The Portland daily press., 1864-11-12
Ex-senator Rios-Nobla uttsranoss


Hon. HENRY M. RICE, late Democratic u.
s. Senator from Minnesota, recently wrote a
letter on the condition OF the country and the
prospects and duties of the hour, from which
we copy the following. Mr.. Rice was Bu-
chanan, breckenridge Democrat, OF the most
intensified type, but, like Butler, Dix, Holt,
Andrew johnson and host of others, from
the moment the rebels lifted their hands
against the authority and flag of the country,
he rose above party and acknowledged ale
glance only to his country. Read the follow
lowing, in the light of Mr.. Rice's antecedents,
and then say, if you dare, that the world does
not move: s tA2al"a2A1 sHfssNe
81 believe that the revolted citizens forfeited
all the rights they had under the Constitution
when they turned traitors, that the Emanci-
cipation Proclamation legally and rightfully
set every slave free. am as much opposed
to again legalizing that Institution In the
South, as would be to its intrpduction into
the Northern States. A-A
81 lam in favor of the return of the Southern
States, and think the day is not far distant
when the same flag viii float over us all, and
when that happy day shall arrive hope that
the rights we enjoy win be freely accorded to
tneui, anu ftO WOTe. lucy could purchase
slaves; we cannot. They had more repre-
sentatives in Congress, according to their vot-
ing population, than we had. srgss easa r
Under the last Census South Carolina had
POI 900 whites. She was entitled to six men,
bers of Congress. Connecticut had 45l. 900
whites, but was entitled to but four members
of Congress. Alabama had seven members.
with 526 900 whites Iowa had only six, with
673O00. Mississippi had I've members, with
$4,000. California. with 358, 900, had only
three. When the Southern States return /
shall be in favor oil. their voting population
being represented equally with our own, and
no farther.
When the Southern armies are conquered
peace will follow and the Notwithstanding
portion of the inhabitants will be at q loss to
account for their having takensup arms in IA
yor OF cause that was so steadily and surely
working their ruin-for under the system of
slave labor the poor white mans wages in the
South are controlled by the price of slaves,
and the value of slaves controlled by a few
men Of wealth. Can any laboring man be-
lieve that wages in the South do not have an
influence upon wages at the North? 1t is said
that If the slaves are set free their labor will
come in competition with white labor. That
Is nots0, for under Q free government nothing
human can control labor-it is only controlled
where despotism reigns, In the old world and
in the Slave States. Hereafter, as heretofore
all will find enough to do-and after peace. q
labor will be in greater demand than ever, for
new enterprises, new fields will be opened,
the power that has SO long clogged enterprise
will be crushed think that in the long flu
ture when all other of Mr.. Lincoln's acts
shall be forgotten, his emancipation proclama-
iion will adorn history's brightest page. am
opposed to Slavery for the reason that am
in fduor of the largest human liberty, and
cannot understand why some of our fellow
Citizens who came here that they might be 4
Tree, can deny freedom to Others" = 4