Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1892-10-02
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The Repuplicans and slavery.

We have shown heretofore that hr. LrN-
COLIN emancipated the slaves as wal
measure. For long time he endeavored TO
"saye the Union" as he phrased 1t, WITH
out destroying slavery. The convention
which nominated him tor President OF the
United States declared in its platform that
tho Republican party did not propose nor
purpose to interfere with the institution
of domestic slavery as that institution ex-
,sted in the several States. The WbAor
proyIso was their ultimatum-nameiy,
that no person should BIO held to service
or labor IN the United States Territories
unless for crime of which he had pre-
ylously been convicted by law.
In his celebrated canvass OF Illinois
with Mr.. DOUGLAS, Mr.. LINCOLN al
ways and everywhere took particu-
lar pans TO assure his audiences
that he did not desire to interfere with
the rights of shareholders as shareholders.
He and the Republican party were intent
upon keeping slavery out OF the Federal
Territories. as we have said. They wished
so they said, to conhne slavery where 1t
was then lawful institution. 1t IS true
they expected that to confne slavery
within those limits would be to destroy It
as soon as 1t had become surrounded by a
Gordon of free States. OF course they
knew that the Federal Constitution guar
anteed to the Shareholders not simply
peaceable possession of their slaves but
the return of those slaves to their owners
whenever they might be caught out OF
their own States. All these things counted
for nothing. Swearing they would never
touch slavery, they touched it with hand
that caused it to wither.
Recently we had occasion to say:
"Be 1t our duty to consign Il to the tomb and
thus relieve the country from the rule OF the
most dangerous faction that ever existed in this
country-daugerous TO free institutions and 70
the Constitution framed to preserve those insti-
tutions."
Whereupon the Spirit of me VALLEY COM
ments as follows:
"The Republican party preserved tho Union
formed by Washington, jefferson, Adams, and
Hamilton from the attacks OF pro-slavery pro-
pagandists, and thus preserved free institu-
lions They forever abolished slavery in our
land, thus freeing not only the black slave, but
also improving the white laborer."
1t Is rather hard upon the hundreds
of thousands 'ot Democrats who fought
the war for the Union to be told that it
was the Republican party that saved It'll
We have just shown that the Republican
party was willing to let the institution of
slavery exist wherever it existed; and that
Mr.. LINCOLN declared that he would save
the Union if he could either by abolishing
slavery or by perpetuating it. though he
had previously declared that the Union
could not exist half free and halt slave.
Surely, then, the Republican party did not
"preserve the Union" On the contrary,
the Union would have been saved without
loss of life if Mr.. LINCOLN, instead of call
ing out $1,000 soldiers TO put down the
"rebellion," had allowed tho southern
people TO preserve the Union themselves.
Virginia had just voted against secession
and gwen an immense majority against 1t.
However, we dill not intend to argue
these points with tn, csir':. We hold that
the war was not only begun by the Re-
publican party, but prolonged by 1t. We
hold that the Union could have been saved
without the shedding of blood. We hold
that the blood and treasure of this fair
land were poured out unnecessarily. Mr..
LINCOLN ought not to have begun the war.
Fort Sumter might have been let alone
until Virginia had acted. We say nothing
az to the blunders on both sides.