAKEHOLDER nor master is to be found in the
Constitution. The great charter was deliber-
ately framed upon the idea that it would out
live this institution of master and slave, and
would need no special amendment to suit the
purposes of Union entirely relieved of slavery.
But Whitney's cotton gin was invented; and
then, with cotton, the slave on the cotton plant
ations became cash article and slavery flour
ished apace, until it ruled the country through
the Democratic party. 1t failed and the party
failed with the repeal of the Missouri Compro-
mise, and institution and party went to pieces
in the suicidal enterprise of breaking up the
Union, when only under the protection of the
Union could slavery live or pass away quietly
from the land. Clearly, then, it has become
the policy of the Northern Democracy and all
the conservative elements of the country to take
a new departure-to strike out boldly for an
amendment of the Constitution which will for
ever settle this troublesome question of slavery
by removing the institution from the country.
The New York Express, leading Copper
head organ of that city, says:
@AIl feel that slavery has gone by the board.
Politically, it was dead before the war began.
Physically, it is now dead, and ought not for
one moment, to enter into any discussion relat-
ing to the war, any more than anything else
that is dead beyond all hope of resurrection.
The border State men all see this. Slavehold-
ers in the Cotton States are beginning to see
and acknowledge this truth. Nobody needs to
be convinced that both the political and physi-
cal power of slavery are over in the United
States. We need no argument from Mr. CAN'T
to assure us of this fact of the folly ofthe South
in making the Slavery question pretext for the
war. War from the very start was more II an
abolitionist than any army OF Garriscns and
Phillipses and Gerrit Smiths"
From the (cincinnatD Catholic Telegraph.
The auti-slavery feeling is spreading rap
idlv throughout the country, that in a snort
time very few will be found in favor of the in
iouitous system. The absolute necessity for its
extinction before anything can be accomplished
for the repose of the nation, has taken hold OF
the minds and hearts of the people, and any at
tempt to retard the popular will must end IN
disaster We are particularly pleased with the
change which is taking place in the sentiment
of Catholics on this subject. Those who, within
q few months. would not even think on the sub
iact of abolition, are now most anxious for its
success. because they have commenced examin-
ing the question apart from party feeling or
nreiudice and their good sense is convinced,
that the worst use you can put human being
70 ia TO make him slave We hope that the
day is near when clause in the Constitution
win proclaim liberty to all men within the lin
its of the United States.