The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1889-10-03
WORDS OF CONFESSION.

these were there. AS is customary at such
gatherings, there was a certain amount of
the outpouring of mutual love and affection,
but beyond this there was nothing to dis
tinguish the assemblage from any other of
like kind and import; in other words the
gatherers were back numbers representing
nothing that is and but little that ever was,
SO far as the affairs of the nation are con
cerned.
And still it was meeting not altogether
destitute of meritorious phases and com
mandatory situations. The abolitionists
had mission in our midst and they filled it.
They furnished the draught which JOHN
BRowN drank of until he became intoxi-
Gated, and lit the torch which went out in
blood at Harper's Ferry. This was
really the beginning of the rebellion.
And yet we have the word of truly loyal
and altogether Republican sheet-the
same being no more nor less than the
Globe Democrat of St. Louis-to the effect
that those old fellows are merely reminis-
eences Of a period now existing only in
history. The irreverent and we might say
ungrateful sheet goes on to state that
there was no lack of the old spirit of self
appreciation among the veterans, and that
it was impossible to convince them that
they and their associates did not abolish
slavery. This coming from such a source
is for certain the very acme of mans in
gratitude. But then the paper adds infamy
to infamy by suggesting that those fellows
honestly believe that the extirpation of<the
great evil Of slavery was brought about
through their efforts, with "a little assist
ance from heaven" We doHft much blame
the CD. for becoming Somewhat irritated
over such a statement>as that; the idea of
Republicans indiyjSGally or any number of
them recognizing the assistance of heaven
in anything that is commenced or carried
out, is altogether too much to endure.
The paper referre to goes further and
Goes MORE. 1t causes the old fellows, by
its u3cterances, to believe that the fact that
the extinction of slavery was reached, is
Sufficient proof in their minds that they
are entitled to most if not all the credit for
it. "They easily overlook the services of
Others" it says, land monopolize the
glory of an achievement with which they
really had very little to do so far as the
practical side of the matter is concerned.
1t would not be strictly true the st.
Louis luminary confesses, ito say that
they hindered rather than promoted the
cause of emancipation"-a great admis-
sion, truly-"but it is certain that emanci-
patton came to pass at last by reason of in
fuences that they neither created nor con-
trolled."
As the foregoing were not sufficient as
an almost complete ''give-away," the CD.
goes on to say
At the outlook of the war the Abolitionists
were little more honored in the north than in
the south. They had not been able 10 gain the
mastery in single state. There was wide
sympathy with their feeling about the sinful
ness OF Slavery, but comparatively none with
their idea that ii should be utterly abolished.
The men whose votes had elected LINCOLN
were not in favor of touching the Institution
where il already existed, but only of preventing
its extension; and their opposition to It's eXtCu-
sion was based not so much upon moral senti-
ment as upon material consideration. II LIN
COLIN had intimated a purpose to interfere with
slavery in the southern states he would have
been defeated. The AboliHonists did not eX-
pect him to do anything of that kind. They re
garded him rs an enemy more than IN ally. HIS
success was not their victory, and they aid not
claim it as such. They suspected and distrusted
him, and were prepared to see him administer
the government in the interest OF slavery to the
extent 0: giving it full protection wherever it
had gained fOOthOld. He could not be cOaXc1
TO give any pledge beyond that OF resisting the
spread OF the evil: and in that respect the great
majority of the northern people agreed with
him.
But perhaps the most damaging state
ment in the article is that which follows.
Our contemporary says that - there was
no time previous to the lst of January, 1868,
when the south could not have preserved
slavery by simply ceasing to wage war
against the government. The north real
lied that the root of the trouble was the
system that the Abolitionists so bitterly
assaulted, but there was no desire to remove
it if the union could be saved without re-
sorting to that expedient." 1t then goes
on further i'll this burst of candor and ad-
mts that ait was not until emancipation
was seen to be a supreme necessity, as
war measure, that it secured northern
favor Had it been proclaimed before that
time the effect would have been disastrous
to the union cause. The people of the free
states were opposed to it so long as they
thought the rebellion could be suppressed
by other means. 1t was not by the argu-
ments of the abolitionists that they were
persuaded to accept such a decree, but by
severe lessons of experience which showed
them that it was indispensable to military
success"
This is all very acceptable to the Demo
cratic palate, even if it does come little
late 1t ought at this stage of the argu
ment. to be set PORTLAND of course after
the above display of righteousness the
statement viii not be denied-that men
were hung in ef1igy and hung physically
for Just such language as the foregoing
during and Immediately after the war. 1t
was of course an exciting period, a time
when men were not altogether responsible
for what they said or did. And yet it |
seems rather hard that lot of blue coated, |
ruffianly soldiers in passenger car should |
detach the bell-rope and seek to string up |
Hon. ID. w. VOORHEES, with it when his |
only offense was that in a public speech |
he had used language almost linden |
tical with what now emanates from |
a truly loyal and altogether upright news |
paper. OF course the abolition of slavery |
was a means to an end, and if the Republi- |
can party could at the beginning have Sc
cured the reunion of the states without |
fighting, or at any time before the enamel |
patton proclamation without further fight |
ing, they would have done as they charged |