The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1865-02-03

Gus of each other they are both afraid OF
Russia our natural ally. Russia is afraid
of Turkey, Austria of Italy and all Eu-
rope paradoxical though it seem, Is afraid
Of the inextinguishable spark which still
burns in the painting bosom of the Hun
psrian and the Pole. Intervention would
light the torch Of general European war.
After that "the deluge" or the millenni-
um. All this, for whatf the enlightened
statesman would inquire. The South
would gain nothing but a choice OF mas
tiers because abolition must preeede inter
ventiou. The old ladies Of Exeter Hall,
and the Humanitarian Society would have
it 90. But this talk of foreign interference
is not worth the paper it is written on. ga.
Again the exigencies of the war have
determined the South to arm it's negroes,
which of course involves the overthrow o ::
the system. In Maryland and Missouri it is
extinct. 1t no longer practically exists
in Kentucky; in Virginia, and Tennessee,
nothing but the ,efigy remains. DIDO not.
speak of the farces which have been en-
acted in Louisiana and Arkansas. }. Its limits
hsve been 50 circmscribed and its power
50 dsnuded ~ the operations Of the war
that the organization must fall. Its boun-
dariss can never be extended, and this
consideration alone ensures its ultimate
extinction. John Stuart Mn, in vsfr-
bic essay published in Frazer's Magant %,
in April, 1862, truly says: -.1u In +
80 incompatible is slavery with any kind
whatever Of skilled labor, that 1t causes the
whole productive resources of the country TO
be concentrated upon one OK two produces,
cotton being chief, which require to- raise and
prepare them for the market little besides brute
animal force The cotton cultivation, 70 the
opinion of all competent judges, alone saves
North American slavery; but cotton cultivation
exclusively adhered to, exhausts In moderate
number Of years, all soils which are ft for It,
aad can only be kept up BIZ travelling farther
and farther westward. To slavery therefore,
1t Is matter of life and death to find fresh
fields for the employment of slave labor Con.
fine it to the present States and the owners OF
slave property will either be speedily ruined
or win have TO find means of reforming and
renovating their agricultural system, which
cannot be done without treating the slaves like
human beings, nor without so large an en-.
ployment of skilled, that is Of free labor, IS
will widely displace tho unskilled and so de.
preciate the pecuniary value of the slave that
the immediate mitigation and ultimate exhnc-
ton of slavery would be q nearly inevitable
and probably rapid consequence"
It may be safely stated that if the in
dependence Of the South was acknowledg-
ed, tomorrow, the exercise Of sound polit-
ical economy would at once require the
abolition of slavery. The events OF
this war have demonstrated the essen
tial weakness of political commun-
ity which rests upon chattel labor.
The progressive element, the vitalizing
power of all civilized society, is an intelli-
gent, educated laboring class. The South
could not endure an abrupt revolution of
its labor system by immediate emancipa-
patton. The slave himself could not en-
dure it; the North could not endure it;
and they are tyros in political science who
fail to discern the innumerable evils which
immediate abolition would produce not
only to both sections of the country, but
(Which is Of far higher consequence to our
Republican friends) even to that modest
work of God" the noble black himself.
Let us then hope that sufficient of sanity
remains with the Administration to have
offered such tt rms, and 10 such manner,
as will be acceptable to a great, chivalrous
and self-respecting people. Let us also
hope that the negotiation will result in
guarantees against the encroachment of
sectional legislation Unless legislative
power can be SO balanced between the
Eastern and Middle, the Western and
Southern States, as to eliminate from our
system this disturbing element to pro-
tect each section from aggressive legisla-
ton at the instance of the other-we may
expect constantly recurring causes of dis
cord, and the sinews of our strength, our
diversified industrial wealth, will become
the instruments of disintegra.ion. The
very strength of Sampson tOppled himself
aud his enemy in undistinguishable ruin.
If this can be done, and not otherwise,
our country, united and powerful, may
pursue its glOrions way among the nations,
and yet realize the poetic vision ofits great
est statesman upon that great but troubled
day when he spoke for the Union" u
Yours truly, JOHN B. BRISBIN.
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