Year: 1860

parallel, much less contrast between
Messrs. Lincoln and Bell, tor, in SINGER
|ity, [ entertain high opinion of then
both. In the general Administration
of the Government, | could trust either
of them, for they are both men O
knowledge and experience and old
Wings; and the only point of marked
difference between them that [ know of
is found In their widely divergent opin
ions in regard to Slavery in the Terri,
tories, and the power of Congress oven
it there. Mr.. Bell, [ understand, be-
lieves that the Constitution carries sla,
very into all the Territories If thai
opinion be we'll founded, then of course
it is the duty of Congress to proteci
slavery there; fer it were absurd to say
that there is or can be any constitu-
tional right which the Cover nment is
not bound to protect.


Mr.. Lincoln, on the contrary, believes
(and in that l agree with him that the
Constitution does not curry slavery into
the Territories, and that, in the absence
of local law upon the subject, no man
has or can have consti3uttond{ right to
hold slaves in Territory, or to call
upon the General Government to pro.
tect his slave property there. Here
lies the main difference, if not the only
important difference between the opin-
ions of Lincoln and Bell. In other
things, as far as know, they substantially
agree. But in that difference IS found
the pivot of the Republican party, The
very hinge on which it hangs.


Your enemies, possibly for lack of
substantive matter to charge against
you, assail you with reproachful adjec-
ives, They call you Black Republicans,
and in one view there may be some
sense in the epithet, for it cannot be de-
MED that you are strongly opposed to
the admission of black (slaves) into the
Territories, and firmly resolved to re-
serve, if you can, the virgin lands, to be
settled and cultivated and made valua,
BILE by the free white voluntary labor
of American citizens, and thus build up
communities of white people = free
equal, and intelligent. But | think
the Democrats better entitled than you
are to the black adjective, for your
claim is negative only, as you insist upon
excluding the blacks from all our free
Territories, and show decided unwil-
lingness to be associated with them in
your farming Iabors: while the claim OF
the Democrats is affirmative, and is
proven by their constant efforts to es-
tablish the right Of the blacks to GO
along with the whites into the Terrific
ries, and by the urgent desire of mony
of that party to augment the number of
the blacks, by fresh importations from
Africa.


In regard to the Government and Geo.
nomic view of the case, an eminent
Southern statesman has tersely said
that Capital ought to own its labor. y
Certainly it ought and does, whenever it
is able and willing to buy its labor by
paying honest wages for honest work.


But [ cannot see any greater necess-
ity for capital employed in farming to
own the men who do the labor than for
the capital employed in building houses
to oyn the carpenters and masons who
erect them. But if 1 am wrong in this,
and the dogma be really true maxim,
as applied to the laborers, still | think
there is another aphorism quite as true
and far more benefcient, especially in a
country, that is, Labor ought to oaen 1T
Land. ....


The main objections urged against the
election of Mr.. Lincoln are not directed
against him personally, for it is only a
just tribute to his personal character,
that no one imputes to him evil designs
against the country, nor imagines that
when he becomes President he will at
tempt any great wrong to the nation, OF
any section of it. But coming tacticiar s
sug uggest, and some timid patriots fear,
that certain truculent politicians in the
South will seize upon Lincoln's election
as pretext for rising rebellion to put
down a President constitutionaHy and
lawfully chosen.


If you have any such idle fears, beg
you to dismiss them at once, lest they
lead you to the gross injustice Of impu-
ting to the Southern States, or even to the
body of Southern Democrats, the pur.
pose to commit crime at once so wicked
and so foolish. -......


We all know that there are in the
South a few conceited egotists, who
whenever they find the votes and the ar.
guments all against them, appeal to our
fears, by threats of indefinite mischief
hoping to win triumph over justice
reason, and the public will, by sheer
bullying.


1 tell you, my friends, that the South
:ern people are not guilty of that wickee
crime. and stupid folly they know, a:
we'll as we can tell them that armed re
sistence to a lawfully chosen Presiden
is treason; they know that government
that has not the power and the will tt
protect itself and enforce the laws is ;
poor, contemplate government; ane
they especially need government strong
enough to protect all its people. They
know that armed resistance to a Lawful


President is but the beginning Of civi
war: and civil war, as our people are
now divided, would be sure to run into
social war; that is, warm States, coun


ties, neighborhoods, and then what hu


man power could prevent the horrors 0
seryile war. However much l ma,
differ from many of our Southern breth


ren upon certain points of governmental


policy, l rely upon their wisdom ant


patriotism to put down the few despera


does among them; and thus prevent til


initial crime which, if allowed to be sue
cessfully committed, would imperil tn


worlds last hope of Republican Free
dom, and would not fail to draw in it


train the complicated horrors of civil


social and servile war.


rely, say, confdently p upon tn
virtue and patriotism of the Southern