The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1865-01-21


tat" If the rnlon. the consideration of the Ire>i
dents Message was resumed, when Mr.. Gus" III
s,id:
Mr.. Chairman the result Of the recent
election expresses the deliberate purpose OF
the American people that slavery shall be
abolished. Slowly and painfully. but yet
surely. has the nation advanced to that dc
termination.
1t was the settled conviction. often cN-
pressed, of large majority of the trainers
Of our Constitution that slavery was an un-
Initigatcl evil. to be tolerated for IL time on
ly. that it might be the better ahroGatrd.-
But in later times certain of the political
priesthood. scduccd by the Circcan lures of
!, new deity. qlarrcilcd with an opinion
which. however sound in morals and poll
tics. must, they said. be denounced rs false
in principle. because it set at nnuaht the
cr;;tt of those who made silver shrines. and
prevented the spread Of the worship of that
great goddess whose snowy robes the Zephyrs
had waited down fron Jupiter. These new
guides soon informed the country that an IT.
resstible sense of duty compelled thcIa to
undertake the reform Of an error 50 ra!pa-
bic and mischcvous. Selecting Whitney S
laboriou, invention ts the emblem of the
most advanced civilization, they inscribed
thereon an cpitomc of their improved creed
in these words: Slavery is ri ght and orlain-
'l 81 tDu. " lDcNpf VIII not HC'Nii iHlS
faith is an inlidcl. Let him be accused =
ard when they had done so. much people
cried with ono voice for the space Of many
years. Great is Cotton Of South Carolina !"
Nanqaishcd by their fears trembling lest
harm might come 10 t,;r Republic willing
Ia accept any system. however monStrouS.
if ou'g the Union might be preserved men
everywhere gave way to the cHacloms uf
slavery. until II ruled with imperious sway
Congress. court. and President alike, and
lrll at its beck and call all the power of ii
mighty Government. Bat not content with
its absolute authority; not content that it
had conquered in almost every struggle with
freedom. and by sanction oflnw could stretch
its iron sccptre over half the States and all
the Territories in an hour, big with the
fat of the western world, slavery summoned
is hosts to arms. HURLED defiance full in the
face Of the startled nation. and msolcntly
hoastcd that by the power Of the sword ii
would soon plant its throne upon the ruins
of the Republic.
Thousands who would fnin have spared
slavery. 50 long as it was peaceful, were
compelled to take NIP arms for their country
when slavery became bciigcrcnt; but even
then they were unwilling that the monster.
who had melted to ''tnul revolt should be
unveiled. From every section of the land
whore loyalty still held sway. the cry at first
went up. ''i'uwn with treason and rebellion.
but SPARE the institutions of the South
al'l when they said constitutions they meant
slavery. They had been so long accustomed
- hear the ''pcculiar institution Landed as
altogether harmless and immaculate, that
they wonid not believe that it could ever APP
pear in any other gurb than that of peaceful
industry. In their eyes the slave. sitting in
the ashes of his scrvitudc. was the "tarcs ct
p'nG7rS" of every Slavc-owncr' household,
and it was necessary to protect the fright of
property i'll order to preserve the sanctty
Of ;hc homes of ''our southern brethren.
While Gins f'ndly dreaming Of conducting
lar upon strictly f,ut"rnal principles, the
first Sail Run was fought and lost, and ''our
southern brethren celebrated their triumph
Ivy making fn2er-rings and drinking cups
ont of the bones of the Yankee harbarianS
whom they had slain in battle and the chiv
nirouS Bcanr"garl, staggering like any bla-
t!nt bully beneath the doubtti,l homors of
His accidental victory, could tird in his sol
der vocabulary no words but those OF in
suit aAi brutality whcrcwith 10 respond to
the simple request of henrt-brokrn sister
who had asked to he permitted to rccov"" an
h0nored brother dead body for the i,~rposc
If Christian burial. Can you recall an in
stance whcra drop Gi water or morsc Of
food WAS given to one OF our unfortunate
brothers who fell into the hands Of The enc
my on that field because he was Il conscrva-
tive and would save slavery? Did single
Zero OF all who were stricken down in the
bloody battles before Richmond, or in he
campaign Of the second Bull Run, or at
South Mountain. or Antictar,. receive from
~ rebel foe one generous act of kindness be-
ra,1sc of his moderation on the subject of
slavery? | venture to say. no. With the
rebels nothing has been known but deter
mined. invctcmte, rcvcngtui. malignant. say
age war. Their conduct. persisted in with
every ageravation of cruelty. at last forced
the most mwiIlin" minds to the conclusion
TINT it was folly to continue the effort to put
down armed rebellion by moral auasion.
Satisfied that they were engaged in a strug-
Gle oi' life or death the people could no longy
deny that if they would not be destroyed
they must innict every injury upon their enc
nv consistent with the laws of war. The
stern necessity Of scli.detenYc first secured
Il reluctant support to the Presidents proc.
llnation of emancipation. Momen;ouS con
s;drrations Of political economy, morality.
and religion. though for long time held at
bay. since then have been gradually forcing
Themselves upon the public mind, and stead
liz widening and strengthening the grounds
of opposition to slavery. After two years
trial. such AS nations are rarely subjected to.
the people have risen to a clearer sense of
t'.rir duty, and now desire to dispc all legal
doubts and to make that proclamation good
for all-time. and universal in its application
by amendment Of the Constitution.
Whate, or may have been heretofore our
obligations, express or implied, to tolerate
s cry. and not tn expose its true character.
are now ahsolvcd from all such obliga-
I ans by IFS own wickcdncss. Slavery oath
of icaltv to the Union has been t:llsiied by
It's treason. We are no longer bound to pro-
trct it from harm or shield it from scrutiny
It is our foe, and in order that we may as
certain whether it can ever become our friend
it is now our duty to lay bare its whole life
and record.
What, then. is slavery? The picture
would be too crowded, were to attempt to
portray it as it has existed in all the States
of this Union. | shall speak only for Mary
land, slave State for more than two and a
quarter centuries. | am native of Mary
land. have lived all my days within her
limits, and hope when my appointed time
shall come to be buried beside my foretath-
crs, who, for generations back, sleep upon
her bosom. | love my State as ardently AS
aYy man can love the spot of his nativity
love her for much of her past history, to
me a glorious record of many deeds and no.
lie heroism. But more than all do | love
her, because though in these latter days,
tempted, deceived, almost betrayed by some