Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1837-03-15
[vol. XxxvrII---No. 4.

by every sacrifice, this Union must be
preserved.
The necessity Of watching with lea
Q u anxiety for the preservation oil
D Union, vas earnestly pressed upon
his fellow citizens by the Father Of his
Country, in his farewell address. He
has there told US, that " while expert.
ence shall not have demonstrated its
lmpracticability, there will always be
reason to distrust the patriotism of
those who, in any quarter, may endea.
vor 10 weaken its bonds - and he has
cautioned US, in the strongest terms.
against the formation o fparties. on pe.
og~raphical determinations, as one Of
the means which might disturb our
union, and to which designing men
would be likely to resort.
The lessons contained in this inyal.
liable legacy of Washington to his
countrymen should be cherished in the
heart Of every citizen to the latest ge.
neration, and, perhaps, at no period Of
time could they be more usefully re.
membered than at the present moment.
For when we look upon the scenes
that are passing around us, and dwell
upon the pages Of his parting address,
his paternal ~counsels would seem to be-
not merely the offspring of wisdom
and foresight, but the voice of prophe.
cy~ foretelling events and warning us Of
the evil to come. Forty years have
passed since this imperishable docu.
ment was given to his countrymen.-
The Federal Constitution was then re-
garded by him us an experiment, and
he SO speaks of it in his address but
an experiment upon the success of
which the best hopes of his country de.
pended, and we all know that he was
prepared to lay down his life, il neces
sary, to secure to il a full and fair tri
al. The. trial has been made. 1t has
succeeded beyond the proudest hopes
ofthose who framed it. Every quar-.
ter OF this widely extended nation has
felt its blessings, and shared in the ge-
neral prosperity produced by its adop-
ton. But amid this general prosperi-
ty and splendid success, the dangers
OF which he warned us are becoming
every day mor and more evident, and
the signs of evil are sufficiently appa.
rent to awaken the deepest anxiety in
the bosom Of the patriot. We behold
systematic efforts publicly made TO sow
seeds of discord between different parts
Of the United States, and to place par
ty divisions directly upon geographical
distinctions; to excite the south against
the north, and the north against the
south, and to force into the controver.
sly the most delicate and exciting topics
topics upon which it is impossible
that a large portion Of the Union can
ever speak without strong EMOTION
Appeals, too, are constantly made to-
sectional interests, i'll order to influence
the election of the Chief Magistrate, az
if il were desired that he should favor
q particular quarter Of the country, in.
stead of fulfilling the duties of his sta
ton with impartial justice to all and
the possible dissolution Of the Union
has at length become all ordinary and
familiar subject of discussion. Has the
warning voice OF Washington been
forgotten? or have designs already
been formed to sever the Union? Let
it not be supposed that impute to all
Of those who have taken an active part
in these unwise and Improbable dis
cussions, a want Of patriotism or Of
public virtue. The honorable feeling
Of State pride, and local attachments,
find a place in the bosoms Of the most
enlightened and pure. But while such
men are conscious of their own inte~
| gritty and honesty of purpose, they
ought never TO forget that citizens Of
other States are their political breth-
rem !; and that, however mistaken they
may be in their views, the great body
of them are equally honest and upright
with themselves. Mutual suspicious
and r%eproaches may.in time create mu.
tual hostility, and artful and designing
men will always be found who are rea-
dy to fornent their fatal divisions, and
to infame the natural jealousics ofdif.
ferent sections of the country. The
history Of the world is full Of such ex-
amples, and especially the history Of
republics.
What have you TO gain by division
and discussion Delude not yourself
with the beliefthat a breach once made
may be afterwards repaired. If the
Union is once severed, the line Of sep
GRAFTON will grow wider and wider,
and the controversies which are now
debated and settled in the halls of
legislation, will then be tried in fields
Of battle, and determined by the sword.
Neither should you deceive yourselves
with the hope, that the first line of se-
paration would be the permanent one,