The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1864-12-26

fusomeness of tue coroner's tone towards the
directors of the offending line We should like
to know why he felt it necessary to 60 out of
his way to pay them compliment. The facts
disclosed on the Investigation certainly did not
warrant it.
Tho Abolition OF Slavery by Constitu.
tiOnal Amendment.
gentleman, meeting Thad. Stevens, the
republican leader in Congress, at Washington,
tie other day, inquired IL the amendment 10
the constitution for the abolition of slavery
would pass this session. "Well," replied
Stevens, cit ought to pass, and find many
democrats in favor Of it; but somehow or
other, some of my people object to it. They
say it will take away all their thunder and
leave them nothing to agitate about. Still, it
ought to pass, and perhaps it will"
These remarks of Thad. Stevens show very
plainly why the amendment to which they
refer hangs fire in Congress. BY a sudden
change Of front some of the republicans are
opposing 1t, while the democrats are willing to
vote for it. The republicans are afraid of
losing their political capital. Rather than do
this they arc willing to sacrifice their consis.
tency and to betray the principle for which
they have always protested to contend This
proves, as we have constantly asserted, that
the republicans have used the slavery question
as mere catch to get themselves into power.
They care nothing for the freedom Of the
negro; but they want to ride upon him SO long
as he will carry them into the White House
and tue halls of Congress. Now that they
have chance to abolish slavery, they refuse
to avail themselves of it, lest it should injuro
their political prospects. They had rather
re-rivet the chains of the slave than run the
risk of defeat at the next election. They want
to keep the negro upon the auction block, and
t'ey want to have him whipped o"ce In
awhile, SO that they can indulge in oratcrical
sympathy for him and rhetorical Aourishes
about the rights of man. Sambo has had q
pretty hard time with bis fre-eating masters;
but he will have much harder timo with his
hypocritical deliverers.
When the republican party was first organ
lied and began to sound the war-cry of free
dom, we exposed its false pretensiOns and
predicted the troubles into wnvl. wouIu lead
the country. The Southern fre-eaters and the
Northern abolitionists played into each Others
hands 80 ably, however, that we found it I'M
possible to prevent this war. In the course of
the war slavery suffered like all the other
institutions of the rebel States But few demo-
Gratis at the North regretted this. Indeed, the
most Of them heartily rejoiced at it. The re
publoans, also, were loud in their shouts Of
glory hallelujah at the deliverance Of the
colored race. There seemed to be o general
feeling that it would be good thing to got rid
of slavery forever, and SO remove all cause Of
further trouble between the two sections.
President Lincoln's ldle procamations were
ridiculed because they were ridiculous; but
there was no effort made in or out of the army
to prevent that military emancipation which
has since almost entirely abolished the very
name of slave. Perceiving this drift Of public
sentiment, we took advantage Of it to propose
that slavery, which was already abolished prac-
tically by our armies should now be abolished
legally by the necessary amendment to the
constitution.
This proposition, the scope Of which was not
at first comprehended was eagerly taken up
by the republicans and introduced into Con
gress OF the last session. There 1t failed,
through the folly OF tho democrats, who could
not then understand how IL would benefit them
to vote with their opponents in favor of it.
One good result was, nevertheless, secured.
We bad convinced the politicians Of both sides
that the slavery question was q military
not a political issue, aud, consequently,
we heard less about it during the
last canvass than at ON election for years
past AS soon as the election was decided
upon the simple issue Of peace on rebel terms
the dead body Of slavery, and called upon
somebody to bury it. President Lincoln
responded by urging Congress, in his Message,
to pass eur constitutional amendment. The
democrats have learned, since the last session,
that they may gain q great deal and can lose
nothing by putting pro-slavery prejudices
aside and joining the republicans in the fune-
raj of the institution. But now, IL seems that
the republicans themselves object. They
admit that slavery is dead; but they are anx-
ious to galvanize it's corpse for elcctioreering
purposes and to have o grand wake in 1868.
We warn them that this scheme will not sue
coed. II is quite time that the party lines were
drawn upon some other questions than that Of
slavery Tho people are tired of it, ard II the
republicans refuse to get rid Of 1t, now that
they have tho opportunity, they can gain nc
credit for abolishing 1t at some future time, and
its ghost will haunt and alright them for many
campaigns to come.
The II ebcl General Prcston's Family.
Bosros, Dec. IS, 1864.
Tho wife, and daughter Of the rebel General Pros