Year: 1863

African, to insure success, must be adopted
with the voluntary concurrence Of tbs peo.


pie with whom that race is in personal Re


lation and contact Otherwise it will be q


failure, and ''their last state will be worse


than the first".e He had no confidence in


measures of amehoration and philanthropy


which are to be accomplished by fire aud


sword and widespread desolation. II the


structure Of States is to be reformed. and


degraded race elevated to better condition.


more pacific agencies must be employed.-
Slavery has been seriously impaired by the


war, and some of the States will doubtless
take measures of their own accord for its
gradual removal. But the whole subject
must finally be left TO the voluntary action
! Of the States themselves. "a. ,-.4 ..s-T-
In confirmation of the opinions be had
expressed in regard to the practical ten


dency of the abolition policy of the admin.
istration, he might produce expressions
from some Of the most devoted Union men
in the border states. he would content
himself by selecting but one Ii came from
a noble and illustrious patriot who now
sleeps in his grave, to which he was hasten
ed by the calamities of bis country II was
the calm, earnest voice Of John j. Ciitteu.
den. For many years it had been bis good
fortune to enjoy the friendship OF that wise
and patriotic statesman whose loss the
whole country mourns as great national
bereavement, and which he deeply felt as
personal atfiiction, severing another of the
cherished ties which connected him with
the past. In letter received from Mr.
Crittenden, short time before his death, hs
held the following language:


"The fate Of the country depends TO
great extent upon the course and conduct
of your great state. Her word bravely and
patriotically spoken will have mighty in-
tiuence throughout the Union. and will
control the policy on which the war is to
be prosecuted; and upon that policy dc.
pends. mainly the results of the war. Ifit is
to be prosecuted simply and nobly Tor the
restoration Of the Constitution and the
Union il will be successtul; but ii 1t is To be
perverted into Il war for abolition aud Tor
desolaton--a war for vengeance. then !
should say the war will be tItai 10 tn,
Union and to the country, If had not su-
perstitious confidence that God will save Us
from our own madness. think the people
should express with manly irmness their
opinion OH the mighty questions OF consti-
tutionality and eXpediency that are involved
in or connected with thus war rs now pros.
ecuted and conducted by the administrs.
ton. They cannot Consider II as unimpor
tant whether the war is TO be Prosecuted
for the abolition OF slavery or not, or
whether the President had the constitution.
al power to issue his proclamation. These
questions enter into aud form part and par
Gel Of the war lt seems 10 me that the
policy to be observed in the prosecution Of
the war, is an essential part Of il, on which
its issues, for veal or woe, must depend.
1t is my anxious desire for the preservation
of the Constitution and Union that makes
me SO anxious that no false step should be
taken in the prosecution OF the war, and es
pecially none SO mischieyous as tho course
now pursued by the administration.


But the question arises, what is 10 be
done? In what manner can We contribute
to the restoration of the Union and the de
hverance of the country from peril | ltm may
be said that we have NJ power 10 influence
the action of the administration, a. now
constituted. But we can exercise the right,
Of lreemen and discharge our duty III aman
", fearless spirit, leaving consequences with
that overriding Providence by whom ma
tions are built and destroyed. We can still
express our opinions (at least IN the State
of New York without fear Of provostmar
shals: We can exercise the right Of suffrage,
and contend for the cause OF constitutional
right a. liberty, with patriotic energy and
zeal. The time has come Tor the people to
declare their will, with an emphatic voice
which cannot be doubted or misunderstood.
We can exercise our constitutional right oil
petition 10 the government Of the United
States The President has doubtless been
persuaded that the people of the North de
sire him to abolish slavery in all the states,
and 10 prosecute the war for that purpose.


lie feared that Mr. Lincoln was kept in
state OF honest ignorance respecting the
true opinion Of the country. lic must be
the victim of an illusion, which ought TO be
dispeled 1t is time that the President
snoald be undeceIved. Let il be- made known
to him by clear and unquestonsble evidence
that the people demand that this war shall
be prosecuted solely for the restoration oil
the Constitution as it is and the Union as
il was, and not ior the humiliation Ol states
or the forcibIe emancipation Of southern
negroes. At AM rate, he desired that the
people of Niagara should speak ont, and
with this view be had prepared petition
to the President asking nina q revoke hl'
abolition proclamation, and proclaim the
supremacy OF the Constitution. Ii would
be submitted 70 the meeting for its coDsid
Grafton. lie intended to sign IL, and hoped
a majority Of the people Of this county
would do likewise. II the voice Of ourown
county is thus expressed, we may fairly an
fer that il is an index 10 the popular SENT
ment in other parts Of the country. Ii
will thus be seen how many Of our citizens
desire that the war shall be prosecuted and
finally concluded according TO the principles
Of the Constitution lie was confident that
large majority are in favor Of making tbs
restoration Of the Union a. il was the sole
object OF the war. IL there be any who


I;garap, rnlicv IL IL com us tent for