The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1883-06-08

opp, ohu VA. otSSSho, vi oSot 6ia,
as President and Vice President for
one year.
Thus SO years before the 'Libera-
tor" declares for the abolition Of the
slave, the cotton gin has come to
make the institution of slavery profit
able, its extension desirable and de-
termined ON by the south.
Thirty years after the "Liberator"
declares for the abolition of slavery,
another government is established in
the land and proposes to prove its
right to exist by the debate of war;
With the design to preserve the
Union, to disprove (by means of de-
bate the South had chosen the right
of secession from the Union, the
Government under President Lincoln
accepts the formal challenge belched
forth from the lannon's mouth upon
Fort Sumter on the I2th day of April
1861.
Three days later the President
issued his call for $1,000 troops ito
reposess the forts, places and proper
ty which had been seized from the
Union," and the war is begun on
both sides new. In its horrible vor-
tex the Nation was tossed, and
ground, it moaned like living thing
in the agony of death. For nearly
two years the desperate struggle went
on, with the restoration of the Union
as the object to be attained, before
the emancipation of the slaves was
proclaimed by the President. From
6I to 5the best blood, the richest treas
ure, the finest affections of the Nation
were all hurled into that chaos where
men fought as demons. The Govern
ment by these was aiming to carve a
pathway through its desolate darkness
to brighter, more hopeful peace
full future.
We venture the assertion that never
in the worlds history did the spirit of
heroism find itself more subject to
intelligence, honesty and patriotism
than in the northern soldiers, who
fought those desperate battles, in con.
ffict with men as brave and heroic as
themselves. When the clouds rolled
back to let US view the hard fought
field, the sight was more than appall-
ing. We saw one great section Of
our Nation bankrupt. Its best blood
spilled. Myriads of its young men
had gone down in lost cause. Its
fields were ploughed with hot shot
and rutted with the wheels of artil-
lery. Its whole system of labor was
changed. A mighty mass, Of millions,
debauched and degraded by slavery,
were now among them as equals.
Hate was still hot. They were a
mass convinced against their will and
of the same opinion still" A host of
adventures ready to fatten on the
carnage Of war.
AT the north, like loss of men,
but not such complete destruction
Of industries or of property was
experienced. The field of conflict
and of forage was not here.
Then the generalization, The
degeneracy that ever follows war I;
these all were rhe incidental accom-
paniments of that terrible strife.
Then came the days of misconstruc.
ton.
Now then-with all that these few
sentences indicate to you who were
witnesses of, or participators in, that
struggle-with all the cost of,treasure
and blood, with all the dark and de-
moralizing effects, the one thing we
maintain, not as partizans but as citi-
zens is, we were right in fighting for
the Union; and Almighty God made
the abolition of slavery the impera-
tive condition of the preservation of
the Union, and the existence of one
great nation on our soil. We do no
discredit to the honesty OF convic-
ton on the part of southern men,
who viewed the question (as we did)
from the point to which they had