, 1864-01-28
SPEECH OF HON. MONTGOMERY
BLAIR. .

0Ahkhs ...
The Cause Of the Rebellion and
the Presidents Plan of
Publication. !.
The Hon. Montgomery Blair delivered G
speech before the members Of the Maryland
Legislature at annapolis, on Friday, the ed
upon the cause of the rebellion and the sup
mort of tho Presidents plan of pacidcation,
ftom which we malse the following extracts:
Fe1lov..cttlzens. the Presidents message mani.
fests his continued solcitudo for your interssss.
He FAYE: .- ...,a. ,,x o...,..
ton In several Of the States not included ta the
Emaucjp4tion Proclamation. are matters Of pro.
fOnEd Efatulation. And while do not repeat In
detail what havt heretofore 80 earnestly urged
ths sne t9,s, xEss H. ona
omit no fair opportunity q nldtng those important
stcps to great consummEtion." ~
This is renewed effort to redeem the
ton ind in . former mess :ge to Congress to
exert all lis power to indemnify every loynl
citizen for losses Of slaves Sustained from the
ncts Of tho Government ii prosecuting the,
war; The proclamation Of amnesty append
j. Cd to the late message extends the benefits Of
The Rfosaaimsd th to
cause, but TINT now abaudons it aud takes
the oatI of loyalty anu adhesion to the Con-
etitution, the leaders Of the rebellion only
excepted. THIS is more than Q pardon; not
only does the President spare tho lives Of the
uniortunate dupcs Of conspirators, but be re-
stores them their property. -:
Anothcr Indulgence is granted by the late
Proclamation to the victims Of the fraud and
artificc, or what Inns been far more prevalent,
the secret}y-cmbodied military power Of tue
co1triye1s Of the rebellion. - ills the invita-
ton TO participate again as brethren In the
Government on rcsuming relations Of SINCERE
1o.n1tv to it. 80 = :: -. :
4 third advance looks to the perfect resto-
ration of State Rights in the Union BY means
OF the loyal popular su1rage within the seT-
eral States, titus recognizing their Constitu-
tions us, existing and obligatory in everything
but in that feature which made the war--and
which the war has for thc mnst part opl1ters m ;s
ted-Slayery. Even as to Slavery, tt8 sub
+ jccts-Wlo as freedmen are brought into new
rclu1ious with tho Statcs-aro remltted to
the Gtates, the President promising to sup
port stany provisions which may be adopted
By such State government in relation to the
freed people Of such State which shall rccogg-
nize md declare their: permanent freedom,
provide for their education, mud may yet DO
consistent rs temporary arrangement Wlth
their present condition as q 1aboring, land.
lcsa and Homeless class.
Theec clauses manifest 9 willingness to
| refer the changes In State Constitutions re-
letirg. to Slavery, which the war resulting
and States not Infected. This harmonizes
with the great principle on which the GOV.
| e1rmtnt rests. If the Presidents benign and
| patriotic suggestion be received with faVor
| By tile friends Of tree government bound up
| in the Union, and based on the grand, all.
] nf. At.a
| Independence, it win become evident to all
the world that there Is IN Innate power In
| our Constitution that can heal the worst dis.
orders to which it might be subjected.
1t is our duty now to put to shame the adj
yocatee Of monarchy, oligarchy. and aristoc'
racy. The muiesty Of u great, free people Is
invoked to achieve this great work. The
nation is appealed to by tho President tc
| sanction, By its cooperation, tho design
which with him is but suggestion.
The man at the head OF the Republic yaunts
no military proves as suosiitnts ior Luz
is no militnry council. We have no Carno
to organize victory, The Government cm
bodies the will OF n free people, and that i'm
rarts IN impulse through faithful representa-
lives that renders the Republic Irresistible il
| good work. The suppression Of the rebel
| country, ia tile hcrcnlean labor before 1t. IT.
accomplishment will convince tho nation
that popular suffrage Is the true soycrcI.nty
whether to wie1d the sword against ,thos'
who 6cfy It, or % heal the wounds 1t is com
PEELED to inilict in asserting its authority
hope you WIN bear with me Willie bringing
under review the series Of steps which hay'
brought us to the issues presented in tn
rresident'ss plan Of publication.
