The Portland daily press., 1864-01-28

Thursday Morning. Jansary %. 1864.
From the Uairersaiiss Quarterly for Jan 1864
The Logic and the End of the Rebellion.
by uoS. ISRAEL wAsHBuRx, JR
Wrong has its conditions and methods as well
as Right. IL exists in its own atmosphere obeys
its own necessities and is ruled BY its own in
stincts. And, 80, when giant barbarism, its
offspring and representative, found itself encir-
ced by an advanced and still advancing Chris
tian society, il could meet the exigency of its
situation only in the spirit and by the methods
OF its own nature. Slavery in the United States
and in the nineteenth century, pressed on all
sides by the accumulating forces of an expand-
ing and noble civilization, menaced, as it could
but feel, by the peaceful but damaging. con-
quests which the energies of an enlightened free
society were constantly making, could deal with
the circumstances which beset it, only in its own
ways, and by its own instrumentalities 1t
could not be influenced by a wisdom higher than
1t knew, and from the recognition of which il
was excluded by the essential conditions of its
existence. Having its origin in falsehood in
justice and violence, il felt that it could expand
and be strengthened, indeed that it could hold
IFS own, only By such measures as these postu-
lated; that in wrong alone it must live or bear
no lie To expect from it policy of truth,
righteousness and peace, would be as idle as to
rely upon the good intentions of Beclzebub for
the casting out of devils.
II IS not TO be overlooked, however, that often
what Is done for evil is oyerruled for good
Whether It be true, as the sage of Concord af-
hrms, that evil is good in the making, it cannot
be denied that in the extreme aggressiyeness of
its nature it becomes self-destructiye and thus
u made a most effective instrument for prepar-
ing the way for good. BY facilitating its own
removal IT does a work that can be performed
so well oy no other agency. Myriad-liyed and
inyuinerable as it may seem, il is, nevertheless,
a neyer-wearyng suicide. However much of
cunning, tact and plausibity it may exhibit,
and whatever degree of success may appear al
times to attend it, it has no permanent posses
sions, no indefeasabe titles, but is ever working
a forfeiture OF its own estates. The wisdom of
the ancients is nowhere better exempliied than
in the weIl-known apothegm, that sswhom the
gods Intend to destroy they first make mad
In the Grecian mythology, Nemesis, the Cod
dess of retribution, is said to have been the
daughter of 0ceanus and Nox, for the alteration
OF things is aptly represented BY the sea, and
hidden providence is set forth BY the night
and by both that universal but sent-working
law in whose economy evil is made its own
avenger.
Now, it is manifest that slavery could not
make use of peaceful and honest means for the
maintenance of its defences and the prolonga
tion of its power. When it could employ such
aethlicS Us tfttSt IL NUulu ce1sc 10 DC Inc NlO-
lent and fraudulent thing that il essentially
is. II would be slavery no longer. When
1t perceived the gathering danger, it thought to
confront or avert il, oily by fraud and crime:
and i made preparation not for gradual, peace
ful abolition, not for the simple continuance of
the system of bondage where it already had
foothold. but for its indefinite expansion and
perpetuity.
In all its steps towards the rebellion, the slave
power was inpelled scarcely more by its bad NOR
ais than its bad manners. Impatient of con-
troll, insolent and domineering, as well as false
and unjust, it was not less willing to ruin for
the sake of ruling, than anxious to rule for the
sake Of running. In places of authority and
real power it would have no rival, and il has
had none. For forty years it had its own way
Its will was power and its word was law. Let us
see what a long term of unchecked prosperity,
as it would seem, has done for it. fla true sys-
TEN it would now be impregnabe. When the
Louisiana Territory was purchased of France in
1893, in all that part of it which was afterwards
formed into the State of Missouri, there were
probably not twenty Shareholders AT that time
the opinion in the South, as in the North, was
general that slavery was an Improbable sys-
TEN cf labor, and would, after no long period
be removed from all the States. No one could
have imagined that this territory was to be held
for the interest and advantage of slavery, and
10 be finally erected into slave States; and to no
man in the whole country would such an appre-
hension have been more alarming than TO Mr..
Jefferson. the President, under whose authority
the treaty with France was negotiated.
But in 1870 the slave power, if not really
more aggressive, was stronger and bolder than
il was in iS03 and when Missouri was ready TO
come into the Union, il would give its consent
on the single condition that she should be
slave State; and by its intrigues and threats she
was ut last brought in as such, but against the
conscience and judgment of the country. And
thirty-fye years later, when Kansas was TO be
subjugated by the slave power, Missouri was
made its strong right arm an the unhallowed en-
terprise. But by a striking example of poetic
justice, most unlocked for guerdon seems to
have waited upon these labors. This Missouri
which was SO foully used, and has herself be-
hayed so badly, is the first of the slave States to
express her more than readiness to Join hands
with the loyal governments in the sublimest act
OF many centuries--an act which John Quincy
Adams and other sages lived hoping TO see but
died without the sight - EMAscfrAYIoN. Lo.
this very Missouri, that but eight years ago
would spread the curse of slavery by fire and
slaughter over the fair fields of devoted Kansas.
is, even now, redeemed. regenerated, aud Olsen.
thrallcd by the power she had so long con-
temned and the Genius she had so hatefnlly in
suited, and becomes herself the first fruits in the
great harvest Of Freedom.
Missouri lad not been many years secured to
slavery forever" when this daring and iDsa-
table power sought new oonquestsi and as eaFis
1896, intrigaes were set on foot for the acqpi-
sition OF Texas. eliminating. ten years later,
in war with Mexico. In addition to the con-
frmation of the title of the United States to
Fexas, including the stipulation for Ave slave
states 10 be carved from her territory as an is
sue OF the war, o .bagMapant Judgment for the
Institution on the Pacific coast va contemplate
ed. California and Oregon were wanted By
slavery, for they would give it commercial pres
fige as well a. political power on our western
soast, and they would secure TO it the posses
sion OF Utah and New Mexico, and thqsif would
happen that the movement Of slavery westward
from the Mississippi, would not reaeL the Rocky
Mountains before encoantering similar mDys-
ment towards the east, and both uniting and
forming grand column. would turn north
wards aad march ia Triumph to the uttermos,
boundaries of tts repgblie.
Such was the comprehensive apd audacioas
programme, and for y tinae events seemed pro-
pitioqs to its accomplishment y the Texas q usg,
tion was settled, and California came. with
peace, as indemnity for the past, aud security
tes siayery's future But how the ''juggline
fends, W tteir promises to the slave power
Of conquest and dominion, lad s.paltered Will
i in double sense, keeping the w6rd Of prom:
ise to the ear only, time was not long in up,
folding Scarcely had the treaty of peace witt