Year: 1863

L
In public address made at Providence (R l.
on the 10th Of August, 1861, by the Hon Caleb
| B. Smith, member of Mr.. Lincoln's Cabinet,
we find the following definition of the President
position:


The theory Of this Government is that the States are
sovereign within their proper sphere The Government
Of the United States has right to interfere with
the institution OF slavery South Carolina than it has to


interfere with the peculiar institutions of Rhode Island
whose benefits have enjoyed to day.


! "But, my friends, during the last summer when the
great political contest RACING throughout the land
then it that designing and dishonest men, for the pur-
pose OF accomplishing their own selfish schemes appealed


to the preudces of the Southern people, denouncDg
who supported Mr. Lincoln as abotonists as men who
would disregard the constitutional rights Of the South and
transcend the powers of the Government. Excited by
means of these nquous appeals they ready 70 take
arms to prevent the inauguration Of that President whom


majority Of the people had declared to be the of
their choice.


"My friends have known the President long and we'll
II mas oeen my rne to be selected az one Of his cous
tutiona advisers have had the honor of being connect
ed with this Administration since its commencement, and


tell you tonight that y0u cannot find in South Carolina


man more anx usy reglously and scrupu!ously TO OBJ
all the features of the Constitution relating to slave
ry than Abraham Lincoln.


"My friends, We make war upon Southern institu
tions. We recognise the right of South Carolina and
Georgia to hold ives if they desire them But my friends
appeal to yo to uphold the great banner of glo
rous country and to leave the people of that country to
choice
and the exgenoe, which the times may present.


" Let New Eng land rally promptly and earnestly and
tell you rebellion will be crushed to the earth and the
stars and stripen will be raised united country
Then shall hrve peace. Peace will spread her be-
ngn influence this land and happiness be bu
snes revived and the blessings of free G, vernment
ioyed.


II do not invoke you to engage in this as a war
against slavery We warning for different principle
But there ia an old adage, brought down to FRI m the
ancients that whom the gods would destroy they frat
m fIata hu that Qdnaa yUhtnh
their wickedDess Gods provide nee has brought upon
them And that will do TO crush out the institution
of slavery than would have been done by the peaceful sd
mnsraon of the Government in ten centuries If that
should be the consequence have tears to she'd To
the future and Providence leave the of this
great question.


States to enter into crusade against the institution Of
slavery would proclaim to the people of all the States
of this Union the right to their institutions in
their own way know that my fellow citizens will
cogGse that fundamental principle upon which
commenced this contest Let not give opponents
any to complain of in this respect Let not
bring to bear upon them the OF despOtsm but the
power of the people of Republican Government where
the people rule. Let us bring it to bear upon them
that the traitors shall receive such condgn punishment
all the world maJ the fate which free people visits
upon traitors"


1t was under such auspices that the Congress
authorized the President to raise armies and to
negotiate loans to carry on the war for the Union
and the Constitution. The distinguished Secre-
tary of the Treasury, acknowledging the will of
Congress his rule Of duty under this head, call
ed upon the people TO give their money, as they
were already giving men, to sustain the Govern
ment in its struggle for national existence. To
this effect he wrote as follows in his address to the
people under date of September 2, 1861, calling
for their free-wl offerings under the authority of
Congress


And is it unreasonable to hope that the ausp,cious
results of pesce be bssened by the reflections of the
tzens of the States in insurrecton That they will
review their action; weigh their welfare; consider
the disposition of the people of the whole country to
cognse all their constitutional rights and to allow them
their full share in the benefits of the Government
and that allegiance to the Union which, in en-
evil hour, they have been tempted to throw off Will
they not reflect that the into which the Government
Of the Union has been constrained is not for their
subjugaton but for national existence and that
auspcous result to the Union will benefit largely the
States in nsurrecon the States which have remained
loyal7"


Such was the summons. In anticipation of the
legislation authorizing such appeals, the President
had correctly augured their inspiring effect when
he wrote in his first message as follows:


"A right result at this time, will be worth to the
world than ten times the and ten times the money
The evidence reaching from the country leaves no



that it needs only the hand of legislation to give legal
sanction and the hand of the Executive to give practical
shape and efficiency One of the greatest perpexhes of
the Government to avoid receiving troops faster than IL
can provide for them In word, the people will
their Government If the Government itself will do it's part
only indlferently WELL"


The war was begun, and, for time, it was con-
Quoted with eye single to the restoration of the
Union and the maintenance of the Constitution.
The unanimity Of the people was without exam
pie in the history Of nations Mems hearts were
melted by the fires of common patriotism and ran
together in the channels prescribed by the Govern
ment for the manifestation of the national unity
and the national strength.


Only a small class remained dissatisfied and
queruous. II was composed of those who profess
to be peculiarly the friend, of the slave. They
were fluent in predictions that we could never
conquer the insurgents except by the aid of the
"loyal blacks" They called for "proclamation
Of freedom" as war measure of most potent eff
cacy. The results that were promised in its name
may be read in such vaporing as the following,
imposed ON the creduity Of its readers by the
Chicago Tribune few weeks before the proclama-
tion came to expose the futity of its hopes. (We
cite the chusion as specimen Of the loose decla.
nation under the pressure Of which the prooama-
tion WAS 6nally issued y