Prescott journal. [volume] (Prescott, Wis.) 1861-1871, 1864-04-30

laws as they choose to have ; the American
opinion as l have told you before,
was to be. the supreme law. 1t was
dethroned a great many years ago,
and you have not been governed
for the last twenty years by American opin-
ion; you have been governed by bluster, by
threats, by menace. Undoubtedly, in 1851,
| if your President had called the Legislature
1 together, and you had written such laws and
made such amendments to the Constitution
as the rebels saw fit to dictate to you, they
would not have fought you. As long as you
would do as you were told to do, there could
be no reason for fighting you but, sir, when
you allow battery to be planted on the
banks of the Potomac or the banks of the
Ashley river to dictate your legislation to
you, and you make your laws and your con-
situations so as to prevent that battery from
opening fire on you, you are a slave, you are
not a free man. Wien yon come 10 make your
la'es not to sa yosrselyes Bat to sat others, 'che7a
you come 10 vote mot as your judgments bit as
yo1r fears persuade you, Il nil be but feTy fer
days after thar before you acin begin 70 dig pota-
toes and cultivate cotton for the same reasons.
( Such, then, find to be the cause and the
purpose of the rebellion. 1t was MOTTO Sc
cure the independence of Shareholders, but
to subject you to abject dependence upon
toll for new government, but to place a new
government in possession of your Capitol.
1t was not to frame new constitution for a
new republic, but it was to impose new
constitution upon the Republic of the United
States. 1t was not to secure federation for
slavery within the seeded States, but to
compel the adoption of Slavery by the nation.
If the cotton-gin had not been invented
slaveholding would not have been profitable.
If slaveholding had not been profitable slave
holders would not have been rich. 1t slave
holders had not been rich they would not
have been arrogant. If they had not been
arrogant four hundred thousand Shareholders
would not have presumed to challenge doniin-
ion over twenty million freemen. Slavery
without the cotton-gin would have been
monster wrong, but it would not have sbeen
dangerous to the Republic. The cotton-gin
without slavery would have been of twice the
value it has been and still would not have
been dangerous to. amy one. Together they
have proved fatal to the peace of the nation.
/ do not advise to destroy them both. i add
wise that slavery be destroyed and the cotton
gin doubled in value.
glove has ordained it that whatever day
Makes man a slave takes half his worth away"
If four million negroes were worth So, 000,-
100000 as slaves, they will be worth Sc, 000,-
100000 as freemen. Take that immense
wealth from the hands of your mortal enc
mics and double it in the hands of your inn
mortal friends.
Now, Mr.. President, must not close with
out remarking that all Shareholders have not
participated in the guilt of this rebellion. |
know that very well and if there is any
class of loyal men to whom am more CRATE
full than another class, it is that class which
has been true to the Constitution and true to
the flag, Notwithstanding the membranes
Of slaveholding. Wherever you find me
man who, in spite of his being a STAKEHOLDER,
has proved true to the Constitution, | can
tell you the fitting epitaph to put upon his
tombstone whenever he dies, and such men
| hope will be very slow to die: place upon
his tombstone the epitaph that in spite of
slavery he was found true to the principle of
Democracy during the great struggle of 1851.