, 1874-05-02

III.
Aud by his sido Daniel Wobator, with tbat av-
fnl vaBtneRs of brain. troluontiot1y etorelol1ge
OF thought mud knowledge, which gsyo forth
its treasures with pondoroua majesty Of utter
anSo o m ,oe nohasx a. hGr,xassos Of measures and
vocato this country ever hnew.-a King in tho
realm Of ntelloot, and tho aoloiinn enIodimont
Of anthority,-a hinge Atlas, who carried tic
Constitution on lila shoulders. uo could have
nation. had le mover compromised lin own. Wv
Such mon fllod tho stage during that period
OF construction and conservative national or
ganiaation, doyoting tho bost efforts Of thoir
statoamanship, tho statoarnanahip Of tho po-
country to groatnesa III wonlth aud powor. Of
maklng tho peoplo prond Of thoir common M
tionnlity, ind Of imbodding tho Union in tho
,sonp Sf pF0sns,'y sw In enlightened
priaoIple. And when thoy drow near tSoir Snd
thoy could boaat Of mnny grand achievement
-not iniool exclusively thoir own, for other
poworful minds had their Hhare In the work
The United statos stood thera among tho groat
Republic had no foreign foo to fear; It's growth
In ponulation and woaltll, In popular intelligence
aud progressive civilization, the wonder q The
world. Tl,ore was no visible limit to It's dsyol-
opmont, thore soomod to bo no dangor to ita In
togrity.
TIE PROBLEMS OF THE DAT.
but, among the problems Which tho statesmen
Of tlnt period had grappod with, thoro was ono
which had olnded thalr grasp. Many conflict
Of opinion and interest thoy Ind sncceodod ip
loious composition. But ono conflict had stub
bornly bat1lod tho Rsatcsmanship Of oxpedlentB.
for 1t wau moro than q moro conflict Of opinion
md interest. It WAS conflict grounded deep
in tho moral nature of en,-tho Slavory quos-
tion.
Many D tlmo had 1t appeared on tho surface
during tho period hnve described, tllrcntcniug
to overthrow all that had boon ingontously built
up, aud to break asundor all that had baen lAbo-
avert evory danger threatening tho Union, they
attempted to topross tho Savery question by
oompromiso, and, apparently, with sucooaB, at
lcast for wl1lo. But, however firmly thoRo
oon,promlsea seomed to stand, thore was force
Of nature ut work which, like rostlesa Good,
silently, but INCREASINGLY and irrosistihly, washod
their foundation nway, until at last tho towering
structure topplod down.
Tho Anti-slavory movement is now ono of the
great chapters Of our past hiatory. Tho passions
Of gravos, and tho victory Of Universal Freedom
standing "a firm md uuquostionablc as the etor-
nal hills, wo may now look back upon TINT his
tory with an impartial oyo It may be hoped
that evon tho pooplo Of Tue South, II they do not
yet appreciate the spirit which oreated and
guided the Antii-slayery movement, will not
much lougor miaunderatand 1t. Indeed, they
grisvouBly misunderstood 1t ut tho timo. They
looked upon it as the offspring Of wanton do
sro to nlcddo with othor peoples affairs or as
tho product ot hypocritical Bolashnoss assuming
tho mask aud cant OF philanthropy, merely to
rob tho South and to enrich Now England; or as
an iusidioua contrivance Of crimtnally-rcckleHs
political ambition, striving to grasp and monop-
olize ,powor at n riak Of dastroyinK part Of the
country, or oven tho whole. It was porhaps,
not unnatural TINT those interested Ia Slavery
should havo thought SO; but from this great
error aroso tlolr fatal miAcalculation aa to tho
strength Of the Anti-Slavery cause.
No idoe ever agitatod the popular mind to
foreign. Eyou tho great uprising which brought
about the War of Independence was less free
from sclaeh motives, for II Bprang from resist-
hnce to a tyrannicRl abuse Of the taxing powor.
which touched their property; tho Apti-slayery
movement originated In an impulse Only moral.
It was tho Irresistible broaking out OF q trouble
OF oonscienco,--a trouble Of conscience whioh
had already disturbed the mon who made the
American Republic. It found voice in their
anxious adrnonitions. their gloomy prophecies,
their Hcrupuioua caro- to exclude from the Com
stitutfop all forms OF expression Which might
have appeared to sanction the idea Of property
In man. It found voice in tue fierce struggles
which resulted in tho Missouri Compromise. It
WAS repressed for q time by my material intor-
cat, by tho greed Of gain, when tho peculiar
product OF Blave-labor became one OF tile prin-
cpal staples of the country and raino of wealth.
Duk En0 kIUuUlb u IQuHClbuE6 THlaHu AkH VQlGQ
again, shrill and doilaut as whom your own John
Quincy Adams stood in tho halls Of Congress-.
and when devoted advocates Of the rights Of
man began md carried on, Id tho faco Of ridioulo
and brutal persoontion, Au agitation seemingly
lopeloss. It cried out again aud asain, uutil at
last tones and echoes grew louder than III the
noises that were to drown 1t.
now SLAVERY WAS PUSHED on.
Tho Anti-Slavery movement found arrayad
against tself all tho influences. all the agencies,
all tho arguments. which ordinarily control tho
actions OF men. Commerce said Do not dis
are ono Of the principal means Of our exchanges.
Industry said: Do not disturb Slavery, for It
fceds our machinery and gives ua markets. The
grood OF wealth Haid DO not disturb Slavery,
Political ambition said Do not disturb Slavery,
for it furnishes us combinations aud oompro-
miaos to keep parties aliye, and to mako power
tho prfco Of slrewd management. An anxious
Btateglnansbp said: Do not disturb Slavery. for
you might break to pieces tho Union Of theso
States.
There never was more formidable combna-
ton of interests aud influences than that which
confronted tho nti.Slavory movement In it's
earlier stagos. And what was it's answer ?
not, but slavery is wrong" slayors, is wro,ng
That ono word was enough: Il atood there like
a hugo rock in the aoa, Hhivoring to spray the
waves dashing upon IT, Interest, grocd, argu-
mont, vituperation, calumny, ridiculo, persocu-
tion,, patrio,io appeal, it was all in vain:
Amidst all the storm and assault. that ono word
stood thoro uumoved, inteot, and impregnAblo: !:
Slavery la wrong.
Such was tho vital spirit Of the Anti-slayory
movement in ita early development. Such q
spirit alone could inspire religious devotion
which gave to tho bolieyor all tho stubborn
energy Of fauatic!smi it alone could kindle that
deep enthusiasm which mukes men willing to
risk and sacrifice everything for great cause !;
It alone could keep alivo that unconquerable
faith in the certainty of ultimate sucecss which
boldly attempted to overcome seeming imposHi-
blitios. 1t was indeed great spirit. As against
dtloultios which threw pusillanimity into de-
spair, it painfully atrugg!oa into Light, often
bafllod, aud aH often preading forward with do
votion always fresh; not1riBhed by nothing but =
profound Henso Of right; encouraged by nothing
but tho cheortng sympathy OF llberty-loylng
mankind tho world over, and by tho hopc that
aolne day tho consc!once Of the American people
would be quickensd by full understanding OF
the dangers which tho ex!stence Of tue great
scramble for tho spoils Of office then, no cxpeo-
tation Of speedy conquest Of powor,--nothing