The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1903-02-19

fears and struggles and hopes that event
uate in changed ard improved National
life that was never anticipated by the
most sanguine of those actually in the
conflict, or of those watching it from out
side, knows history in quite another way.
This difference is felt peculiarly by those
who review the story of slavery as It
was, and emancipation as it came to be,
in this country within the last half-ceu-
fury.
1t is one thing to read that in 1861
there were 4,0uO.OO0 human beings held
in slavery in the United States oil Amer
lea; and that, as a consequence OF eA-
cited discussion and embittered feeling
over this subject, a fierce war between
brethren was waged for more than four
years from that time, at a cost of millions
of lives and thousands of millions OF dol,
lars resulting in the emancipation OF all
these slaves and closer union OF all
these long-estranged brethren.
1t is quite another thing to have lived
through those prolonged preliminary dis
cussions and excitemeIits, while slavery
was the present and seemingly the perna-
nent cause of intensest bitterness: and to
have shared the perils and hopes and
dependencies while that fierce civil war
was dragging its slow progress toward
its hardly hoped for but blessed outcome.
edge of these pregnant events can rightly
understand what they We're, and what
they came to: but to them it Is an ever
present and vivid reality.
NOT HOSTILE TO SLAVERY.
Slavery was formally abolished in my
native State of Connecticut only nine
years before was born. | remember old
slaves in the vicinity of my early home.
who had been soldiers in the Revolution
ary War and in the War of 1872, and
who were now living comfortably and
were well cared for. By the law of the
State their former owners were bound to
provide for them as long as they lived, al
though they were absolutely free. Hence,
while in early life l knew of slavery, l
had no sense of its evils and no hostility
to Shareholders as such. ! knew that
slavery still existed in the Southern
States, but l was taught that we at the
North were no more responsible for II
than f,V polygamy in Turkey. Quite a
number Of my acquaintances, and friends
of my = cents, had close business reIa-
tons witt the South, and some of them
resided ths 'e a portion of every year.
admired thu, Christian character and the
personal wt.rth of some of these TRENDS
and l had no occasion to be preJudiced
against tho South or its institutions from
my early n ,wledge and associations.
My fat (. belonged to the old Wing
party, and to that conservative portion OF
It later known as ''S:lver Gray Wings.
from its silver-haired leader. the Hon:
Francis Granger, of New York State.
had been given the name of Henry
Clay" of Kentucky, from my fathers
sincere affection for the man and admira-
ton for his political policy. | was
brought up to love and revere the Great
Commoner," who had saved our country
from disunion in several critical emergen-
rin hr HE e,Iccoccfpl advocacy Of c0pcitI-
itory compromises on the subject of slav-
cry and its extension. l firmly believed
that the existence and stability of our
Government rested on the sacredness OF
those compromises. Anti-slavery and abo-
lition agitation had no sympathy from
me; and in this feeling. up to 1854, | was
like many another New England Wing
opposed to agitation at the North on the
subject of slavery at the South, and zeal
GUS for all the constitutional rights Of the
South.
THE soUTH's ATTEMPT TO CARRY sLAv-
cry INTO FREE TERRITORY.
But when, at that time, the attempt
was made in Congress to violate the
terms of what was deemed the sacred
missouri Compromise of 1920. and to
overthrow our whole National basis or
compromises, and carry slavery into ter
ritory invioiably pledged to freedom by
Of things was changed, and sympathies
and feelings were swayed accordingly.
Not from any feeling of hostility TO the
South, or even to the institution of slav-
cry as such, but for the resistance of IN
fair slavery extension into the realm of
freedom, l Joined the newly-formed Re
publican party, and was on the stump, in
1856, for its candidates, Fremont and
Dayton. I had been willing to let slav-
cry in the South alone, but l was not
willing to have slavery forced on me in
the North. Then came the conflict on
the plains of Kansas and Nebraska-pre-
urinary skirmsh of the great civil war:
not for the purpose of interfering with
slavery where it existed, but to retain,
at any cost, free territory for freedom.
l was personally acquainted with many
OF the Eastern men who went to Kansas
as settlers with this conservative intention.
! knew John Brown of Osawatomie,"
stern old Puritan that be was. l sat by him
and heard him tell, on one of his visits
70 the East, of the fearful experiences,
In Kansas, of himself and his companions,
In conflict with Slave-State champions.
He said nothing, then. of any purpose of
bis to attempt the overthrow of slavery.
although it was but a few weeks before
Sis final attempt at Harper's Ferry: but
the glare in his eyes showed that he saw
more than he was telling, and, although !
lad no sympathy with him in his special
purpose as OlSclOSeU IaIeT, j CCuIO mol
konder that his brain had been fred, and
bis whole soul aroused to the determine
&on of rising up, alone as 1t were, to at
eempt the overthrow of the accursed sys-
Gem which had wrought all this wrong,
ond which was intrenched within the ira
Aitions OF centuries and defended by all
the power Of a mighty National Govern
Eent, and he but one man, with God, In
the conflict.
4 CHANGE OF FEELING AMONG NEW ENG
LAND CONSERVATIVES.
Conservative men of New England, gen
0Rally, While having no personal bitter
ness toward Southerners, and while IN
willing to act with those who advocated
the direct abolition of slavery in the
South, vera from that time less inclined
to apologize for slavery. and they grew
more impatient of such apologies. Being
In Boston one Sunday, l met at church
IN old Wing whom ! was surprised te
see just there, as he had been an active
snember In another denomina ton.
Flows this" l asked. what are you
doing here?'
"WelI, tell you" he said. "Our pas
tor preached a sermon, q few months ago
In which be showed that slavery was 9
divine institution. He proved 1t. too
When I came out Of church that noon,
said to my wife. Mary, our pastor ha,
proved something today that we know I,
lie. The next thing we know he'll
be proving something that we don't know
II lie. 1t Is time We got out of this s.
we got out, and came over here"
That process of thinking was going OF
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