The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1900-05-23
FIX ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
!. Diyision Meets in Fort Worth with a
large Crowd in Attendance.
Inn H. Reagan. the Only Surviving Member
',H Davis Cabinet. Delivers an Address Full
dhstoric Interest to Civil War Survivors.

any law or regulation therein. be dis
charged from such service or labor. but
shali be delivered up on the claim OF tho
party to whom such service or labor NAV
lie due
Thus giving the sanction of the conssi-
tuition TO the right of the owner of slaves
DO reeapture them If they escaped and to
control their persons and labor.
quote these clauses OF the constitu-
ton to show that the institution of Az
rlcan slavery was recognized BY 1t as law
ful and was protected specially by Its
terms.
AS time wore on several OF the States
where slaves were NOT profitable and where
hired labor was preferred, abolished slav-
cry and a sentiment in opposition to slav-
cry grew up, first among humane persons,
until 1t got strong enough to attract the
attention OF politicians. These where they
could turn this sentiment to political ac-
count, stimulated the opposition TO slav-
cry as a political element And suisse
quently on the admission OF Missouri into
the Union as a State and at the time ot
the annexation of Texas to the United
States and OF the acquisition of Mexican
territory under the treaty OF 1S4S and on
the admission OF California as a State tho
agitation OF the question Of slavery as
stunned most threatening aspect and the
opposition to II became so strong in n
number Of the Northern States that they
passed laws making II a high crime for
any Of their officers or citizens to obey
the mandate OF the constitution, the acts
Of congress and the decisions Of the SUI
preme court Of the United states by re-
turning fugitive slaves 10 their owners
In the year 1856 the anti-slavery men nom
mated Northern sectional ticket for pres
ident and vice president, with General
Fremont at the head of the ticket calling
themselves free sellers. while this
ticket was defeated. it showed very grra.
strength in the Northern States the popu-
lar vote for Mr. Buchanan being ! ,S3S l69,
for Fremont l,941, 26i and for Millard FIJI
more S74 53S at the election for pres
Cent and vice president in 1850 the repub-
lican party put a sectional anti-slavery
ticket in the field with Abraham Lincoln
Of Illinois for president and Hannibal
Ham.in of Maine for vice president. This
ticket was elected. the popular vote being
For Lincoln 1,S66,352, for Douglass 1870,
81 for John g. Breckenridge &5,169 ana
for John Bell 5S9,5Sl.
Before this election the slavery question
had led 10 a war in Kansas between the
men representing the Northern and south,
ern States 4 number OF mon were kllieu
and much property DESTROYED. Tnis was
followed by the invasion OF the State OF
Virginia by John Brown and his associates
who sought to bring about war OF races
between the black and white people re
and some of his associates were captureu'
tried for treason and hung instead Of
this effort on the part of this band to N
augurate a servile race war TO be carried
on by murder and arson, being condemned
nv the Northern people. they rung funeral
bells and draped their churches in mourn
ing in many places for Brown and his asso.
ciates and regarded them as martyrs. ard
not as felons of the worst type. as they
we're And during the congress which pre-
ceded the election of Mr.. Lincoln many
propositions looking to some basis OF com
promise were made, by which the rights
of the Southern people might be secured
and disruption of the Union avoided and
every one OF them was offered either by
Southern men or by Northern democrats
and all of them were received in the con
gress by the republican members with
hoOting and expressions of dsrision. ana
our anneals tn the constitution as the
shield and protection to our states ana
people were answered by declarations OF
the republicans that they we're In the ma
jority and that we must submit. IL was
clear that these declarations were meant
to show that a popular majority OF the
people was to take the place of the con
stitution. so far as the States and the
people of the South were concerned. ]
NAV not be able in words to show the IN
tensity of feeling which pervaded botn
parties, but II WAS one of the bitteres'
histilitv: the one side claiming that II
was animated by feelings Of humanity aud
Justice, and the other claiming that u
rights were protected by the constitution
and laws and courts of the United states
The foregoing are some of the Things
which led to the terrible war between the
States. l do not refer to them 10 re.
kindle sectional passion. God knows there
has been suffering enough from that cause
hut many seek to make our children be
lieye that we were rebels and traitors
History. when It comes to be written bN
the impartial historian will state the case
/ substantially as ! am stating It. Ana II
will also show that the war was me re-
suit of a revolution of opinion on the
slavery question. in which the provisions
Of the constitution, which recognized ana
protected It. were overthnown a7d ne"
/ doctrine on that subject adopted for she
/ United States.
| I am not discussing the question as tr
whether African slavery was right OF
wrong. The Saviour of mankind, when hi
/ advised servants TO be obedient to then
masters. did not discuss or consider the
right or the wrong OF their positions. HI
simply accepted the condition as he founc
II. IL slavery was wrong. the Southern
people we're not responsible FOR It. Thel
Inherited it from the crowned heads O
Europe and the Dutch merchants, and us
Righteousness was guaranteed to them BY
the great and good man who won the IN
dependence of the United States. and VIM
framed and transmitted to us the oonstitu
lion as the charter OF our rights and liber'
Ties. Our generation simply accepted thi'
institution as they found It. But 1t IN
volved 10 them a properly value probably
amounting to Sc. 1000. 000O 600, and to soela
organization of society. And 1t involve'
another important question that Is tne
/ right Of the States TO control each fol
! itself their own domestic institutions
and the preservation OF the constitution o
the United states as the sheet anehof On
their liberties. -.
George Bancroft, In his history OF tn
United states volume I, page 1853, says
/ "slavery and the slave trade are old"
than the records OF human society the!
are found TO have existed wherever TN
4 savage hunter began 10 assume the hahl's
Of pastoral or agricultural life, and witt
the execution Of Australia they have ex
tended over every portion Of the globe
They pervaded every nation OF the clvi
lived antiuuity" They existed among IN
ancient Egyptians. among the Hebrews
The chosen people OF God. who bought AM
sold as slaves men Of their own race
among the Bahylonians. the Phoenicians
.1lrr 4 ~ Iona . "A n