Delaware State journal and statesman., 1864-07-05
LETTER FROM ROBERT DALE OVEN.

CommIssiou;
LETTER FROM ROBERT DALE OVEN.
TO the Editjr of ne " I. 7riJaas
Sihs Senator salisbury, ia debate yesterday,
on proposition to priut r,pot prepared by
me AZ Chairman of Government Commission,
objected 10 the printing on account Of what he
vas pleased to consider the wcrlhlrssuess oi my
religious opinions.
IRE seems insufficient. IN days gone
oy VI eli Ike the prsscut time. ",rel mems
o. 49, Nhen any document cime before a legis
lal,e body, containing facts, law, opinions bear
ing IN the cOrditiOn Of a nation struggling for
Its Caiatuc., ii was not customary, i believe,
10 Heeept or reject It according 10 the orthodoxy
Gti's uuihcr. Jefferson was considered worthy
10 prrpaie ami report certain important Dec
llrnion by those who dissouipd from his tupoiaay
My cpiuion' on thirgJ spri,ua. ireuly given.
have bsen teeeiyed with some indulgence by the
public. But suppose Mr. Saulsbury's tstitn iie
Of these correct. they to not cater into tho ie.
port in question. II treats Of ihngs temporal
only, containing not fiaele alusion 10 ultra.
mundane phenomenal.
The publicity to bn given to tho sentiments il
conalns, does not however, depend upon the
Senate. Our Commission, appointed 10 eXtmine
nni report upoa the condition Of the rocrnily
,lnaucirattd t,ogdnen. Travelled inlo almost all
the disturbed districts; aud tho Information col,
lected by lhea. after forming tho basis OF their
repuri, wa. placed by the Secretary OF War Ut
my disposal to he u4tl nnl published ia such
fotm M might deem proper.
have cast it, with cancellations and additions,
into the fUrm Of "A treatise entitled ''The Wrong
Of Shyefy, tue Right Of Emancipation aud the
Future OF tho Air eau lil5e Ia the United
States !" to be published ncxt month in this city,
irrespective Of the aelinn Vt Congress fou viii
permit me, perhaps, TO give your readers some
den Of The scope and character Of this work by
submitting 10 them an eAtract from its preiace :
"My task has led the ussr a vast field. la
briefly tracing, from its inception in this hemis
phere, the rise and progress Of the great wrong
which still threatens iha life Of the nation
have followed the fortunes OF vast multi tu1e
equal in number to tho population, loyal aud
dlsloyal, black ami white OF these United States
| have ssetcbcj, by the light ot authentic locu-
menls, the dismal history of that muliiluIc
three centuries and a halt, seeking out their re-
presentAtives, aud inquiring into the numbers
aud the condition OF these, at the present day.
In 80 doing, have arrived at the conclusions
which, TO those who have never looked closely
into the subject may seem too marvellous for be
lief
"Passing, then, from the story Of the wrong
/ to LOOK into its remedy, have touched uiou
that inquiry in its various legal AMI constlu-
tiohal aspects az, the connection Of Slavery
with the Constitution; how far that instrument
admits, add how far II abstaiu4 from admitting,
the existence Of such system; further the
churac y of what is termed slave property the
right Of emancipation in the loyal Slave Smtes;
the jurisdiction Of tue Supreme Court in the
premises; the elect of the Presidents Exanci-
patton Proclamation rs well upon tho slaves
within our lines as upon slaves still in the enc
mys hands; aud the force of that Proclamation
both during the war aud alter its conclusion.
'ln the same connection, have treated
Of Emancipation as a great measure Of nntonal
policy, essential 10 the preservation invoate OF
the Constituton Indispensable to the ie- estab.
lishmcnt of peace, inscpcrabe from tho future
maintenance, North aud South of domestic
tranquility.
"tinally, after having traced the connection
of the two races Of the past, and set forth the
duty Of one race toward the other. in the prcseut
| have sought to look forward aud inquire how
they nre likely, when both shall bc'iree, To Eye
together in the fututei whether We shall have Il
race among us unwilling or unable to support
itselii whether admixture OF the races, both be.
ing free. is probable or desirable; whether with.
out ndmixtute, the reciprocal social influence Of
the races ou each other promises good or evil :
what are the chauces that n base prejudice OF
/ race ahn diminish aud disappear and, lastly,
whsther, In case the colored man shall outlive
TINT prejudice, disgraceIu to us aud depressing
~ niu,. aud shhli be clothed by Law with the
same rights in search Of which we suueh, this
Western World, there will be anything i'll con
uecliou, with his future 10 these United States to
excite regret or in.pIre apprehension
Tbs loyal portion Of the public, differing in
opinion they do from Mr.. Salisbury GU sun
dry important subjects, may not concur with
nim in deciding TINT the author OF "Footfllls on
the boundary OF Another World" is, because OF
that authorship, Urft 10 present to them, Tor
consideration, such topics as the ubovc
am, Sir, your obedent servant,
kOBenr DALe OwpN