Delaware State journal and statesman., 1865-12-22
A FREE REPunLIc.

ne elghteenth day OF Dcccmhcr, 1850,
will be long remembered by every Amcri-
can citizen as proud epoch in the history
of the Republic. On that day Hon. William
H. Seward, Secretary of State of the United
States, by virtue and in pursuance of law
made proclamation that three fourlhs of tho
States composing the Union had ratified the
amendment to the Federal Constitution,
which declares that hencelorth "neither
slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as
a punishment for crime whereof the party
shall have been duly convicted, shall exist
within the United States, or any place sub
ject to their jurisdiction. BY the procla.
nation OF the lamented President Lincoln,
freedom was given to thousands of bondmen
in the insurrectionary districts, but yet the
great work of liberation was not complete.
Many still groaned beneath the weight Of
the oppressor' yoke, manaeles still fettcred
the limbs of beings made after the image of
their Creator This amendment to the on
stitution, however, was passed by the repre-.
presentatives of the people, in n legal, Con-
stitutional manner, was submitted to the
Legislatures of the several States, and after
full and free discussion of the merits of the
subject, has met the approval of three -fourths
of the States, the number requisite to give it
binding force as part Of the fundamental
law of the land.
BY this act the United States has put an
end to an institution which deluged the
nation with blood and threatened the des-
truction of the only government on earth
where freedom is enjoyed by the people
By this measure, the only blot on our es-
cutcheon has been removed, and henceforth
we will be in deed what we have heretofore
professed to be, a free, republican govern
mentl No man, woman or child will owe
fealty to or acknowledge any master save
HIM who rules the Universe. The bond
mans chains are broken, the oppressed arc
free. Man may choose his place of labor,
and enjoy the fruits of his toll The wife
can no more be torn from the husband, or
the mother deprived of her offspring, but
may dwell in contentment and peace,
wherever they may choose to cast their lot
beneath our starry flag Foreigners can no
longer taunt us with being false to our pro
fessions-with declaring that all men are
entitled TO certain inalicnable rights, and
sanctioning by law the holding of million,
of human beings in bondage In the future
an American abroad can proudly boast "tha
there is no slave beneath our flag"
We regret that our own State is not on the
record as one of those which assisted to con
summate this glorious measure, but we re
joce at the same time that DELAWARE 4
NOW A FREE STATE, that despite the actor
of an imbecile and corrupt General Assem-
bly,, which refused to accept any proposition
calculated to rid us of the barbarous system
to-day there dwells no man in our common
wealth-execpt those convicted of crime an
punished in conformity with the laws of Iii
State-but enjoys perfect freedom Dela
ware today enters upon new era in he
history. If our legislators arc but wise, AN
pass such measures as will encourage imm
grafton, degree of prosperity will atten
us unparalleled in our past history Rei
estate will increase in value, the rural di
tricts will be more thickly settled, the Ian
improved, and where one bushel of grain
now gathered, we will get two; the wealt
fof our people will be augmented, and "
: will become in fact the garden spot of ii
Middle-States. But the first step essenti
, to the realization Of this end is yet to
I taken. The Legislature must repeal IL
anti-rcpublican laws now on our statu
e book, in reference to the negro, which a
= the natural offspring of the harbarous sy
1 TEN Of human slavery.
j Every other State is moving forward, wi
= should ours stand stillY Why should Del
: ware remain mere noncnity in the fami
n of States2 1t is true, our limits arc SON
/ what circumscrbed, but we have roc
enough for vast improvement. Let all Ia,
be repealed which interfere with the neg
: in his pursuit of happiness. Let the law
G repealed which puts him upon the aucti
/ block for crime, and instead let us ha
= a penitentiary, where lie and others m
d he punished for violations of the law
= But dboce all, and first Of all, abolish
n 'ohipptng poN. However well it may ha
Of accomplished the purpose it was desil
re ed for in the past, it is system
t cruelty which is revolving to the sen
h bilities of every one. There is scarcely
N man in the State who will not acknowled
Of that it is barbarous custcm, which sho,
Y, be abolished and the only reason why it
IN retained is that the building of penitentii
lg would be attended with some expense, a
IN an increase of taxation. This object
Of should no longer be permitted to interfere