Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1871-09-23

spite of all trial and all oppression, break forth
in triumph, for the commencement of a new
and more glorious career of freedom on this
continent"
And not this alone, for later in the
same year, 1863 l urged in an address be-
fore the state board OF agriculture, the necessity
of providing for the freedmen Of the south q
system of farming which would give them
claim upon the soil, and the establishment of
social and domestic order and elevation, on the
basis of intelligence and morality and fairly
compensated labor" And did this in order to
suggest some way by1which the approaching
freedom of the slave might be made valuable to
himself to society, and the state. And now
having been requested by my fellOw-ctizens to
give my reasons for supporting the admnistra-
zion of President Lincoln in 1864, | wrote to
them: "The past we all know is full of glorieS;
ard so is the present, if we will but look at it
Alright, full Of glories still brighter. The hero
ism, and devotion, and Sel-sacrifice of our peo-
pie, have hardly yet been equalled. And in the
work which they have undertaken, | cannot
conceive Of the necessity or possibility or honor
of taking one step backwards. We have organ
lied great armies; we have built great navies;
we have fought great battles; we have achieved
great victories; we have arrested the mischiev-
GUS designs of foreign powers; we have secured
unparalleled domestic prosperity; we have taken
Il long stride in the work Of relieving our gov
eminent from the blot, which the faith and hope
and charity of the fathers left behind them,
would be wiped out by advancing civilization,
and by the verdict of high-toned and elevated
people living under a free constitution. Why
then should we retraCe our steps? Not for onr
moral elevation surely. For, however obedient
we may have been to our constitutional obliga-
TONS however impatient Of attacks on our sys-
TEN of government, however anxious that the
rights conferred upon us, and reserved by us,
should be respected, however confident that the
liberal and just spirit that formed the CON
fFrYNi, alaA -
in all cases. we have still felt the one
burthen which has pressed upon US ALL we
have still seen the shadow of the one cloud in
our otherwise clear and refulgent sky. Can we
then, in the face of heaven and the civilized
world, return voluntarily to the compromise
which an appeal to arms had scattered to the
winds? Not for our material prosperity. For
if anything is to give value to our currency, if
anything is to enable us to support the burthen
of taxation, if anything is to give ultimate
value TO our bonds in the markets of the world,
if anything is to restore our commerce. and Sc
cure for our manufactures and products the en-
enlargement of untrammeled trade, it is the en-
tire success of our arms, in manly and I'M
finching contest for the supremacy of our gov
eminent. There is a rapidly increasing debt |
know, growing out Of the war; there is infa-
ton of the currency and of the markets. But
when the power of our country shall be estab.
liShed by the sword, and labor shall return to
its accustomed channels, the fabulous wealth of
India can hardly compare with that which NAV
be drawn from our mines and soil, and which
will be created by the ceaseless ingenuity of our
people, on the land and on the sea. AT the
close Of the war industry may pause fora time
But it will only be for the gathering of new
strength to give value to our currency, and to
secure the interest on a funded debt-the invest
ment made by gallant people in the cause of
good government. If we would invadate our
debt we have but TO surrender to foes without
and bad counsels within, Ii we would hank
rupt our people, we have hut to pause in the war
for our enemies TO take fresh courage and to de-
stroy the confidence of our citizens in their gov
ernment, Let us take care of our armies and
our armies will take care of the debt. Not for
our national peace and glory, We have not
reached the point of armistice or suspension
There is no treaty which we could offer, ac.
