|
army, but they are freeing themselves; and
if this war continues long, not a slave will be left in the whole
South. Now let me say to those who are anxious about the interest
of slavery, if you wish slavery to continue, join the army and
help us whip out the rebels quick, and there will probably be
a few old stumps left; if not, then slavery must go.
"Now, my principles on this question are, if
the master is engaged in the attempt to overthrow this Government,
take the lives of our people, and desolate our homes, and the
slaves get free, it's none of my business. It is a family quarrel
in which I shall not interfere. If the question was presented
me as to which should live, the Union or slavery, I would say,
the Union to my last breath. The Union is worth everything.
If the sacrifice of a million of men was necessary to the salvation
of this government, and nothing else would save it, and I was
the arbiter of its destinies, I would consign the million to death
– and die with them.
"I am for a vigorous prosecution of this war.
To do this we must have men, and thousands of them. If necessary
I would call out every able bodied man in the loyal States – turn
the Government over to our mothers, wives and daughters. I would
give those who wanted to go an opportunity, and those who did
not want to go, I would make an opportunity for them; I would
make them fight for the Government. I would stretch the army
from the Atlantic to the Rocky Mountains, and with fixed bayonets
and solid phalanx I would give the order "Forward March!"
to the Gulf of Mexico. Every man I met, who was willing to fight
for the Government, I would place a musket in his hands, let him
fall into ranks; and to every one who did not, I would give the
order, "double-quick time, march!" I would drive every
one of them before me; those who would not submit, when we reached
the Southern boundary line, I would pitch head and heels into
the Gulf.
"The man who fails to lend his influence and
energies in this crisis, who lingers while liberty bleeds, is
worthy a traitor's doom. It is a struggle between Republicanism
and anarchy. It is too late now to inquire into the causes that
brought on the war – the day of compromise has long since ended,
it is with the sword, the bullet, and the bayonet that this national
difficulty is to be settled. We have a cunning and a powerful
foe with which to contend – he is in fearful earnest, and has
been all the while; the die is cast, the Government must be preserved.
It may cost millions of blood and treasure, but we must conquer."
| |