The Portland daily press., 1865-08-17
.T,nADrNo THp NArIoNs..

The New York EUealing Post notes three
important events which, occurring recently in
different quarters Of the globe, are each d.
rcctly traceable to the influence of events IN
this country, and Of the position now taken "
the United States on questions relating =
man freedom. The first of these ene.s9 :, =
be found in the fact that sooio'y na0
lately been formed in Spain for the aDontion
of slavveerxv n the colonies OF that Kingdom.
The sooistv "a composed of the foremost men
= a. .,at,on and includes ministers of the
-, d;rlon,etists, grandees of the kingdom,
.oorossn tatves and priests, as well as the lead
;nr s,rolars of Spain. Although it is declared
that. for the present, the intention Of the min
isry is merely to put stop finally and entire
Iy, to the slave trade, yet that is step, and an
important one, in the right direction, which
the Spanish abolition society will follow up
energetically. AOseelNka3
Secondly, we have the faet that the King OF
Portugal, when recently closing tne meetins
of the Cortes or legislature, announced, lior
the next session, as we understand the brief
dispatch,) "a strict law for the final abolition
Of slavery in the Portuguese possessions"
Finally, in Brazil, the movement for the ex-
trnalion of slavery, which has enlisted the
hest men of that empire for several years, is
gathering such strength that bill has been
drafted and sent to the Brazilian legislature,
providing in many ways for the amelioration
Of the present system Of slavery in that coun-
try, and for its final extinction in fifteen years.
This bill has not passed, but ansther, prohibit
ing the holding of slaves by foreigners, is like
" to pass, and Brazilian statesmen are laboring
for the extirpation Of slavery, encouraged by the
constant growth of public sentiment in their
favor, and especially by the remarkable effect
which emancipationin the United States has
had upon opinion in Brazil. In conclusion
the Post says:
These movements for the liberation of -four
millions of men are direct consequence OF
the position of our own country upon eman-
cipation. Our victory bears fruit the world
over. So long as slavery was countenanced
here by dominant party, so long as it seemed
to prosper and grow stronger with us, its sup
porters all over the world maintained then
| ground When our Shareholders set up theil
confederacy, with slavery as its openly an
nounced corner stone" the lovers and sup
pOrters Of slavery elsewhere began to pleas
themselves with the thought that reaction
had set in, in favor of their system. If tn,
Southern Confederacy had been yictoriou
over the Union, that victory would have riv
eted the chains Of slavery in brazil, in tn
West Indies, in every part of the world
But our success is followed at once by renewe'
and promising efforts for the extirpation Q
| this great wrong and evil, by the leading mel
of the three nations which still tolerate it.
We see in this result of our great victor
some of the responsibilities which lie upol
the American people, and which are create
now, precisely as our prodigious display O
strength and endurance, our fidelity to tn
cause of law and order, and our success SO un
expected to the world, have given us create
prominence in the minds of the people @
Christendom. Ourhistory has been, for man
years, the hope and pride of the friends of lib
erty in Europe; but, hereafter we shall
more than ever looked to; our policy and con
duct will be Of such moment that it is no ez
aggeration to say, the advance of civilization
depends upon us. If we are true to liberty,
we are wise and faithful servants of the grea
idea which underlies our constitution an
government, the idea of the equality of a
men before the law, and the equal right of a
men to life, liberty and the pursuit Of happ
ness, then our progress will show the way t
the nations, and they will follow-and canno
help but follow in our footsteps. II, on tn
contrary, we should become the prey to fax
tons and prejudices, if we should misuse GU
strength and show ourselves regardless {
right, every stepof our history will be held u
to the world to warn the nations against dc
mocracy. ~ #nff9e*
We are the hope of the nations-to us til
down-trodden, the poor, the victims of despot
| ism everywhere, look for hope for encourage
ment, for example, for light in the path il
which they slowly and painfully follow; w
are their compass, their pole-star, their guide
Let us look to it that the solemn trust thu
confided by Providence to the American PEG
pie is not abused. I3