Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1864-05-19
NATIONAL INTELLIGENCER,
THE ANTIsLAvERY COUNCIL.

city on Tuesday and Wednesday of last week by
several meetings, in which the most distinguished
advocates of the anti-slavery cause participated
We learn from the organ of the Society, the Ma
tional Anti Slavery Standard, that the number OF
the audience who attended the meetings OF this
year was unusually large, and comprised not only
very many of the old and longtried friends of the
cause but large numbers of younger men and wo-
men whom the events of the hour have brought
into sympathy, more less hearty, with the radi-
cal phase of the ant-slavery movement which this
society represents" TO this effect our contempt
rary says:
Not without emotion could one familiar with the great
struggle for the freedom the slave which has been going
this country for thirty and more look over the
great audience and mark the many venerable and
men, their hair slvered with honorable years, who have
given their lives with self sacrificing zeal and noble effort
to the elevation of outcast and despsed patiently
aborng amd derson and obloquy and repr0Ach to lay
the foundations Of that Temple OF Liberty to which the
multitude come up to lay the cap-stone with shout
ings For long and weary they struggled, their
faith triumphant fears until at this hour, it is given
to them the fuon Of their hopes at hand and
their abiding faith in God Of justice and liberty glorious
ly indicated"
And yet, in singular contrast with such emo
lions of gratitude and praise, the remarks OF
many--we may say of most-who participated In
the deliberations and discussions of the late ami
versary would seem to have been tinged with re-
pining and censure. First among the speakers on
the occasion was Wendell Phillips, and, as he was
first in theyorder of time, he seems to have been
preeminent in the expression of his dissatisfaction
at the political situation superinduced by the events
of the war Instead of seeing in the proceedings Of
the Government, regards the negro, any cause
for gratitude and hope, he rather "felt bound to
declare that he saw no evidence Of its purpose to
put the freedom Of the negro such basis as will
secure it against every peril" And our readers
will perhaps be surprised to learn that Mr.. Phil
lips has reached stage in the progress of his ideas
on the war where he would wish one thing in the
interest of the negro slave and another in the nte
rest of the white man. To this effect he says:
- III was negro and slave should pray God that
This war might last twenty years. If was negro
and slave should dread every victory on thu part OF
the NouA for believe that this while it lssts, is
perfor ning exactly that work which war did in South
America 1t taking the rvets out Of society it crum
bling up the whole civil and social life into its original
elements aud when that work completely done, no mat
ter what may be the form of government that follows the
negro is always free illness Mexico and South Ameri
ca War staked from the Cult to the Cape sweeping all
institutions Of her path and when peace came, the
negro like every other had hand in the reconsruc-
citizen concerned in the welfare of white Well
black, deprecste month of because see in it
the seeds Of debt military ambition and despotism, to
guard against which will demand virtue and inell
gence in the masses such history nowhere shows.
accept therefore, with gratitude the first step the Admin
istrston made in December towards reconstruction not
that deem it wise one not that deem 1t quite we'll
timed in all its parts, but because am well aware
that the settlement Of this not to be by BATTLE bat
by craftsmanship by the reconstruction of the elements
of States and therefore the greatest of anxiety
not for the bstte-fed-we have nothing there but
victory the endbu it is for the intelligence Of the
hand that shall finally remodel the Union"
The theory on which he would have the Presi
dent reconstruct society and the States at the South
is thus explained:
"You never can make this nation by force. 1t
nossble in 1861 when think half Of the South
Was Union and the other half Confederate The great
Crttenden resolution of July, 1861 based on that
ides-that large body of Southern white men were
sde and only wanted to De assured that we meant
TO be conciistory and they would SNOW themselves Pos
siby it might have been but can never know now
every month of the war has butuf Confederate
sentiment angered embttered confirmed against U.s. JET
ferson Davis made rebelion It was all ne could make
Abraham Lincoln made Coniederacy; no man but he
could have made it, (hisses Well, If not true dis
prove it! applause The Crittenden resolution
passed. believe the sound basis that the South had
been hurried against her WILL into rebellion. Frem0nts
statesmsnke word echoed Missouri (applause Had
it been seconded with that element at tho South and
similar enthusiasm at the North, might have beaten
out the rebellion in nne months and had South not
their Their property their houses who have the
loved form OF their States beaten to ashesthese
to-day Confedsrates from anger who Unonists
from old association Three years OF war have rooted
that which merely temporary rebellion into plant
ed Conederacy, and it s the sowness and Indifference OF
the Government that have done it. To-day therefore, the
who takes the helm of the vessel Of State his hand
has a tenod harder work TO do than Abraham Lincoln
had March, 1861 for he ha, got the South far such
thing can be. unanimous against him You cannot
construct this Union the loyaty Of the white Of the
South there is nothing of it. You may conquer them
down to New Oresns you may cover Virginia with the
best blood of he North and Of the South both and when
it the South will hate you than before You
must reconstruct these States the loyalty Of somebody
How shall il be done There but two ways. One is
to keep them Territories for twenty years until this
ration dies out; until the temptations OF business, until
the patronage Of the Government until associations,
until the immigration Of Northern mercantile interests
shall replace that white population Then you may do it.
But ~ the mean time must keep half of this
try under the form Of Territories and trust the Govern.
ment with despotc power trenbe for such an expert
men 10 the hands Of men az some we have SEED 10
the Presidential chair should give up all hope Of ever
again seeing Republic. The only other way to recon
struct the Union and republican institutions il TO re-
construct the only loyal basis that exss-the blacks
(Appause.) IL there not 10000 white men in New
Orleans who will vote for us, there not (Gen Banks
had TO press his soldiers TO the baotbox
out that number then take the 400 900 backs-gye
yote-lnk them to the fortunes of the UDion-ackno
ledge the manhood Of the black till the white man is
converted LApplause."l
We offer no comment on these reflections, save
only to say that they illustrate the impossiblity Of