slaye1Y WINS thus to become the sure foun
dalton Of their republic, and it iss, VIC see, th
baels Of the despotic military rule which sub
iects the South under a dictator, and shed
the blood Of the North In torrents to defcns
itself rnd The whole Union against the ften
zitd ambition Of the chivalry that hoped t.
make cotton king over the cabinets Of Europe
and the negro Institution the throne Of kin:
/ over this continent. 1t was IN thls spirit tha
itEtnt out Its fillfbusters into Cuba, In Cen
tral America, and sought IN alliance with
4 revolutionary party in Mexico, to restore th
: reign Of slavery IN that republic. It was II
this yicw that Toombs, who apes the orator
j Of Mirabeau, in convu1stng the South, an
nounced tbat it wonld make "the Gulf g
Mexico Its mare elansun'," and "call the rol
of Its slaycs on Bunker HILL" The mania
is now fcttcrcd, hut if he had broken ourttrm
at Antietam or Gettysburg, could our m
armed farmers and citizens havc arrested hin
in his Nay to Philadelphia, Baltimore an
and bearing the arms and 6poils oi ours
Might he not have bribcd mob6 lEe TIN
which held our emporium for three days 1
terror, to take the arms won from uB In tn
fields OF battlc and join him In the pluude
and conhagrrattons Of our eltieFs =,
causes originating and the consequence
flowing from the bloody rebellion that shake
, | cur country, to cMbittcr unimosftie5 On citl
or sitir- My Il fort is to expose to view tha
. rooted evil which must be extracted II "
would relieve the nation from its commissions
a ri nj
j Slaves OF alI nssoclated with It BY the pa
eions it inHames; the masters by the amb
tion it inspires. the masses with which
ming1cs by tie daily contngion It spreads
thousand forms. It is marked In the Deck
ration OF Independence ns the most Virn1e1
rotsou instilIed BY the King to enfeeblc Il
!, tubiugation the people on whom he mad
= war, and It has proved tho most potent Il
= eredIent that could be employed for the dl
: solution Of tho fnbric- of free goTernmeI
Virus he infused, which Was strong enong
!, | amid the enthusiasm for newborn freedom
! etile the voice Of Tie Declazntion Of lndepel
= deuce dcnouncing slavery, and has kept Il
free Goyernment-the hard earned prize
. tEe Revolutionary Wazan trcmor sseI 81 sanS :;
:. nation's blood in the fratricidal war 1t forcs
J, on the country, again to be admitted into Il
- system? No never!
i What patriotic party will sanction such
. suggestton? TIE people Of the Slave Stat
4 Will repudiate Slavery when tho durcss Of Il
4 rebellion Is removed. Missouri and Westel
- Virginia have already formally renowned
4 and the recent votes of Delaware and o.
!. own dear Maryland manifest their purpose
renouncc 1t ut once. In Kentucky, Ienne
= see, and Arkansas, the indications are al
:, favorable. The Proclamation Of tho Pre-
- dent to deprive the enemy Of this create
- element of power, this slnew Of war exert
: ut MI points, has announced the extinction
- Slavery as essential to the SUCCESS Of the mt
!. sures he has been compelled to adopt to co
auer peace for the Union. The armies
r. the Republic are on the march to accompli
:. the aims which have been submitted Witho
. reserve to the decision Of public opinion, al
e they have the support Of tho peoples su
~ rage. What, then, is tho duty ofa who are &C
~ si6le to the fact that the war i6 IN Inevitable
~ ~ vi, from which there ia no safe or honorat
~ delfrcrnnce. but by supporting with unit
a strength and conneels the Chief Magistrate
~ ~ whose conduct the issue is committed, o
q in whose ayowed designs the nation has yot
=, It's confidence? Are there any who wor
10 reecind tic votes of the Border States aud
4e establish Slavery. therein? Are there a
~ who would annul the Proclamation to re
= yfgprutc the institution 60 skil1fnlly Piled
+, irefiCate the war, and SO essential to prov
te the means for it's prosecutionf
81 81 Gir by tho Prince Of Wales to Harva
oe College Library.
~ ~ The Prince Of Wales has made valua|
so present to Harvard College, accompanied
TX the tollowipg.lctter:
ol gASDE1NaHAN, Nov. =, 1856:
n. S1R:-I am desired By the Prince Of Wales