Cleveland daily leader. [volume] ([Cleveland, Ohio]) 1865-1873, 1866-02-08
The Contest between Rixha ANA wrong

4
The time has gone by that required
martyrs for freedom. But the contest that
resulted in the overthrow of slavery has
merely been transferred, not ended.
If it was our duty to contend for the
freedom of the slave, it is no less our
duty to contend for the security of the
freedman. Thegreatest danger that besets
reformers is a disposition on the part of
the masses to become apathetic, indifer-
ent to the real Importance of the issues in
volved. People dislike to be constantly
reminded of their duty. The repetition
of certain terms becomes distasteful. OPP
ponents of reforms understand this, and
by the skilful use of ridieule, retard the
accomplishment of good works. The
Democratic party owes, measurably, its ex-
istence to this very fact. Its members were
not disloyal at heart, neither were they in
favor of slavery, nor possessed of such
ineradicable hatred of black people; but by
inventing the cry of ttfreedom-shriekers"
'abolitionists" "miseegenationists", and
the like, they saved their heads the trouble
of thinking and their hearts the pain of
feeling, and thus unavsres formed preju-
dices hard as adamantine against things
eternalIy just. How long they impeded
the progress Of the anti-slsvsry refornl
Responsible for its injudicious and intem-
perate advocacy, they turned this into
reproach. But the cause triunphed over
all enemies and against all appliances
and arts. The testimony of millions
Of scourged slaves and myriads of martyrs
sinking into nameless graves, against the
abominable system that made chattels of
them, was not lost. With the accumula-
tive force of years it told with crushing
weight against oppression, and Justice
swept the institution of human slavery
from the land. The race thus suddenly
redeemed, like men awaking from stu
por, are confused, helpless, dumb. To leave
them in this state, is to leave them notonly
the unresisting prey of their most malig-
nantenemies, but eventually, to the sway Of
their own blind ignorance and uneon-
trollable passions. The duty Of the hour is
plain. Not all the sophistry Of conserva-
tism, the ridicule of the unthinking, the
threats of the powerful, should divert inn
mediate, earnest attention from that duty.
It is a vital issue to be decided, and be
sure it must be decided on the right side
if not now, when it can be done easily,
then it will decide itself later in tumul-
tuous revolution.
If it were necessary, in order to secure
to four millions of people their rights,
that all present laws and constitutions
should be amended or even swept aside,
then what is necessary is what should be
done. The Constitution is not more ga
cred then the rights of men. The elamor
against its amendment is senseless. Itis
no argument against the necessity of max
ing fundamental changes to say amend
ments are being offered as thick as pream-
bles at a town meeting; it is oD1y evil
dence of querulousnesS, Iand a desire to
let things alone to settle them .elves-in
other words, to shirk responsit ,ility. No
doubt many of these amendD ents are Of
fered by gentlemen aetuated by no other
motive than the ambition to be known IS
having done something towards recon
structing the government and it may,
also, be true--indeed we think it is to
some exteut-that these are not the men
or Congress the body to propose, prepare
and digest changes in the organic law of
the Republic; that q ee ustitutionaI Con-
vention would perform u ls work with less
hastsT more thOrOushngs and perfection