The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1865-06-07
ASHLAND OHIO. WEDNESDAY, june 1866.

Slavery, allow me to say for myself, that
from the very first to the last, with con.
sistency and persistence, l opposed all
agitation of,the subject F; not for tho sake
Of the institution repeat it, not for
the sake of the institution, but because l
had been taught by the Fathers to be.
licve, and did truly believe, that it could
end only in civil war and disaDion, tenn
porary or eternal : whether right or
wrong, let the history Of the last four
years decide. The price has now been
weighed out and in part paid. A heavy
score yet remains. But will not essay
to reckon up and adjust the appalling ac.
count Of. debt and taxation, of suffering,
crime and blood in the past or yet to
come. Again accept the facts rejoic.
ed, indeed, if under the new order of
thing, we and our children may enjoy
the same measure Of private happiness
and public prosperity which was permit
ted TO us and to our fathers under the
Old Union, "part slave and part free."--
And now, if without slavery, reunion
aud pacifcation real, sincere, and lasting,
together with welfare and security to the
people of all the States, can be made
sure, let slavery utterly perish. But in
no event, let the question stand any long,
er in the way. / still would prefer the
Union, the Federal Union, the Old Tn
ton-yes, "the Union as it was, under
The Constitution as it is"-to either slav-
cry or the abolition of slavery. Fanatics
at home, and envious, supplanting states
men abroad, may not be able or willing
to comprehend this conviction every
true and liberal minded American patriot
will.
The fatal mistake Of the South-her
"tlunder,"' which false morality pro-
nounces worse than crime, was in ig-
noriug the great American idea Of ONE
CoUNTRY-not an impulse, not theory,
not mere aspiration Of national vanity,
but commandment written by the fin.
ger Of God upon the rivers and the noun
tains and the whole face of the land and
craven thence upon the hearts Of the peo.
pie 1t was this, not anti-slavery, which
held the border slave States in the Ua-
ion, and stirred, for good or evil, the
whole North and West to such excrtions
Of military, naval and financial force, as
never bcfOrc were put forth by any ma.
tOn. And it was this grand and perva,
ding national sentiment, hcdged by the
sanctions of destiny, which, according tc
the measure of my ability, undertook
to exround and justify iu the House oI
Representatives, in 1868, ond By this
line of augmentation to establish thai
tho Union through peace was inevitable
Nothing but the violence Of an intense
counter-passioO, and the terrible pressure
Of civil war, could have suppressed, ever
for time, the power of this sentiment
among the people of the South olso.--
Had their leaders forborne to demant
separation and.a distinct government, ad
herring TO the old flag, and within thu
Union under tho Constitution, firmly bul
justly, required new guarantees for old
rights believed to he in peril, they might
not, indeed have had barren AID delu
ding sympathy from subjects, and ralst
hopes Of assistance from kings and en-
perOrs in Europe, eager for the decline
and fall Of the American Republic bu
they would have been cheered by th,
cordial greetings and the active supper
of finally and overwhelming majority o
the States end people Of the West AM
North. But when they established
permanent distinct government, and tool
up arms for Independence, they marke
out between them and us, high wal
and deep ditch which no man, North o
West, could pass without the guilt an,
tho penalties of treason. They went be
yond the teachings of their own creates
Statesmen of the past age for Mr. Ca!
houn himself had declared, in 1881, tha
"the abuse of power on part Of the agcn
(the Federal GovernmenO, to the injur
Of one or more Of the members 9TH
States), would not justify secession o
their part; there would be neither tn
the right nor the pretcxt 10 secede." N
matter who was responsible originally 70
tina. condition of things which Led 6nal
" to war, nor what the motives and char
acter Of tho war after Its inccption---an,
upon both these questions l entertain an,
havo expressed opinions as fixed as th
solid rock-so far as the South fought 70
a separate government, she stood who'll
without sympathy or support in the State
} which adhered to tho Union. Whatevc
else may happen, her vision Of indepcnd
J pnce has now melted into air. In III
appeal to arms-maintained upon hotl
sides for four years with a courage an
endurance graudly heroic-she has failed
and though it had happened otherwise
still, in my deliberate conviction, her ex
pertinent of distinct government woul
have failed also. But the sole question
, really decided by the war; as by peac
years before it bad been settled, was tha
: two several governments could not cxis
among the States Of the American Union
And here the whole controversy ough
I, end; with Or without slavery,
caro- not, so it end here, If upon thi
point, the "Crittenden Resolution" 0
July, 1S6l-proposed too, at the sam
/, time, in tho Senate, by Andrew Johnsoi
should be modified, let il in all else
both in spirit aud letter, bo exactly cal
F. ried out. But whatever policy may nov
!, be decrced--and | trust il will bo a awis,
a liberal, ahealing policy--it is the par
Of wisdom for the people Of tho South I
acquiesce ;rQ'urnipg wholly and cordial
/. Iy, 10 the Union, thus making il ono