Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1865-1869, 1865-05-31
MI. vallandigham's Views.
THE SLAVERY QUESTION - THE FATAL
MISTAKE OF THE SOUTH.

Hon. C. L. Vallandigbam has addressed a
lengthy letter on political topics to the Yong
Mems Democratic Association" Of Lancaster,
Pa. The following extract will repay perusal'
Upon the great lestion OF reconstruction, as
the Democratic party is without power, 50 II Is
without responsibility. II can but accept OF
reject whatever measures may be proposed. II
the poliev which the President may recommend
sbaii annear. upon calnl and deliberate scru-
tiny. best adapted in general 10 secure speedy,
complete, cordial and lasting paciication upon
the basis of the Federal Union OF the states, IL
will. in nv Judgment be fit and just that the
Democracy, waving all minor points OF detail,
lend 10 him LIBERAL earnest and patriot!c sup
mort in carving il into execution, II, upon the
other hand IL be such as can but make that sol.
itude which cOnquerors call peace; or wore, II
possible, that peace which hangs like black
and heavy pail, over Hungary, Ireland, POlahdi
then il will be the duty Of the Democratic party,
with determined irmuess and iearlessness, TO III
terpose such constitutional and legal opposition,
through the press and in public assembly, as
nav b., lust and eRcient till either the President
shall be !mpelled TO change both his Cabinet and
the measures 10 which they may have advised
him, OF The people, peaeeably through the ballot,
shall be enabled 70 secure pacifcatiOn and Union
by a change OF administration and OF policies.
l say a change, IN part or in whole, Of the Cabi-
net in advance OF the election, because, femem-
boring the peculiar circumstances under which
the office fell to the P resident his advisers, 1.-The
Ministry" are rather to be held responsible than
himself.
a. - the hitherto veXed question OF slavery,
allow me 10 say for myset that from the very
irst TO the last with consistency and persist
ence / opposed all agitation Of the subject not
for the sake OF the institution, / repeat II, not
for the sake of the institution, but because
had been taught by the Fathers u believe, and
did truly believe, that il could end only IN civil
war and disunion, temporal or eternal-whether
right or wrong, let the history oil the last Tour
wears decide The price has now been weighed
ont and in part paid. A heavy score yet re-
mains. But viii not essay to reckon up and
adiust the appalling account Ot debt and taxa
ton. of suffering, crime and blood IN the past
ar vet To come Again l accept the facts,
reioiced indeed, If under the new order oil
things we and our children may enjoy the same
measure Of private happiness and public pros
perily which was permitted to US and to our IA
thers under the Old Union, part slave and part
free And now, il without slavery, reunion and
a Modification real sincere and lasting, together
with welfare and security TO the people OF all the
states can b. made sure, let slavery utterly per
ish. But in no event let the question stand
any lrnper in the way. / still would prefer the
Union Ihe Federal Union the Old Union-yes,
the Union as it was, under the Constitution as
il sr-to either slavery or the abolition OF slave
~. Fanatics at hOms, and envlOus, supplanting
statesmen abroad, may not be able or willing 10
comprehend this convictions every true and lib
erAl.minded American patriot will.
