Year: 1866

CiHineQt IN lts e0tlfety las Has UcSu tuo
mission Of the Union party, but depart
take the liberty of adding, that can hard
ly conceive of any sadder spectacle, under
the crisis of present circumstances, than that
OF the tried Union party of this country be
coming dislocated and broken up by divls-
ions, or that of one branch of the Govern
ment Of the country taking an isolated po
sition upon questions of deep and common
interest, and placing itself in hostile conflict
with coordinate departments.


For these and other reasons which might
be mentioned, cannot join in the cali for
the convention in Philadelphia.


have said that many of the principles
stated in the call are, in my view, unobiec
tionable / viii not stop to criticise those
which are Objectionable, but content myself
with stating that the call fails to take any
the American people l allude to the ques-
ton whether the several States shall ratify
or reject the last amendment proposed by
Congress to the Constitution of the United
States. This is grave aud all important
question. The issue upon IT cannot be
avoided 1t should be placed fairly and
squarely before the people. The failure to
take ground upon so important and all abb
sorbing question must be attributed either
to desire to avoid the issue, or as decla
ration of belief and policy against the adop
ton of the amendment. Being myself ear
nestly and decidedly in favor of the adop
tion of the amendment by the States, can
not go into an organization that would ell
ther openly oppose that measure or that
would smother it by avoiding its discussion
must also add, that no man is more de-
sirous than / am to attain the entire resto-
ration of the American Union, with its prac-
tical workings in more perfect harmony and
concord than ever. and the surety, as tar as
| mortal affairs can be made sure. of endless
perpetuity in the future The blessings to
| flow from such Union are countless and
| inestimable But such Union, consistent
within itself, maintained by the universal
consent of all classes and sections. and laugh
ing to scorn both the assaults of foes inter-
| nal or external. and the ravages of time and
change, will only be obtained by sternly re-
traceing every departure from, or compro-
mise with. the supreme and general idea OF
the American fundamental law. the Consti-
tuition. That general idea consists,in brief,
of the political liberty and equality OF man
kind under the law. Such, and such only,
can be the Union, the nationality, that will
put In form the magnificent and lofty dreams
of the American continental mind, and full





present and the past. 1t is not the vague
delusion that the rights of THE States need
doctoring. The American theory culmin-
| ates properly in the sacredness of the rights
of individuals-of each single individual.
That. after all, is what Washington carved
out with the sword. and Jefferson. iiterlng
it through his subtle and free mind, drew
up and put on record with the pen.
1t is well known that in the political and
legal history Of the United States, the only
departures or compromises of the kind al
iuded to have been those in the interests of
slavery, and of its manifold incidents. |
do not, of course, propose to go over the
thousand times-told tale of the past sixty
Yeas. To-day, slavery as confessed legal
ity, is, as We all know, no more. But some
of the most important of its incidents or
compromises still remaln-blots and lncon-
gruities upon the law. What equitable rea-
son can be given why these incidents also
the brains were out the man would die; but
now we see the limbs demanding to live and
move, as if the nervous centre still existed.
The persistent attempt to keep in the
Constitution the rule of an unequal and un-
fair basis of the representation is perllous to
the future peace of the country, and will
surely cause chafng sense OF injustice as
long as it is continued.


Furthermore, the high mission of the
Union party, as avowed in the Baltimore
Convention, to ''extirpate slavery, IN
cludes the removal of all the hateful and
anti-popular excrescences grated by that ln-
stitution for its own selfish aggrandizement
upon our free national laws and polity.
That high mission and obligation cannot be
accomplished until all which slavery has so
engrafted is cut out for until then slavery
is not extirpated.


Earnestly sympathizing with the men who
look to law of equal representation as the
only guarantee both for popular rights and
popular acauiescence, l would feel myself
out of place in party that favors base OF
representation giving peculiar and unrigh-
teous advantages to a portion OF the body
polite. to the detriment and dissatisfaction
of the whole.


Uniting with you and all good men IN the
soul-felt desire that peace, prosperity, and
that amicable brotherhood which is more
than any worldly prosperity, may soon pre-
vail. and continue unbroken through our
beloved common countfy-that former en-
mites shall die out and be forever lost, and
that all over the broad domsin OF America
equal laws shall protect equal rights to all
| mankind


have the honor to subscribe myself your
obediept servant. JAMES SPEED.
Letter from Mr.. Seward.