Year: 1861

possibly, be made-as IL would then for
the sake of the Union make such con-
cessions as moderate Southerners would
be satisfied with. As that party (Re-
publican) now regards it no such result is
possible. That both sections will suffer
from a dissolution of the Union / believe,
and any attempt to compute the amount
would be futile. But count II as much
as you may, then laying aside all ques-
tions Of bad faith as to the fulfillment of
constitutional obligation, and the duty of
people to maintain their rights when
honor is involved, at all hazards, you will
be told that the cost 10 the South from
the Inauguration of LIScoLN's principles,
resulting in restricting slavery to fifteen,
and in the course Of few generations to
ten or twelve States, with the slave pop
ulation of those which abolish the system
thrown upon the few remaining slave
States and the rapid increase Of the slave
population, servile instructions would be
an injury as fatal and moro enduring to
the South than civil war with all its at
tendant horros. From the evils of the
latter, time may deliver-those of the for
mer, time would increase until the South
would be compelled TO drive the African
population into the ocean or sink them
selves to their level-for to raise them to
equals involves the lowering of the whites.
The idea of the equality of the races is
mistaken one. Republicans, to be con-
sistent, should favor negro suffrage. Such
an enormous disfranchised population
could scarcely remain among us, in any
condition save as slaves or serfs. We
who boast so much Of our capacity for
selfgovernment have raised 10 high places
demagogues who have sunk themselves
so low in pandering TO our frailties and
corruptions, as men, that they are willing
for the sake of place to welcome calam-
ity incomprehensibe in its magnitude.
If not competent for selfgovernment now,
what will become of us rs a nation when
the negro population shall be admitted as
our equal at the ballot box9 The only
policy I can see that the South can sus-
tain with safety to herself and justice to
the negro would be something similar to
Crittenden's proposition. There must be
an outlet South for the negroes, such ms
there has been West for the Indians. If,
in course of time, the border States find it
for their interest 10 abolish slavery, then


they might find an outlet in the tropic
countries south Of us. BY this process,


in course of time, the negro might find


permanent abiding place in tropical


cline, where has interests and ours de-


manded. Draw circle round us, and


the negro or the white man will ultimate


ly be driven from the soil, but it will be


at such n cost TO the South of blood


treasure, social degradation, &c, as civil


war would not inhict. The South has


been a purchaser of large portion of the


negro population once belonging to tho
States now free, and for those States tC


turn round and say that the slaves shat


remain where they are, without an outlet


MS the number increases, would be, and is


a foul wrong upon the South. AT leas


l think so. / yield precedence to no ont


in attachment to the Union, such as ou


fathers founded. l have held fellowship


with no party that was willing to acknowl


edge the possibility Of its dissolution


My great objection to the democratic par
ty in the South has been that | consid
cred the leaders willing to prectpitdt
what they were satisfied must eventual.


occur. | was aware that the South hat
{ been insulted by the passage of persona
liberty bills; that the fugitive slave lay
f: was almost nulity; had sat in North
, ern Church and heard the South denoun
a ced as but little better than collectio
g of pirates, and the minister declare thai
G if he could be safe in doing so, he woul
8 countenance and incite insurrection an
o supply the rifles to make it effectual; ye
S / persuaded myself that such a part
! could not claim ascendancy in the govern
|. ment, but in November last that issu
; was fairly placed before the people an
: that party triumphed. I hoped again'
t hope. I, with great majority of I'll
o South, care but little what LINCOLN ma