ceptable to the south, consistent with our honor
and future prosperity, There is no guaranty
which would not be open to future political
change, and consequent renewal of the strife
That people, which has taken up arms tor ma
tiona Independence not bone of our bone and
flesh of our flesh, if it would now return to its
former condition, simply to renew that political
controversy which has ended in such a baptism
of blood. The terms of peace which they would
demand we cannot submit to-; the terms of
peace which we could offer they are not vet
ready to accept, When they are ready to ac-
cept terms based on the constitution they will
he ready to accept terms based on emancipa-
VioiI lhl lllN9 hlhM HCIitCll1 well luuL re-
union now means emancipation, let the process
be what it may; not for the sake of humanity
The land is indeed red with the blood of
slaughtered citizens, the sky is darkened by the
smoke Of burning villages, fields are wasted,
and the angel of death hovers gloomily over our
homes. But TO pause now in our career, with
the manifest result of this war half-accomplish-
ed, is simply to transmit TO our descendants all
the seeds Of strife, and to bring down upon our
heads their curses for their inheritance of blood
! am confident that our country will come
honorably out of this contest purified as gold
that is tried by the fire. However much may |
have deplored the strife, however much | may |
have regretted any policy which seemed to pro- |
long and embitter 1t, | can see nothing before |
us at this hour but determined march in the |
course pointed out TO us, God knows the |
suiierings OF the war are enough to appal the
Stoutest heart, and that the sorrows which fol.
low in its train are innumerable and Sckening
But never before has such a service been placed
in the hands of armies as is now sub
mttted to ours. Never before have the statesmen
OF any age been charged with duty so moment
GUS as that which rests so soemnIy on ours,
l would have this people strengthen the hands
OF all its public servants, confident as | am
that when the day of peace does dawn, it will
hestow its light upon nation united by COM
mon SUFFERING and engaged in one attempt to |
preserve unframed great free government,
That the prosperity and happiness, the good or |
der and elevation Of the nation absorb all the |
thought and effort of those who hold our desti. |
MES in their hands, | cannot, for a moment |
doubt, That our soil has been Watered by the |
blood of our brayest sons in vain, cannot for a |
moment believe. If greater and nobler and |
stronger and purer nation does not grow out |
of this struggle, may God in his mercy, blot its |
record from human memory"
In response to this | received the following |
candid letter from Gov, Andrew
Boston, Nov. 8, 1854.
My dear sir:-I thank you for the courtesy of |
sending me a copy OF your letter to Messrs Foote
and Others on our national affairs. 1t however did |
not escape me as reader of the Daily Advertiser
where yesterday had the sincere pleasure of ne
rusing it, But l shall now preserve the slip You |
sent me among my most valued documents elected |
by the war, priced for its manly cogent and unan-
swerable exposition of the whole argument, briefly
and strongly put as well as for the personal inter.
me to entertain toward the writer
lam, my dear sir, faithfully yours,
JOHN A ANDREW.
And this | wrote at time when some of |
those who fppantly charge me with disloyaty |
were declaring that President Lincoln's anti |
slavery doctrines would defeat the republican |
party, and that the north had no more men and |
no more money to carry on the war, Let the |
condition OF the country to-day tell whether | |
was right or wrong,
One word more, In the winter of 1864 and |
'65, was called upon to address many charita- |
BILE associations for the benefit of the soldiers of |
the commonwealth, and choosing for nv theme, |
in anticipation of victory, "The new era Of the |
Republic" | used the following language, |
"And in turning our minds to the question of |
restoration, we have but 10 remember the con- |
stitutional condition by which we are surround |
ed, We are told that the states which are in re. |
volt should be brought back to the Union and |
the constitution, which we ourselves enjoy, no |
more, no less We have a constitution now |
stripped of all implied right of secession. Let |
them be brought to that We have govern |
ment now whose everlasting and Interchangeable |
policy is universal freedom. Let them be brought |
to that. We have Union, bound together by |
the strongest ties of government, a Union of |
people having common and universal interest |
in the prosperity and solvency of the federal |
government, Union for which every family in |
the land had made its costly sacrifice a Union |
whose nationality is now well understood by all
foreign powers. Let them be brought to that. |
We have government now capable Of carrying |
its conquest over this continent versed at last in
the business Of colonial government, expert |
enced in the military establishment of military |
sway when civil rule is impossibe with an or |
gained army whose business may not cease, |
until it has carried the Monroe doctrine into |
practical operation, for bringing all the agricul- |
turgl and mineral resources from tho IoIyas 60 |