The Union and journal. [volume] (Biddeford, Me.) 1858-1882, 1868-02-07
The Progress Of Truth.

stricken people arc not always 70 chafe undel
the yoke Of tyranny.
The Progress Of Truth.
The eopperhead papers are continually harp
ing on what was said and done BY leading Re
publicans four or five years ago. They parad
the fact at the head Of their columns, that ,
resolution passed Congress in the beginning o
the war, to the effect that It's object was prims
rily to save the Union. (Which was the fact.
and that when the Rebellion was crushed i
should cease, which was the case. They seen
to regret that in the course Of events, that sun
Of all villainies, slavery, and the sole cause o.
the trouble, went down too they whine about
it"muchly, 'and fling II into .he faces ofRepub
licans to prove that something else was accom-.
plished besides whipping the rebels. To Tho
honor and everlasting glory Of the Republican
party 1t may be said that in spite Of the whnes
and groans and protests Of the northern De.
mocracy, something else ,cas accomplished. and
that slavery was struck, and struck with such q
fatal blow that the shsckles Of every slave wcrs
broken to shivers, and the bounden hands have
been given ballot to protect them In their free
dom. II was due the keen foresight Of Rcpub.
lican intelligence that that act Of Freedom wa
encrafted into the Constitution ITSELF or at THU
hour the Democratic party would plant itself in
favor Of returning every black man to the auc-
ton block again. They have not yet ceased to
howl and whine over the ipjustice(D Of enamel
patton, and arc continually calling up tho reso-
luton Of Congress VIC have alluded to in order
to prove that the Republican party has broken
faith. There is no neci Of this army Of rcsolu.
tons and copperhead testimony; every Repub.
lean In the land is ready to acknowledge that
he has learned something from the powerful
logic Of events. He has looked back nearly q
century, and is willing to acknowledge that he
has been inspired with the truth Of the Declare
ton Of our Fathers who framed our govern
ment-that "aH men are created free and equal
and are endowed with certain inalienable rights"
and he has come to most righteously believe that
the right Of Freedom is as dear to one man a,
another, that the right Of voice in the choice
Of our governors Is the inherent right Of free,
intelligent man, and shall no longer be denied
the loyal soldier while it is granted to the rebel
and bloody handed traitor.
This attempt to prove that the Republican
party is inconsistent, will prove futile. Senator
Morton in his great speech in the Senate on the
Reconstruction acts, admirably answered these
poverty-stricken arguments Of the coppcrhead
leaders. We cannot moro fttingly close this ar-
ticle than to give his remarks on this subject.
The Senator said:
al confess land do II without shame) that ]
have been educated by the great events Of this
war. The American people have been educated
rapidly, and the man who says he has learned
nothing, that he stands now where he did siI
years ago, is like an ancient mile-post by the
side Of the deserted highway. We, Mr.. Presi-
dent, have advanced step by step. When this
war began We did not contemplate the destruo-
ton Of slavery. remember well when the
Crittendcn resolution was passed, declaring that
the war was not prosecuted for conquest or to
oyerturn the institutions Of any State.
know that that was intended as an assurance
that slavery should not be destroyed, and II 10
ceiyed the vote, l believe, Of every Republican
member In both Houses Of Congress, but In q
few months after that time II was found by the
events of the war that we could not preserve
slavery and suppress the rebellion, and we must
destroy slavery-but not prosecute the war 70
destroy slavery-but destroy slavery to prose
cute the war. Which was the betteri To stand
by the resolution and let the Union 80, or Ia
stand by the Union and let the resolution go
Congress could not stand by that pledge, and II
was ''morc honored in the breach than the OBJ
servance."
Mr.. Lincoln issued his proclamation Of eman.
cipation setting free the slaves Of Rebels II
was dictated by the stern and bloody experience
Of the times. Mr.. Lincoln had no choice lef|
him. When he began this contest no one thought
we would use colorcd soldiers In the war. The
distinguished Senator sitting by me hero Mr.;
Cameronl, when, In the winter Of 1861, he first
brought forward the proposition as Secretary Of
War, to use colorcd soldiers, was greatly in adj
vance of public opinion, and was thought to bt
visionary but as the war progressed 1t bccam,
manifest TO oil intelligent men that we must no,
only destroy slavery, but VIC must avail oursclye.
Of every instrumcntalty in our power for the
purpose Of putting down the rebellion, and the
whole country accorded In the use Of colorcl
soldicrs-and gallant and glorious service they
rendered.. In 1864 proposition was brought
forward In this body to amend the Constitution
of the United States by abolishing slavery. We
do not think that Is very radical now, but II was
very radical then ; II was the great measure Of
the age, and almost Of modern times, and IT was
finally passed an amendment setting free
every human being within the limits OF the
United States"