The Union and journal. [volume] (Biddeford, Me.) 1858-1882, 1864-02-19
Speech Of Hon. E. W. CAN'T.

Mr.. Ch5trmdn, Ladies ana Ftitou CHt
gems: come not before you to-day as the I'D
vocatc Of any party, M the advocate OF any
faction or Of any politician; but come Il
speak to you OF my country and Of that por
ton Of the country represent. come to you
from land dreuched In blood and drsped II
sorrow. I come to you from people who hayt
felt the dcsolating scourge OF war, while you
have simply read Of II. While you are rich
while your country fourishes, and while your
population seems to be surely ~ dense a. 1t hai
ever boen-because you have got moro people
In this part Of the world than ever saw befors
or read of-they are placed oil over the rock
and hills and along the streams-we had no ides
that you had % many people, or We would mol
South-but say while these evidences Of pros
perity surround you, my section OF the coun.
try Is we'll nigh depopulated. All our stout
young men and middle aged men have guns
upon their shoulders, and are held under the
despotism OF jefferson Davis BY the bay.
onets and swords and power Of those that con.
troll them. I1I.
Our country has suffered under . dreadful
disease-the disease OF negro-slavery-and the
quack politicians North and south have been
doctUring the signs Of the disease; and now
when the fullness Of time has come, and when
the nation in her throes Of agony has over
turned the disease-has thrown Il from her sys-
tem-polit:cians say let US put the negro back
into the government again. II may suit you
people here, when you look ut II theoretically
when you are moro like an audience looking at
q tragedy on the stage--to want to put the
cause Of our troubles back into the govern
ment, but Il don't suit US down there. We are
terribly in earnest upon this question. We
have felt the desolating tread Of war, We know
what the cause Is, and as God lives and will
suffer us, We will remove that cause. All, but
somebody says negroes were not the cause OF
the war, but the abolitionists were. We're theyl
Suppose there had been no negroes, how many
abolitionists would there have beeni Now
don't stop to pick notes on this question 60
down and take hold Of the question itself Just
take the negro ont of the way, and there would
not be any aboltionists. II you don't like the
aboltionists and want to kill them, let us bury
Cutfec and there are no abolitionists left. That
Is so plain that man who knows that two and
two make four, knows there couldn't have been
any aboltionists IL there had been no negro.
But again, somebody says secession caused the
war. What did the South seccde about Thor
ses, property OF any kindi Nothing but tho
negro. They seeded to protect the negro.
And what was their argumcntl know how
we felt at the South. was straight-out &C.
ccssionist. because was q stakeholder; because
I was Southern man; because I had been
upon this question, and didn't believe that.
under the constitution and in the government,
slavery would stand. But wanted II to stand
forever. Then you cot our blood up, and We
were going to have II stand anyhow.
We understood this-that there was an "ir.
repressiblc conflict" between tho two systems
OF labor, slave labor and free labor, and your
people didn't understand 1t. The negroes kept
the world out from our country nearly. They
ks,o OBJ Ituv nH nhall llpnO ~ m
the poor and tho rich from all parts OF the
world, saying to them, Why do you come here!
And II he was man who didn't like to own ne
groes. and who would not become pro: o:slavery
man, he could not live there, for II his senti-
ments did not accord with ours he had to GO
somewhere else. and was shut out from that
part of tho world unless he chose to permit US
to chain his ideas to ours-making them such
ms VIC entertained. And II he dared TO 90 down
there and speak above his breath about abo,,
ishiug Slavery, he would be abolished himself
mighty quick That is what kept you away.
You got people from all parts Of the. world.
They would not come down there with us. be-
cause wo were determined that their sentiments
should accord with ours. Your country then
became populous, and your free labor was pres
sing against the South nll the time. Whom we
saw that you intrenohed upon the slave States
more and more, because slavery commenced 60
ing down South from the whole northern coun.
try toward the Gulf, we saw that you would
hem 1t In and then ultimately destroy 1t.
We need not have made fight just when We
did, but I reckon the all-wise Providence
thought we might just as we'll make II at that
time. We wanted n government based or negro
slavery, with power to extend to the ocean, /,
take in Cuba and the contiguous islands and o
part of Mexico. We thought II we got gov.
ernment, and cut loose from this government,
VIC could be sure that slavery would never be
abolished In any State-thercfore We wero ready
TO secedc. Well. we talked about II among our
selves. A great many Southern men said to me
slavery" Well, We answered, "Tt Is going to
go, anyhow, and this Is the best way to take
care OF It." would say to Union man, .
STAKEHOLDER, "You hayo got your slaves, they
are your property, the Constitution recognizes
Il; but under the Constitution this institution
will bc circumscribed and destroyed; therefore
come with US and let us fight this thing out"
"No, I am going to stay In the Union" '.What
are you going TO stay fort" 81 am going to
stay and protect the negro" II shows you the
whole ilea Of the South upon this question.
ing to do!" ~ am going out" And you
know thought did 60, but was not exactly
out. and am glad of It. And feel we'll now
that am back under the old Constitution and
the fsg Of my father, and God knows that you
will never get me into such scrspc again.
tell you the old Constitution and the old flag
seem dearer to me than they ever did before.
But was saying that the State went out to PRO.
tect the negro-that Is what went for. and
made my fight. What nexti got subjuga-
ted I am what q great many laohrymose
Northern men call q suojugated secessonist.
Some Of your people think It Is horrible thing
to subjugate them. but don't think look 70
very bad amer my subjugation. after oil. They
needn't shed any tears over mo There are 9TH
er reasons that could give to show you that
negro slavery was the cause OF the war. Was
Il not said by distinguished gentleman, be
leye Of your own State, and speak his words
substantially, that the force Of human passion
was 90 highly wrought up at that time, that II
Il came to war, blood would aow In the streets
OF Concord and other cities In the State OF New
Hampshire! Well, he showed what he thought,
and showed how highly the sentiments Of men
were wrought up on this subject. That Was the
great distubing element In the government, and
that IL what We fought about.
So We and that there was no other quarrel 10
the country except from negro slavery: What
did you attempt to compromised What Was
the Crittenden compromise that was TO be sub
mitted 10 the South! What was II upon! Ne
gro slavery. We took the whole question from
the halls of ConSrrss and submitted u 10 the
sword. That was the last appeal. II has al
way. been the last appeal with men and nations
Il Is in the hands OF tho war power. BY mutu.
Al consent We have submitted il to the sword
by the sword Il has been decided; aud II you
say let Il rest. let US bury the dead carcass OF
slavery. Youcan say that without inoonsist-
emit or an abolitionist either. Slavery II the
grand trunk Of all these conflicting elements In
the country, and the other minor issues are the