ling us, as far
as possible, to contemplate the present and foresee the future.
It is unnecessary to point out the cause of this war. It is
written on every object we behold. It is but too well understood
that the primary cause is Slavery; and it is well to keep that in
mind, for the purpose of gaining the knowledge how ultimately to
be able to crush that terrible rebellion which now desolates the
land. Slavery being the cause of the war, we must look to its
utter extinction for the remedy. (Applause).

We have listened this evening to an exceedingly instructive, kind
and gentle address, particularly that part of it which tells how
to deal with the South after we have brought them back. But I
think it would be well, at first, to consider how to bring them
back!

Abraham Lincoln has issued a Proclamation. He has emancipated all
the slaves of the rebel States with his pen, but that is all. To
set them really and thoroughly free, we will have to use some
other instrument than the pen. (Applause). The slave is not
emancipated; he is not free. A gentleman once found himself of a
sudden, without, so far as he knew, any cause, taken into prison.
He sent for his lawyer, and told him, "They have taken me to
prison." "What have you done?" said the lawyer. "I have done
nothing," he replied. "Then, my friend, they can not put you in
prison." "But I am in prison." "Well, that may be; but I tell
you, my dear friend, they can not put you in prison." "Well,"
said he, "I want you to come and take me out, for I tell you, in
spite of all your lawyer logic, I am in prison, and I shall be
until you take me out." (Great laughter). Now the poor slave has
to say, "Abraham Lincoln, you have pronounced me free; still I am
a slave, bought and sold as such, and I shall remain a slave till
I am taken out of this horrible condition." Then the question is,
_How?_ Have not already two long years passed over more than a
quarter of a million of the graves of the noblest and bravest of
the nation? Is that not enough? No; it has proved not to be
enough. Let us look back for a moment. Had the Proclamation of
John C. Fremont been allowed to have its effect; had the edict of
Hunter been allowed to have its effect, the war would have been
over. (Applause). Had the people and