CHAPTER XEFFORTS OF THE DEMOCRACY TO SAVE THE UNION
WHILE the Black Republican party was doing its utmost to prevent any pacific measure, or compromise, which should arrest the progress of secession, the Democratic party exerted every power to save the Union, and restore confidence and peace to the country. Among the plans brought before Congress for this patriotic purpose, was a set of resolutions introduced by the venerable Senator Crittenden, of Kentucky. These resolutions are known as "The Crittenden Compromise." If passed by Congress, they would have restored instant peace and stopped secession. And their terms were a perfectly fair proposition for a final settlement of the whole difficulty.
If any section was to make a sacrifice it was the South, by the adoption of this Crittenden Compromise. It proposed, in effect, to give up to the North more than three quarters of all the territorial domain belonging to the United States, when, In point of law and justice, the South had an equal right with the North in all these territories. But the South offered to make this sacrifice of so much of her rights for the sake of peace, and for the sake of the Union.
Mr.Crittenden, in presenting his compromise, said: "The sacrifice to be made for the preservation of the Union is comparatively worthless. Peace and harmony, and union in a great nation were never purchased at so cheap a rate as we now have it in our power to do. It is a scruple only,a scruple of as little value as a barleycorn, that stands between us and peace and reconciliation and Union. And we stand here pausing and hesitating about that little atom which is to be sacrificed." But in vain did this patriotic Senator from the South plead with the Black Republican party to take this little step to save the Union. Senator Hale, of New Hampshire, declared "this controversy will not be settled here." He knew that his party were determined to have war. And this was further proved by the fact, that while every Democratic member voted for the Crittenden peace propositions, every Black Republican member voted against them.
But the Democrats, and the Southern members of Congress, did not give up the effort to save the Union even then. Mr.Clemens, of Virginia, introduced a resolution in the House of Representatives to submit the Crittenden peace resolutions to the people of the United States. This produced a great flutter and alarm among the Black Republicans. They knew that if the people were allowed to vote on the question, the resolutions would be adopted. So they promptly voted down the proposition to let the people of the United States decide the question for themselves. Here again the Democrats voted to submit the matter to the people, and every Black Republican member voted against it.
But even this was not all the Democrats did to save the Union. Senator Douglas, after the Crittenden plan had been voted down, introduced another proposition of his own, which was also voted down by the war-wishing Black Republicans. Senator Douglas, on the defeat of his proposition, said: "If you of the Republican side are not willing to accept this, nor the proposition of the Senator from; Kentucky, Mr. Crittenden, pray tell us what you are willing to do? I address the inquiry to the Republicans alone, for the reason that in the Committee of Thirteen, a few days ago, every member from the South, including those from the Cotton States (Messrs. Toombs and Davis) expressed their readiness to accept the proposition of my venerable friend from Kentucky, as a final settlement of the controversy, if tendered and sustained by the Republican members. Hence the sole responsibility of our disagreement, and the only difficulty in the way of an amicable adjustment,is with the Republican party.
When all these measures for peace and union had failed, Senator Douglas pointed to the side of the Senate Chamber where the Black Republicans had their seats, and exclaimed with great energy-"You want war." And so they did. Every act shows that they wanted war. They meant to force war upon the South. But you have not yet heard of all the Democratic party did to save the Union, and to prevent all the bloody horrors of war.
When every effort to induce the abolition members of Congress to accept some terms of peace had failed, the noble old State of Virginia came forward with a proposition to call a convention of one or more commissioners from each State, to see if they could not hit upon some plan whereby the Union could be preserved. This proposition was received like a firebrand by the Black Republicans. But seven of the Southern States immediately sent their peace commissioners to Washington, and there was such a clamor from the people throughout the North for peace, that the abolition leaders were obliged to consent that the Northern States should be represented in this peace conference. But they diligently set themselves to work to prevent any men who really wanted peace from being went to the conference.
Carl Schurz, a notorious agitator and disunionist, from Wisconsin, telegraphed to the Governor of that State-"Appoint commissioners to Washington conference-myself one-to strengthen our side." By "our side," he meant those who were opposed to any peace measures to save the country from war, and preserve the Union. Senator Chandler, of Michigan, wrote a letter to the Governor of his State, to the same effect, in which he profanely declared, that, "Without a little blood-letting, this Union would not, in his estimation, be worth a curse."
The "Republicans" wanted "a little blood-letting," in order to make as wide as possible the gulf between the North and the South. This Peace Conference, therefore, was a failure, because the abolitionists were determined there should be no peace. I have already shown you that a portion of these traitors were moved to this course because of a blind and fanatical sympathy for negroes, while others were impelled by a desire to overthrow this Union of our fathers, and to establish one great despotic government on its ruins.
All efforts of the Democrats to make peace were, therefore, in vain. They left no stone unturned to save our country from the horrors of bloodshed and war, and never gave up these efforts, until they saw that nothing but "blood-letting" would satisfy the revolutionary temper of the Black Republican party. And they did not give up even then, but kept on diligently trying to stay the black tide of fanaticism and death, even after the war had begun.
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