The voice of freedom. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1839-1848, 1848-08-30
NATIONALITY VERSUS sECTIoNAMsM.

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NATIONALITY VERSUS SECTIONALISM
We have received modest and candle
letter proposing some structures upon one o
the articles of UNION. 1t is too long for oul
columns at such a time as this; but the follow
ing extracts will put the reader sufficiently
in possession of its import. He says:
"Could the whole nation act upon the
principle ola Universal Nationality it would
be happy event; but, | ask, what can be
done when certain local interests attempt to
encroach upon other local interests, and even
make the Presidency an important agency in
these antagonists? If one section arroeates
to itself the claim to give the nation its Pres
idehts, and to pervert that high Office to the
promotion of its own interests exclusively,
and to the injury of other sections, it is dun
to act in selfdelence. 1t can be shown that
the South have dictated the elections for
many years, and have even cncroached upon
the dearest rights of northern frcemen. If it
is by sectional combination that our liberties
are assailed, it mast, by the same means, be
opposed"
Our correspondent mistakes both the evil
and the remedy. If the Presidential contest
is to be a sectional one the most alarming
peril is not that one or the other section will
| be injured in the result. We care not which
party suffers defeat in such warfare. We
will have no hand in distributing the spoils of
such victory. UNION maintains that sec
tional issues should he left aloof from the ma
tional canvass not lest sections but lest nation
atty suffer. Without hearty and earnest
nationality, our Constitution is only rag Of
paper, and our flag of stars" an unmeaning
symbol. Sectional and temporary interests
vanish before its transccndant Importance
Nationality is the basis of whatever political
blessings we do or can, as at present constitu-
ted, possess. Destroy that and it is needless
to compute the loss of what else may perish
with it.
But the above extract misstates the evil in
another point Of view. 1t is true that the
greater part of our Presidents have been
Southern men. But what then? Was any
sectional interest subserved by the promotion
to that Office of Washington, Of Jefferson, of
Madison, of Monroe? They were citizens
of the South. But were they nominated to
subserve Southern purposes, or did their adj
ministrations fortify the entertainments of
Slavery? No man is so ignorant as not to
know that these men were governed by NO.
tional views; that is, by views neither sec
tional nor partizan. The next President was
JOHN QUINCY ADAMS, a Northern man, with
national principles. And from that time to
this, the Wing PARTY, North or South, have
presented no sectional candidate for this ma
tional office, HENRY CLAY, their first and
last fla, orite, is Southern, but in no sense
a sectional, man. Gen. HARRISON, although |
a Northern man, was greeted by Southern
men with larger vote than they had ever
given, even to their own fayoritc son. Gen.
Taylor is, like Mr.. Clay, a Southern man, but
also like him eminently national one. lie
is nominated upon no sectional issue, and his
election will imply the decision Of no section
al issue. Considered from a national point
of view, he stands in the only position which,
in the present aspect of the slavery question,
can possibly be justified. Every other posi-
ton must be sectional one, and the only OPP
position that can be made against him is a
sectional opposition. This is actually done
by extreme persons both North and South,
on opposite grounds
We say therefore that our Southern Wing
brethren have been unjustly DETAINED. THEY
have never repudiated n national candidate
because he was not pledged to run upon a
sectional issue and have set an example be-
ore their Northern colleagues, which ought
% make some of US blush with shame. As re-
,ards the devotion of the other party, North
md South, past and present, to a sectional
interest we have no defence to offer. They
,ledped Van Buren, to defend the peculiar
institution with the veto. They pledged 2
POLK to the annexation of Texas, for the per- L
etuation of Slavery. They have now pledged d
Jass to aid in " diffiusing" the curse over an Q
Their quarter of the Continent. We wash ?
ur hands of all this responsibility. We C
ave not kept silence while these things were c
one. Nor haye we ever prVcascd to sec any Il