St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1874-05-15


of men to omen action, should receive a
reinforcement strong enough to trans
form forlorn hope into an army of IT.
resistible strength. One of those eter-
nal laws which govern the development
of human affairs asserted itselt,-the
law that great wrong, which has been
maintained in defiance of the moral
sense of mankind. must finally. by the
very means and measures necessary for
its sustenance, render itself 50 insup-
portable as to insure its downfall and
destruction.
So it WAS with slavery. | candidly
acQuit the American slave-power OF
willtul and wanton aggression upon the
liberties and general interests of the
American people. If slavery was to be
kept alive at all, its supporters could
not act otherwise than they did. Slav-
cry could not live and thrive in an at
mosphere of free inquiry and untram-
meled discussion. Therefore free in
quiry and discussion touching slavery
had to be suppressed. Slavery could
not be secure, if slaves. escaping merely
across Il state line. thereby escaped the
grasp of their masters. Hence an eff
tective fugitive slave law was impera-
lively demanded. Slavery could not
protect its interests in the Union unless
its power balanced that of the free
states in the national councils. There
fore by colonization or conquest the
number of slave states had to be argu-
mented; hence the annexation of Texas.
Mexican war, and intrigues for the ac-
QUESTION of Cuba. Slavery could not
maintain the equilibrium of power, if
it permitted itself to be excluded from
the national territories. Hence the
breaking down of the Missouri COM
promise and the usurpation i'll Kansas.
Thus slavery was pushed on and on
by the memorable logic of its existence ::
the slave masters were only the slaves
of necessities of slavery. and all their
seeming exactions and usupationS were
merely struggle for its life. Many of
their demands had been satisfied, OH the
part of the North. by submission or
compromise. The northern people. al
though with reluctant conscience, had
acquicsccd in the contrivanccs of poll
tician>. for the sake of peace. But
when the SlaVc-poWcr went So far as to
demand fol slavery the great domain
of the nation which had been held SIT
cred for freedom forever, then the pco-
pie of the North suddenly understood
that the necessities of slavery demand
ed what they could not Weld. Then
the conscience of the MASSES WIS re
licvcd of the doubts aud fears which
had held il so long i'll check their NOR
al impulses were quickencd 10y practical
perceptions the moral idea became Il
practical force. and the final struggle
began. 1t was made inevitable 10y the
necessities of slavery; II WAS indeed an
irreprcssiblc conflict.
These things were impending when
Henry Clay and Daniel Webster. the
architects of the last compromise. left
the Senate. Had they, with all their
far-sccing craftsmanship. never under
stood this logic of things When they
made their compromise. did they only
desire to postpone the final struggle.
until they should he gone. :" that they
might not witness the terrible concuS-
sion Or had their great and manifold
achievements with the craftsmanship of
organization and expectancy 81 deludcd
Their minds. that they really hoped Il
compromise which only ignored. but
did not settle, the great moral question
could furnish an enduring basis for III
ture developments!
One thing they and their "ontempo-
raries had indeed accomplished ; under
their care the republic had grown so
great and strong, its vitality had be
come so tough. that it could endure the
final struggle without falling to pieces
under its shocks. Whatever their er-
rors. their delm>ions, and, perhaps, their
miSgivings MAY have been. this they
had accomplished and then they left
the last compromise tottering behind
them. and turned their faces To the wall
and died. And with them stepped into
the background the craftsmanship "f
organization. cXpedients and "ompro-
misses: and to the front came. ready for
action. the moral idea which was to
fight ont the great conflict, and L. open
il new epoch of American history.
That WAS the historic significance Of
the remarkable scene which showed us
Henry Clay walking out of the Senate
chamber never to return. when Charles
sumner sat down there a. the successor
of Daniel Webster.