The Portland daily press., 1865-02-20
Monday Morning, Feb. 20, 1866.
An Honest Confession,

One OF the most effective speeches in sup
port OF the Anti Slavery Amendment to the
Constitution was that made by Hon. Moses f.
Odell, a life long Democrat, representing one
OF the Brooklyn districts in Congress. After
expressing his belief that the influence OF the
Amendment, in case of its adoption, would
mot only reach the negro but affect for good
the future destiny oil the white race North
and South;" that "the existence in our coun-
try OF antagonistic systems of labor has
brought upon the nation the terrible calamity
of wasting civil war, with all its desola-
tions, costing the country the lives of hun
dreds of thousands OF It's best and brayest
sons, and wasting her material resources ,"
and that, the destruction of slavery being the
legitimate fruit of the rebellion, he is sin favor
OF giving it a constitutional burial" he goes
on to make frank acknowledgment of the
error committed by his party in their past ac-
tion on the subject:
"The action of the South in their rebellion
has not commended them to me for any spe-
cial acts of grace or forbearance. Their trea-
son to their country is only equalled by their
treachery to the Democratic party. Person
ally have feelings upon this subject toward
the men of the South for their treason, as
Democrat, that no men OF The Opposition have
right to indulge in.
"The Democratic party had been their
their friends through evil and good report
We had stood by them in all their interests.
More than this, we have yielded our own con-
victions and prejudices to theirs. As we met
them from time to time in our national con-
Ventons, it was only to submit to new de-
mands made upon us to favor, strengthen and
extend their system of slave labor. To secure
peace aid harmony these demands were ac-
ceded to. The steadily increasing pecuniary
interest of the Shareholders gave them power,
and led them, in the love of gain, to depart
from the teachings and principles of the fa-
thers upon this subject. With the modern
STAKEHOLDER it was no longer an evil to be en-
dured for awhile, but blessing to be perpet-
uated through all future time.
"From our present stand point the error of
thus having yielded to the Slave Power of
the South is clearly seen by the nation and
more keenly felt by the Democratic party.
need not say to the intelligent men who sur
round me, that if the party North had resist
ed this encroachment upon the religious belief
and Northern sentiment, forced upon us by
the SOUTH, the war now waging would never
have been iDaugurated. Better for our coun-
try and the race had we exerted our power
and manhood at an earlier period in our his
tory" W
Ihis confession does honor alike to the
head and heart of Mr. Odell, and we have no
doubt that it expresses the feelings and con-
victions of thousands of Democrats who have
been kept in false position by the force of
party ties which they lacked the courage 10
break. We are glad that Mr. Odell has spo-
ken tor them, and we trust that his example
will inspire them with a resolution to make
atonement for past errors by noble devotion,
in time to come, to the great principles of i'm
partial liberty