lost much of
its attraction in the later years. The virtues of a good magistrate undo
a world of mischief, and, because Nature works with rectitude, seem
vastly more potent than the acts of bad governors, which are ever
tempered by the good-nature in the people, and the incessant resistance
which fraud and violence encounter.

The acts of good governors work at a geometrical ratio, as one midsummer
day seems to repair the damage of a year of war.

A day which most of us dared not hope to see, an event worth the
dreadful war, worth its costs and uncertainties, seems now to be close
before us. October, November, December will have passed over beating
hearts and plotting brains: then the hour will strike, and all men of
African descent who have faculty enough to find their way to our lines
are assured of the protection of American law.

It is by no means necessary that this measure should be suddenly marked
by any signal results on the negroes or on the Rebel masters. The force
of the act is that it commits the country to this justice,--that it
compels the innumerable officers, civil, military, naval, of the
Republic to range themselves on the line of this equity. It draws the
fashion to this side. It is not a measure that admits of being taken
back. Done, it cannot be undone by a new Administration. For slavery
overpowers the disgust of the moral sentiment only through immemorial
usage. It cannot be introduced as an improvement of the nineteenth
century. This act makes that the lives of our heroes have not been
sacrificed in vain. It makes a victory of our defeats. Our hurts are
healed; the health of the nation is repaired. With a victory like this,
we can stand many disasters. It does not promise the redemption of the
black race: that lies not with us: but it relieves it of our opposition.
The President by this act has paroled all the slaves in America; they
will no more fight against us; and it relieves our race once for all of
its crime and false position. The first condition of success is secured
in putting ourselves right. We have recovered ourselves from our false
position, and planted ourselves on a law of Nature.

"If that fail,
The pillared firmament is rottenness,
And earth's base built on stubble."

The Government has assured itself of the best constituency in the world:
every spark of intellect, every virtuous feeling, every religious heart,
every man of honor, every poet, every philosopher, the ge