Cayton's weekly. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1916-1921, 1918-02-02

then cannot be formed at once on the high
est standard of advancement but must de-
velop and grow as their experience teaches.
The standard of nation when first estab-
lished cannot be the same as the standard of
the same nation after long years of vigorous
experience. 49, 81
There are many things that experience has
taught the people of our country that
would, likely, and that should, properly, be
Incorporated into the national constitution
now, that could not be considered and in
corporated into it by the convention that
framed the constitution, because the mem
bers of the convention did not have any
knowledge or experience of certain import
ant subjects which have since grown into
the political sphere of the nation; but to
the extent Of the knowledge and expert
ence they had which was complete in the
political sphere in. which they moved they
builded we'll and accomplished all they
undertook.
But on the question of slavery however
the founders had knowledge and experience,
but fell far short of realizing the serious
effect it's continuance would have upon the
nation afterwards. Many even then be-
leved it would naturally in time die out
and cease to exist. It nevertheless proved
to be a monster fastening itself more firmly
than ever upon one section of the country
and with it's tentacles spread everywhere in
their midst, poisoning the political mind in
every section Of the country.
If the fathers of the country could have
realized the fearful cost slavery would
prove to be to the nation, if they could have
realized that it would eventually plunge the
nation into four years Of fatricidal warfare,
if they could have realized the terrible con-
dition of people overrun by armies and
the pltlable state of large communities dur
ing reconstruction period, if they could
have realized all Of this we should naturally
infer that they would have done away with
slavery in the beginning.
1t is however possible that slavery was
the stumbling stone that would have wreck
ed the Union then and there, if the attempt
had been seriously made to abolish it.
If it be true that if the question of free
ing the slaves by the constitutional conven-
tlcn had been pressed to conclusion it
would have wrecked the nation, then it was
wisdom on the part of the convention to
make no such attempt
IT the establishment Of the Union and the
national government depended upon the
continuance and constitutional protection of
slavery, then the convention did it's duty by
SO protecting it. It was the better part of
wisdom to protect slavery by constitutional
NH''N'LICHC IdtLtI Cudu TO make q failure
establishing the Union and the government.
The people had fought seven years war
fare to establish nation Of freemen to es-
tabllsh government for the people, and if
1t was question of losing the fruits of their
seven years battling against one of the
most powerful nations in the world, or sus-
tanning slavery, it was better to sustain
slavery and save the fruits -the Union.
That is to say, it is the part of wisdom
to save part rather than to lose the
whole; though such disposal of the sub
Ject is at great sacrifice and fearful
cost.
1t is better to let the wheat and tares
grow together rather than DESTROY both
wheat and tares in an attempt to extermi-
nate the tares.
Ii 1t still required another four years of
the most terrible war of modern times to
maintain the Union, if it was yet necessary
to make sacrifice on other fields of carnage
TO lay waste other homes, to destroy other
armies IN order to complete the work of es
tabllshlng the government of the neonlo