must take his
slaves away.

And why is not this the proper time to urge emancipation? Divested of
all deceitful and evasive turns, the question reduces itself to
this,--are we to definitely conquer the enemy once and for all, the
great enemy Oligarchy, by taking out its very heart? or are we to keep
up this strife with slaveholders forever? It is a great and hard thing
to do, this crushing the difficulty, but we must either do it or be done
for. In a few months 'the tax-gatherer will be around.' If anybody has
read the report of the Secretary of the Treasury without a grave
sensation, he is very fortunate. How would such reports please us
annually for many years? So long as there exists in the Union a body of
men disowning allegiance to it, puffed up in pride, loathing and
scorning the name of free labor, especially as the ally of capital, just
so long will the tax-gatherer be around,--and with a larger bill than
ever.

To such an extent is this arrogance carried of urging utter silence at
present on the subject of slavery, that one might almost question
whether the right of free speech or thought is to be left at all, save
to those who have determined on a certain course of conduct. When it is
remembered that those who wish to definitely conclude this great
national trouble are in the great majority, we stand amazed at the
presumption which forbids them to utter a word. One may almost distrust
his senses to hear it so brazenly urged that because he happens to think
that our fighting and victories may go hand in hand with a measure which
is to prevent future war, he is 'opposed to the Administration,' is 'a
selfish traitor thinking of nothing but the Nigger,' and altogether a
stumbling-block and an untimely meddler. If he protest that he cares no
more for the welfare of the Negro than for that of the man in the moon,
he is still reviled as an 'abolitionist.' If he insist that emancipation
will end the war, his 'conservative' foe becomes pathetic over his
indifference as to what is to become of the four millions of 'poor
blacks.' And, in short, when he urges the great question whether this
country is to tolerate slavery or no, he is met with trivial fribbling
side-issues, every one of which _should_ vanish like foam before the
determined will and onward march of a great, _free_ people.

Now let every friend of the Union boldly assume that _so far as the
settlement of this question is concerned he_ does not care one st