The Portland daily press., 1864-11-17

US. To this our fathers appealed in the great
| day of their trial, in the declaration of their
independence. The respect OF mankind is
Just as important to us, in this time of our
trial. we cannot afford to disregard it. There
are now connected with our armies more than
one hundred thousand colored men. They
are lighting our battles for us, with what man
y courage and heroism, Port Hudson, and
Fort Wagner, and Petersburg can tell; they
are digging our trenches, hauling our sup
plies, and tendiHg our sick and wounded, in
the hospital, and in the field. How would the
Kissing shaft of the worlds scorn pierce us, If,
after the victory is won, we should give them
over into the hands of the very enemies they
have helped us conquerl All nature would
cry out against such base iDgratitude; and we
might well expect that God would rain down
fire from heaven upon us, until we should be
like Sodom and Gomorah. And we may well
rejoice that no such sin, and shame, and ret
ribution can await us; that vast majority OF
our people, at home, and in the army, nave
voted that our colored soldiers. who share our
sacrifices and our perils, who stand shoulder
to shoulder In the storm OF battle with our
friends and kindred, shall, with their wives
and children their fathers and mothers, their
brothers and sisters, and the whole race to
which they belong, have free homes upon that
soil which they have so long watered with
their tears and their blood, and enriched with
their unrequited toll. AA e f8 El sl
Let us rejoice, too, that Slavery is to be
abolished, and forever prohibited, by an
amendment to our Constitution, because in
this alone we can have any security for our
future peace. Slavery caused the present re-
bellion. Ii the Union could be restored, with
slavery, the same causes would produce the
same results in some future time. Slavery
and Freedom are necessarily opposites They
cannot live together in peace. Conflict be-
tween them is inevitable and irrepressible. ~
remember, sir, ofreading that upon one Of
our colonial coins Of 1852, there was stamped
this motto-I Liberty, the parent OF Science
and Industry" And so il has always been
Look throughout New England and the North,
and see how Liberty has begotten and foster
ed education, and scattered its blessings with
lavish hand to all; and how it has encouraged
all industrial pursuits, until the hum of our In
dustry fills all our streets, and makes music
upon every waterfall. And then look over the
South, where there are no common school
houses no general system ofeducati0n; where
slavery has paralyZed the hand of labor, and
where, except among the few, ignorance and
Incidence, wretchedness and want, prevail
Can there be peace between two such systems
as these? Tf# irIl N#H EY 49,
And see how slavery has made ruling class,
regardless of the rights of others. Ii three
hundred, thousand shareholders can rule over
eight millions OF men in the South, will they
not attempt to rule the North? Have they
not done it? Have they not made our Presi-
dents, and controlled our Supreme Court, and
dictated the policy of our goVernmen, foreign,
and domestic2 And whenever the people OF
the North have shown any manhood, and man
Tested any resistance to their Embellishments
nm O11F riu has A..
OF dlsunlon, and threatened to destroy the gov
ernment Has not this been the prolific
source OF all our troubles, the fountain oil all
discord and strife, until it has eliminated in
this rebellion? Let US thank God, and rejoice.
that this great evil shall at last come to per,
petual end. Though not yet accomplished,
the result Is sure. assh y
Mr.. President: Those who have been defeat
ed in this political contest, have raised the cry
OF f"Peace." do not stand here to question
their sincerity, Who does NOT wish for peace2
There is no other thing that the American
people desire so much. And it adds immeas-
urably to the grandeur of our election. ~ ma,
here, where the people ss.e, in the midst of ali
Une sufferings and sacrifices incident to a
bloody war, they have voted with such una
nimity that there shall be no peace until itcan
be obtained with honor.
Peace on earth Is a blessed WORD, but it be-
longs to the future. In the kingdoms of this
world, men will fight. And so long, as the
wicked make war, the good must defend them
selves. Rulers muet not bear the sword in
vain. Governments must be maintained, even
at the cost of war. Aud there Is far more dan
ger to liberty In crying peace when there
should be war, than in crying "war", when
there should be peace. Peace between con-
tending nations means negotiation; it means
the independence of each. Peace, in civil
war, except upon actual submission, means dis
union. It cannot mean anything else.
I do not question that the election of Nc
Clellan would have been followed by peace. l
believe it would have been. With such men as
be, and Buell., and Fitz John Porter to lead
our armies, there would have been anything
but war. There would have been an arrnis-
tce. There would have been negotiation.
There would have been a recognition of the
Southern Confederacy by foreign nations, and.
as an inevitable consequence, by u.s.. Then
there would have been peace; and our brave
soldiers, leaving the bones OF their fallen BROTH
ers in foreign soil, would have been called
home in shame and dishonor. 1ET
But let the independence of the South be
once established, and then, instead of peace,
there would be interminable war. Notvwar
far away, as now, but war at our own doors.
The Slave Power would soon become a CEN
tTailxeu uespOLSin, more lmperlOuS and exact
ing than ever before, with whom peace would
be impossible. And how long would it be be-
fore the divided and distracted States of the
North would be insulted, and invaded, and
state Of anarchy, discord, and chaos be seen,
worse than was ever witnessed in Mexico, or
the South American Republics? Such, I fully
believe, would have beeA the peace thatwould
have resulted from the election Of Mcclellan.
But, sir, there is another road to peace; the
only road that patriots and heroes will travel; |;
the way of war; war continued; war persist
ed in, until it shall be crowned with victory
for the right, This is the path of duty. This
is the path OF honor. 1t may cost treasure and
blood for the present, but it will save both in
the future. 1t may not bring peace to day
But 1t will, in due time, bring . peace that
shall endure; peaoe founded upon Freedom,
and cemented by the blood of all who have fall
len in its, defence. Then will one victorious
army come marching home, not covered with
shame, but with glory and honor, to be well
coined with the acclamations and thanksgiv-
ings Of a grateful people.
For when our conqucrng hosts return
gs W hat shouts OF jubilee shall break
y rom placid vale, and mountain stern, sr4p .
n Hll 49,.