The fatal mistake OF the South-her 'b!under,
which false morality pronounces worse than
crime, was in ignoring the greIt American idea
of one country-nOt an impulse not preeept, not
a mere aspiration OF national vanity, but com
mandment written by the finger Of God upon the
riyen and mountains and the whole face OF the
land and craven thence upoa the hearts OF the
people II was this, not anti slavery, which held
he border slave states in the Union, AMI stirred,
for good or evil, the whole North and West TO
spc6 exertions of military, naval and financial
force as never before were put forth by any ma
ton. And it was this grand and lerYading ma
tional sentiment hedged oythe sanction OF destiny
which according TO the measure OF my ability, l
undertook 10 expound aud justify in the House
of Representatives OF 1908 ana by TINS Ine oil
augmentation TO establish that the Union
Though peace was inevitable. Nothing but
the Violence OF an intense counter-passion,
and the terrible pressure OF civil war, could
have suppressed, even Tor time, the power OF
his sentiment among the people Of the South
s1so. Had their leaders tOrborne 20 demand
separation and distinct government, adhering
IN the old flag and, within the Union, under the
Constitution firmly. but justly, required new
guarantees for old rights believed TO be in peril,
thev might not indeed, have had barren and de-
IudinP sympathy from subjects, and false hopes OF
assistance from kings and emperors IN Europe,
eager for the decline and fall ot the American
ReBub!ic but they would have been cheered by
the cordial greetings and the active support OF
6nally an overwhelming majority OF the States
and yeople OF the West and North. But when
thew established a permanent distinct govern
ma1t and took up arms for independence, they
marked out between them and us high wall and
deep ditch, which no man, North or west could
mass without the guilt and the pc nalues OF trea-
son They went beyond the teachings OF their
own greatest statesmen Of the past tor Mr. Cal
boun himself had declared, in 1881, that the
abnse OF power ON the part Of the agent lthe Fed
eral Government, 70 the injury OF one or more
of the members (the States, would not justify
secession on their part there would be neither
the right nor the preteXt TO secede.' No matter
who was responsible originally tor tnat cohdluOh
of things which led finally 10 war nor what the
',otiyes and character of the mr. after its ncep-
tion-and upon both the questions / entertain
ana have EXPRESSED opinions as fixed as the solid
rock-so far as the South fought Tor q separate
Government she stood wholly without sympathy
or support in the States which adhered TO the
Union Whatever else may happen, her vision
of independence has now melted lutO air. la the
,ppeal 10 arms-maintained upon both sides for
four wears with a courage and endurance grandly
heroic-she has failed and though II had hap
pened otherW Use, still, in my deliberate convic-
ton ner experiment OF distinct government
,vonld have failed also, But the sole question
really decided by the war as by peace years before
n had been settled, was that Two separate Gov
ernmeuts could not exist among the States of the
American Union And here the whole controversy
onght 10 end; with or without slavery care not,
20 n end here. lfupOn this point, the "Crltenden
Resolution" Of July, lS6l-pToposed too, at the
same time in the senate, by Andrew johnson
sbould be modified let IL in all else, both in spirit
l., ax-aaf1y earriad Ruf yhQfaVar
noljcy NAV now be decreed-and trust it will
he wise, q liberal, healing poicy-it is the
mart of wisdom for the people Of the South to
aeouiesce; returning wholly and cordially to the
Union. thus making IL once again unien OF
consent, a union of hearts and hands, as our
fathers and their fathers made 1t at first. Then
will the passions of the recent terrible strife
snaaaily be hushed. Already millions in the North
ana West regard them as brethren still, and in a
IittIa while these millions will become vast ma
;oy5tv of the people, and will see TO il that the
yyoiamp pledge Do redeemed and the Union re-
tered with all the dignity, equality, and rights
AZ the several States unimpaired. With slavery,
the Daople Of the South will prosper within that
Tnian a. befOre. Without slavery, II in wise and
indicious way it shall be abolished, they must in
ieS. than a single generation-except possibly IS
M two or three States-becOme more populous,
nrosparous and powerful than any other section.
And though every Southern State government
sbould be reorEanizsd-an act both impolitic
and unnecessary-yet in ten years, If our Fede-
raj system survive, the whole people of every
state will be restored TO all their rights within
the state. and the South hold, along with all her
citizens, the same position OF equality and inhu-
ence which she held fifty years ago. This Is
lesson of history, the law Of human nature and
no narrow. suppressing spirit of revenge or Of
bigotry aud sectionalism in the form OF tett
oaths and teasing, restraining denying regula-
tons without number can stay the inevitable
result-no, not even though it should succeed
now In controlling the civil and military power
n the Federal Government, and,
UpresIsd in q little brief authority,
PLAY such fantastic tricks before high Heaven,