Year: 1861

sslck last on an abstraction. Any thing,
everything must he 1esorted to that the
exigency Of the crisis demaudA The oath
requires it. There is in this direction-in
the line Of action for its OWL preservation
absolutely no limit to the authority Of the
Government In dealing with the rehe's
it is hampered by no restrictions. The
Constitution nowhere interposes any. That


WIGS made only for loyal citizens. Its fra
mers were statesmen. They made their
work for ali time. They LETT it complete
and perfect 1t cannot be that prohibits,
cr was intended to prohibit, any action that
in any contingency may become necessary
for its OWN preservation. If it does, then
i: contains within itself the elements of
IFS own destruction.


What then is In the way? What pre-
vents, Oh the part Of our public servants,
civic and military, q more effective and
complete fulflment OF their oath? We
answer, nothing, absolutely nothing, but
lie fear Of clanor instgated by partisan
prejudice. The President aud the Cabinet
and the officers Of the army can acquit
themselves of their oath if they will.
They have the power; We believe they
hayethe disposition. In this awful crisis
why sh. lid they hesitate? Why is not
The blow struck? We do not ask them to
usurp power. We simply demand that
they keep their oath. They have sworn
to support the Constitution; let them then
utterly ovcrturn and destroy everything
which threat ems its safety.


Time now is tearfully precious. A day
may destroy what it has taken almost
century to rear. The people are waiting


for the Government. They see now that
| slavery has coutrived this wicked rebellion.
! They see, too, that it is within the consti-
I tutional power of the Government to apply
to it, as to everything else which tends to
strengthen the rebellion, the stern rules Of
war. As an act Of military necessity it


may be wiped out. In all this there would


be no usurpation. On the contrary, the oath


demands it, The rebels themselves admit


it by giving UP the Constitution and appeal
| ing to the sword. They only challenge
our ability and our courage No halfway


measures will suffice. It is too late to tenn
| uorize The danger Is too imminent to
| admit Of Hesitation. Shall we try TO e1or-
cise the devil with holy wafer, or shall we
Lurl against him the thunderbo1ts OF the
Law?


We are every day reminded that this is


not WIT tor the abolition Of slavery. We
answer that the war in every aspect is
| ncne Of ours. It was initiated and forced
| upon us by the South. The rebels are bold


in the declaration that they intend by it to
| strengthen and extend and p:rpetuate


slavery. Or our side, We are fighting to


sustain and preserve the Constitutional


maintain the Government Ii, In striving


to accomplish this result, and for the pur.


pose Of rendering certain our success, We


are driven by the acts Of the rebels to at


tack the institution Of slavery, we do it as


a necessary incident of the war-as Q


measure imperiously demanded BY


the military cxigencies Of the crisis


And if the government and slavery can.


not both continue to exist then the


constitutional oath clearly indicates


what is to be done. God forbid that III


should discriminate against the Govern


ment and in favor Of the rebels as to tha


kind of property which has brought upo1
US this great calamity. In the discussion!


that have taken place upon the question
Of excluding slavery from the Territories
pro slavery Senators and Representative
have urged, with great force, that We coul>
rot constituticnally discriminate between
slave property and other chat:elA "


commend tlis argument to them nov
We intend to apply it in dealing with th'


rebellion, We will not discriminate; "
will utterly destroy and confscate thei
property. Il we can reach it, or any Of i
by a mere proclamation, SO much the bette
:. II We can get it without furnishing meaI
Of transportation, so much the easier. W
y believe loyal men everywhere are read
fer the question. Pot-house politician
may howl; tender-footed patriots an
, Thite.livercd sympathizers with the e1


erny may make wTy faces, but all tt
true, earnest patriotism of the country
ready to meet the issues that have bee
. forced upon US. Such men as Joseph Hol
and Andrew johnson, and Daniel S. Die?


inson, and David Tod-aye, and we M,
: add Lewis Cass, are ready TO maintain Il
= Union at every hazard. Their position
that political parties and local institution
may be swept away, but the Goyernme1
= must be preserved. Such men stand {
- no party platforms. They plant ther
= selves upon the pier tops Of their countr
y and their patriotic words reach every 10y
10 heart.


!, Let the men who have the conduct
y this war, then, take courage. Let the
- support the Constitution. Let them P,
T. serve this great nation. Let them rene
y their oath upon the altar Of their COUNT
~ and give to it all the significance that I
=. flinching patriotism invests it with. T
~ ~ bold, energetic, comprehensive mind tt
~ dares to do for the country that which
- - terrible, unexpected contingency has ma
:" necessity for its salvation, will be honor
- By all future generations