Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1868-07-28

secession Is not remedy Tor eVll5
''it is the sum of evils it is heresy
'that must be drowned in blood. 1t
''cannot be reasoned down and much
"as we may regret it, there is but one
''of two things left us, we must crush
secession or secession will crush us.
"Such is the state of things in the
"South, that nothing but the sword
scan prove remedy and it becomes
''our duty as good citizens. and Chris
''tian men, to prosecute this war so
''effectually, and end it so speedily,
''that secession shall know no resur-
erection" Upon the return OF the
first Wisconsin regiment under Col.
Stark weather, after three months
service, Mr.. Carpenter made well
coming speech and advocated the
right of the government to abolish
slavery rs a means OF Gripping the
South. At this time the government
was stationing troops to protect the
southern plantations and prevent the
escape of slaves. He said aft the
South expects that we are much
longer 10 fight this war with kid
"gloves much longer 10 send armies
"to the South, yet strictly watch
''them to see that they do not much
"injure the South, size is sadly mis-
''taken. The powers that be may
'Sdy SO wish SO but the rising de-
termination of the North, the abso-
'lute, imperious necessities of self
"existence are impelling things for
''ward where SECRETARIES of War and
smooth faced officials cannot stop
''tbe course OF events by crying out
6" Respect all the rights Of South
"ern property" This was said at q
time when Cameron was Secretary
Of War, who now claims to be Rad
zeal par excellence, and William II
Seward, author of the ''irrepressible
conflict" was Secretary Of State, and
both seemed determined that no
slave should escape. Again at the
National Fast, February 22d, 1862,
before any public men had declared
for the emancipation Of the slaves,
before Freemont's emancipation in
Missouri which was revoked by Mr..
Lincoln, he delivered an address in
which he boldly struck the true poll
cy, thus "While the Southern
stakeholder is in rebellion, he may
abe deprived of life and property
Gle may be imprisoned, his slaUeS,
CHS horses, his cotton, or whatever
"else is his, may be taken from him :;
"and if it should result from the Gov
''ernment taking his slaves, which it
''could not hold in slavery, that tho
''slaves should be given to freedom,
$40 freeman need regret 1t. The cap,
"ture Of slaves would be perfectly
''justifable act of war; and if by this
''m cans this rebellion can be more
especially or more easily quelled,
'then the government ought to be about
''it!
We all remembur the gloom Of
that period. Mr.. Lincoln had decIar-
ed that it was his intention to save
the Union if be could, or, if that was
not possible, to save the Union and
part of slavery ifhe could do that.
Governor Andrew, of Massachusetts,
declared at that time that the eman-
cipation of the slaves was too radical
q measure for him, and General But.
Ter had not yet invented the handy
phrase "contraband of war" with
which to shield the runaway slaves !;
but here was a Wisconsin lawyer
urging the government TO adopt the
very measure that proved TO be its
salvation. When the Democrat par
ty in this State, issued the celebrated
Ryan Address which was calculated
to hinder enlistments and cripple the
war power of the government, Mr..
Carpenter reviewed it and exposed
it's poisonous fallacies as no other
man in Wisconsin could have done,
and printed and circulated his review
at personal expense to himself of
more than four hundred dollars.
During every campaign since Fort
Sumter was fired upon he has been
upon the stump, ably and fearlessly
advocating the measures and supper
ting the candidates, State and ma
tional, Of the republican adminstra-
ton. There has not been a measure
of the party nor a nominee of the
party that he has not cordially sup
ported and done all in his power to
vindicate and elect. He made the
first speech Of any Wisconsin man in
support of the Emancipation Procla-
nation, and it not only thrilled and
gratified the anti-slavery men of his
own state, but it gave him charac-
ter and standing througout the loyal
North. Again in the fall of 1865 at
a banquet given IN this city in honor
of General Sherman he made one OF
the most felicitous and significant
speeches Of his life, in which he fore
Swallowed the policy of reconstrcting
the rebel states and Of dealing with
the colored population that has since
been crystalized into the several acts
Of Congress relating thereto. The
speech was distastetll to both of our
Senators whe were present, and also
to Governor Randall who attempted
to reply, but answer was 'iwithout
form ard void" In the fall OF 1866
he made his famous speech in support
of the Reconstruction measures OF
Congress, and in favor of universal
suffrage as an act of justice to the
cololed men of the South.
Such is brief and imperfect re-
cord ola man who has occupied some
prominence in Wisconsin politics for
the last seven years. He has never
followed, but always led, and those
who talk Of subjecting him to a long
er probationary state ia order that
he may ripen into radicalism, would
do we'll to refsesh their memories
with perusal of his past acts.
We close our article by quoting the
following from Washington Chronicle
of June 10th
Hon. Mat. Carpenter. Of Wiscon.
sin among the first intellects in tho
legal profession and more particular
| ~ we'll known as one of the most
successful practitioners before the