that all the Territories suitable for slave labor were already in the hands of the advocates of slavery? Slavery exists in the fifteen Southern States, which are the only ones, by the admission of the South itself, where it can exist advantageously. Moreover the Territories of New Mexico and Arizona, the ones, as both parties agree, adapted to slave labor, were already in the hands of the Southerners. The Northern Territories, Washington, on the Pacific slope, Colorado, Dakota, Nevada, were and are unsuitable for slave labor, and no one has ever thought of introducing slavery into them. But the South insisted absolutely upon that privilege; that is, upon the right to introduce slavery, even though it were useless and unreasonable. The South was striving for a point of honor, ridiculous and unreasonable - a point which she had no idea of carrying into effect.
" What," you will say, " are the two great sections of the Union quarreling over a trifle? " I reply that this is only the pretext of the quarrel. The two sections were in bad humor against each other. The extreme party in the North, or the Abolitionists, whether orators, preachers or newspaper editors, had covered the South with insults and opprobrium. The South took offense at their insults; the Southern slaveholders were indignant at being called " barbarians, sinners, dealers in human flesh," etc. The South was deeply stirred over these accusations and at seeing the possession of slaves ranked as an iniquity. They therefore determined to. break all the bonds which had united them for a great many years, and separate from a people who slandered them and their institutions, particularly that of slavery. Excited by passion, and in bad humor, the Southern States have abandoned the Union.
That in my humble opinion is the origin and commencement of the great quarrel or war which is now desolating the North and South of the United States.
Whatever may be the original history of secession, and whether or not the South be right in having broken the bonds which attached it to the Union, a large number of our pro-