Evansville daily journal. (Evansville, Ind.) 1863-1866, 1865-02-06

THE FUrURE % SLAvEgY Hon. Jas.
5. Rollins, Of Missouri, who is a slave
holder, recently made a speech in Con
gress favoring the constitutional amend
ment abolishing slavery Mr. Rollins
was prominent supporter of McClel-
Ian and Pendleton in the last Presiden-
tial contest We make the following
eloquent extract from bis speech, hav-
ing special reference to the future Of
the slavery institution:
Missouri has in advance adopted this
amendment Now, allow me, although
not much given to prophecy being
neither a prophet nor the son Of
prophet, % make one other prediction
upon this floor to day. II Is this II
this constitutional amendment be
adopted BY this House, or whether it be
adopted By this Rouse or not, it will be
adopted by the Congress which Is imme-
| diately to succeed this, in less than
ninety days from the time Of our ad-
iournment, il will become the prevail
ing sentiment, aud be adopted not alone
by the Northern but BY every Southern
State, do not doubt How1 BY the
masses Of the people, as the masses Of
the people Of Missouri have adopted il
there. How? When the poor and hum
/ bic farmers and mechanics OF the States
OF Alabama and Mississippi shall have
1 left the bloody trials n which they arc
now engaged to tear down this temple OF
| human liberty. when they will return
/ perhaps 10 their desolated homes. when
/ they shall look once more upon aud bug
~ their bosOms the wives and children
whom they love, ia poverty and rags
when they will 60, perhaps without an
arm, or without an eye, or without
leg, aud in poverty TO those who are de.
pendent upon them for support in life,
taught by experience, as | have been
taught by experience, they will ask the
question of themselves, Why all thls2
What have We been 6ghAng for r They
will bring to mind the sweet memories
Of other days, They will remember the
peaceful happy home they we're induced
to leave, and which they enjoyed under
the benign Influences of Wholesome aud
liberal laws passed here, aud they will
inquire, BY what sophistry, by what
appeal, By what force, by what madden
ing influence is il that we have been in
dueed 10 enter into this terrible rebel.
hon2 Not 20 promote any interest Of
wife and children, but to destroy all the
blessings vouchsaled to as aud 10 them
by free Government and equal laws.
aud they will further ask, " Who has
been the author OF my mislortunes, and
the ruin Of my family, my alp Sir,
they will point to thoss who hold the
power in Richmond; they will direct
their vengeance against them; and Davis
and his traitorous crew, as | have said
upon a former occasion, will, ike ActWon
, Of old, be in the end destroyed by their
|, friends
do not doubt this at ALL The mass
es of the people Of the South have no
special interest in, nor sympathy with,
;, the institution of slavery They never
had The comparative number OF slave
holders is small, and whenever YOU be,
4. gin to drive in the wedge and exemplify
: the dividing line between those who's,
:. moral convictions say that slavery il
:. right, and who are as q property interest
identified and associated with 1t, auC
that great volume of Humanity who, upol
: the other side of the question, deny th'
: moral right Of slavery, and have no in
g terest whatever in it, | tell you the re
!. suit will be nine to one against the in
stitution. And it is in this way, that, il
q Georgia, in Arkansas, and in South Car
" olina, even, at last, the very amend
meut we proposed to adopt here to-da
will receive the sanction Of the goo
:. judgment of the people of those States
= / Judge from what l have seen in m
:, own State; | Judge from the fact tha
only a few years ago men who owned n
!. slaves, but controlled by that power
- we're nearly crazy upon the subject 70
=; fear would do something TO set my ow
- slaves free. And Hole they are equal
- offended at me because ! happen to b
!, found in the unfortunate category of bt
- ing the owner OF slaves! Southern pul
N lie sentiment, Northern public sent
:. ment, American public sentiment, ant
- | may add, the sentiment Of the civi
- lied world, now, as from the beginuin,
H. from the very day of the adoption an
~ ratification Of the Constitution, is again
'40 the humanity, Christianity and the e.
pedieney Of the longer continuance
the institution OF slavery among u
What has Great Britain done? VIII
po- has France done? What has Russ
sly done? Everywhere, even in the despC
ve- ic Governments of the Old World, v
the find them getting rid Of and abolishiu
rid the institution Of slavery. And sha
sh- free America lag IN the contest, and be
b a itate now, when the question is that
eat liberty, and when it may be reached a
Ike eording to all the forms Of law und
lp our constitution.
ur