The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1864-05-19

not vet come. In Ino .''e. s4r,,cl, off from
Loo Of slavery are Just StIu1r 0 1r1's'
iNdreds and thousands u MS Z a..o,ta
INST await the development " ~ G, Ia
WE time wait till they have eXeI n anu
a,,ioved their freedom; wat tiil .liIy 10
'bo,,,1 themselves capable .ol ulSona ~
a. duties and bearing tue rGslolieiOi 80
e oeood citizens, before we decIaIo ~ %,
~ INV such proposition; and peSlue f' ct s--
question ruust be passed upon ~ - 10
a. ;tslf If there be one rl8iC VIM a.
Ionos Ia a State in its capaciIy - o. II
Ioi9' Ctate in this Union, 1t IS us Tl9nC
r orescribe the qualification Oh us o"n
electors of those who nave tle II5us ~
cast its suffrages. The Tune may T Joa.o
1.'hen the States may properly enact i@% ,4
rroviding that persons Oh african ~ ar
pt,,bo shall have faithfully served III tn0 1at
mics Of the country, and fou9hE IL oilG fo
tles Of the Union, and shown tne'l ~ 4le on
he GOOD soldiers, may be ent!Ioo ,''oyy come
iovnent Of this right. u ne IIli' NM, l or fri
SSyben before some competehI ~ NAV he
hnpal persons Of African oeo 81 sufficient.
,errnitted. on showing theii,S't rriyen MN
r. we'll educated, or thae ~ ;l;os tbov have
v,aars as heads OF Iaiiillle0 my -
per OIL 'tsii.a,,,eelves and taken care OF tleir
supper I9u I,oon some other proper terms,
1ai'lliieS' Jroitted to the right OF suffrage.
may .1i ~ Cav, these things will not come, nor
WIZ cav, how soon they shall come. IL has
az got come: at all events,it IS my solemn
toI;cf tbat Of all things the most unWlse we
oonIJ now enter upon IS for the Congress-
,,noead Of members and Senators repre-
o,'+inc, States and districts large majority
O. T,eorIe in their constitutions deny
a. .,;orb+ If negro suffrage within their own
60 e,ao n mass a law here, or IN any oIher
go - declare and to extend to negroes the
ofs,,fraCe in the Territories OF the Olil-
~ S+otes or in the District OF Columbia, or
..,l,ra,,ar we have power to leglslate'
we have upon our hands issues enough.
IT, s;role issue of this great war Is enough;
T. All the human mind can grasp ana
- tban any vet have been able to resolve.
5Tb;s oioaptic struggle is to determine Wbeth-
.. roT7,,bl;can Government shall live or dle ;
,'E,a+j,er a constitutional form OF government
restino- upon the people for its support can
he maintained, or must perish forever
,,batber tbe union Of these States IS 10 be
cortinued or broken; whether we are to
T,,a;ntain our own rights aud liberties as free
citizens Of this great Republic under the Con
ot;trtion of the United States, or succumb TO
rebellion. conspiracy, and military despotsm
From the course OF events, from MILITARY ne
cessitv in the prosecution OF this war, and,
oq # seems to mel say it with reverence
hv rrovidential dispensatlon, the existence
II slavery has become involved in this con-
test Tie prosecution Of this war to tnal
triumph on the part Of the United Stales VIII
If necessity destroy slavery within all those
States in rebellion against the Government.
These issues are large enough aud broad
euouoh to demand all Of our time and all OF
our energies all our means our whole might,
mind, and strength to accomplish that great
purpose. ~
What is the state Of the country? We
are engaged in a war which has no parallel
in human history. This whole country, from
Maine to the Rio Graude, trembles under the
tread of armed men. One of our great corp|
dnraaee under Gen, Burnside,is this moment
passing through the streets OF Washington,
marching across the Potomac to engage III
the greatest battle this continent or the world
has seen for two generations and on the re-
suit Of which, perhaps, hang not only the
hopes of this Republic, but the hopes OF the
world,
We are gathering our forces from the East
and from the West; we are nassing oul
strength; we are pouring out our men, our
blood, our treasure like water; not only our
own treasure, all we Of his generation have
and all we hope to have, but we are mort
gaging in advance the property and the earn
ings Of generations to come after us to raise
the means necessary to sustain our cause
and win the decisive victory
Our country at this hour is bleeding at
every pore; every household wears the dra-
perry of mourning; grief sits an unwelcome
visitor at every ifeside an unbldden guest
fills the vacant chair at every family table !;
and, bv the side of the mourning widow or
mother, bends, in anguish, deep and unut-
terable, at every family altar. Sir, some Of
us have been made to drink OF this bitter
cup; there are some, like my honorable friend
from Maine Mr.. kEssENDEN, and myself,
who have been compelled to look into the
graves Of our Sons, fallen a sacrifice to put
down this unholy rebellion And, sir, we
have been made to Joel, i'll our inmost souls,
what our judgments clearly see, that the
great issue Of this people and specially Of
this present time and before which all 9TH
ers should give place, is an issue Of arms
whether we shall have success or whether
we shall fail in crushing the military pow
er of the rebellion.
Shall the Republic live or die? We not
only know but we are made to feel that if
we do not succeed in maintaining this Gov
ernmont and putting down this rebellion
and that can only be done by force OF arms
our sons have been sacrificed i'll vain. But
if we shall succeed, as, with the blessing of
Providence, / hope and trust we may If we
shall be permitted to see that standard I'M
der which they entered the service, float
once more in triumph, with not one star OBJ
scurcd nor cue stripe erased, over every inch
of the soil of every State and Territory of
the United States, we can then say to our
struggling hearts, peace, be still though
our SONS have fallen our country lives
We know, we feel that in war as in re-
Hgion and in every other great department
of life, there is and there can be but one
great, all-absorbing, controlling issue to be
decided at the same time. We are told in
holy writ, Seek first the kingdom of heav-
en- and its righteousness, and all other things
shall be added unto You" And in this war
Of our country for its very life, We should
seek first last, and all the time to do moth
ing, to engage in nothing, to say nothing
but that which gives force to our armies or
raises the money to sustain them. When
this war is past; when peace shall smile
once more in beauty all around us when
there is no more blood to be shed when
there are no more sons to be sacrificed upon
the altar, then, if you will, open this Sen
ate Chamber to become debating school
for all the distractions you please.
Mr. President, as | have said already, my
respect for my honorable friend from Min
nesota, feel sure that in all his acts here he |
is guided only by the highest and most pat
riotic motives. But at the same time l can
not refrain from expressing my deep regret |
that an issue should have been raised at |
this time, or should appear to have been
raised at this moment before the people of |
the country upon tins distractiug question of
negro suffrage,
In Gods name let us first save the Tn
ion; let US crush the rebellion; let rs give
freedom to the negroes as the necessary re-
...IE nE ~. ..,..saclL Enr. If ~. ...-. 81 -