The New York herald., 1865-02-02

/
| The Constitutional Abolition Of Slavery
The Great Measure OF the Age.
The proposition which has been adopted by
both houses Of Congress for the incorporation
| into the federal constitution of an amendment
| ordaining that "neither slavery nor involuntary
scrvitude, except as a punishment for crime,
whereof the party shall have been duly con-
victed, shall exist within the United States or
any place subject to their jurisdiction" may
justly be placed at tho head Of all the legsla-
tive measures of the government from the be-
ginning as the great distinguishing measure OF
the age. 1t marks new era In our political
history and new departure in the great work
of restoring the Union and of widening its po-
litical and moral influence among the leading
| nations of the earth.
We are especially gratifed at the success Of
this great measure, considering the earnest sup
port which it has received through our editorial
columns from the beginning. After careful
examination Of the slavery question at the last
| session Of Congress, embracing the irreparable
| damages inflicted upon the institution by this
| terrible war, and the Confusion worse con-
| founded" resulting from the tinkering, illegal
| and incongruous emancipation experiments Of
President Lincoln and Congress, we reached
these conclusions: first, that this institution Of
slavery must die; secondly, that the time had
come for national settlement Of the question;
and thirdly, that the settlement provided in the
constitution Of the United States, and nothing
else, would be q valid, complete and conclusive
| settlement. In the outset the chances Of sue
cess to this important movement in the present
Congress were exceedingly doubtful 1t was
upon It's FIRST trial, defeated in the House; but
since that day, the voice Of the people In the
| Presidential election, the great and impressive
achievements Of our army and navy, and the
abolition projects that have been agitated by
JEFF. Davis and his rebel confederates, have re-
| versed the House vote of the last session, and
passed this constitutional measure over 10 the
| ratification Of the States.
| All that is wanted now to incorporate this
| amendment into the constitution, as part of
the "supreme law of the land" is the ratifca-
ton by majority in each house of the Legis-
latures of threc-fourths Of the thirty-six States
belonging to the Union. Can this be done! It
can. We have no doubt of it. The loyal States,
including the late slave States Of Maryland,
Missouri, West Virginia, Arkansas, Louisiana
and Tennessee, and the slave States of Della
ware and Kentucky, number twenty-eight, or
three-fourths of the whole number Every one
of these States, we believe, as soon as prepared
for authoritative action, will endorse the mea-
sure, assuming that in some Of them the vote can
not fairly be taken until something more shall
be done than has been done in the work OF their
reclamation from the rebellion. But before the
end of the year VIC expect the decisive fact to
be recorded that three-fourths Of the States have
slavery is thus extinguished throughout the
country, and that all our political troubles re-
sulting from 1t are at an end.
In this view we hope to record the State Of New
York-frst in population, wealth and political
power in the Uni0n-as first in this ratification
Governor Fenton has already called the atten-
ton of the two houses of the Legislature to
the subject, and they win probably act
upon it to-day or tomorrow. II not we
may expect to be beaten by q half dozen
other States. Kentucky, set down in the
negative, with New Jersey and Delaware, by
the Tribune, is zealously taking the slavery
bull by the horns, and will unquestionably
bring him to the ground. The Presidential
election and the late abolition ordinances Of
the Tennessee State Convention have brought
about complete revolution in Kentucky. Her
Legislature, we predict, will be among the first
in the field for the ratification. Nor have we
the slightest misgiving in reference to New
Jersey or Delaware; for the prevailing current
Of public opinion will carry everything before
it. This pressure of public opinion, which has
carried over the balance OF power from the
democratic party in Congress to the support Of
this constitutional amendment, will carry 1t
over all the broken elements of opposition in
the several States, including the rebelious
States as they are reclaimed.
We are informed that Mr.. Seward attached
great importance to the passage of this propo-
sition through Congress, as the initial point for
negotiations for peace with JEFF. Davis on the
basis of reconstruction of the Union; that
Davis, thus being headed off on the slavery
question, at home and abroad, has intimated
his readiness to give up his confederacy as q
hopeless cause. Whatever may be the truth
upon this point, 1t will suffice for the present
that this constitutional abolition Of slavery is
secured; that il will kill of Southern fre-eaters
and Northern abolitionists, in removing from
the country this fearful bone Of contention, this
combustible institution of slavery, this frebrand
Of sectional agitations, election riots, bord er
ruflianism and civil war. We may look forward
| now to reconstruction Of the Union, of our
political parties. and Of Northern and Southern
society upon harmonious footing; and we may
as confidently expect whether all these volun-
tcer and informal peace missions are moonshine
or green cheese, that the armed resistance Of
the rebellion. root and branch, will now very
speedily be utterly demoralxed, broken up,
dispersed and dissolved.