The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1848-11-09

night, IL the last resort 10 determine the extent OF is
and TO enforce obedience the part OF the States
on all questions In which the extent of the powers dele
gated to the United States, and those reserved the
States and the people might be invoved-an assu pton
which, IN fac conters this government absolute and
unlimited control over the States, and all their nstu
uons' and makes II IN practice consolidated govern
ment
Such assumption could not but have powerful effect
IN ronsng INTO action the heretofore dormant feeling oil
abolitionism, and was accordingly reused into action,
Tor The hTst tme IN 1885, two Years thereafter II com
menced with simultaneous and widespread circulation
OF lncendiary publications all the South, and has
continued increasing since, without the least indica
ton OF abatement
Having traced abolitionism to It's sources and explain
ed the which reused il into action, shall next pro-
coed TO explain the why the agitation has continued
to advance, with increased Violence without any symp'
tom OF abatement.
The cause certainly not to be found in the Of
that in which 1t has been shownto originate. fanati-
cism from lis nature, breaks out into violent movements,
and eyhausts itself by It's extravaganza and folly,
unless il comes to be combined with some more steady
and permanent of action, The reason ID TO be
found the fact that fanatics as class, have far more
zeal than inellect and fanatics only because they
have. There can be no fanacism but where there is
more passion than reason; and hence, in the nature OF
things. movements originating in 1t down IN short
time by their folly and extravaganza. This instance
would have formed exception. The fanatics with
whom the agitation commenced were OF no standing or
weight while they possessed, in high degree, the
ardent zeal and the feeble intellect belonging that de-
scripon of persons If left to themselves, the agitation
would long since have ceased.
Nor is It less certain that the continuance Of its in
crease without the least tendency to abatement not
to be found IN any interest the North has in aboshns
slavery. Her interest is the very reverse, Ii has often
been assigned, reason for abolishng it, that it is
hostile to the prosperity OF the South and that it the
real cause Of lite relative poverty compared with the North
Be that es 1t may, have the to
sert that slavery with has been, is, hostile to the
prosperity of the North II the South does not profit by
It, the North beyond question has and is prong by ii,
and that to vast extent Strike out the product of slave
labor and with the great staples of cotton rice, tobacco
and sugar, and what would become Of the commerce,
the shipping the navigation and the manufactures of
the North, and the revenue OF the government What
would become Of her great commercial and factur
ing towns and her vast tonnage and shppng crowdng
every harbor and aioa on every sea
But, the Of the conntied increase OF the abo
lion agitation is not TO be found in the nature of fanat
cs,, in which it originated the interest of the North,
where is 1t to be found, except in It's conneXion with the
party movements OF the day, for which political ns
tutions afford such remarkable facilities To realize the
extent OF these facilities, 1t must be borne in mind that
our system OF government throughout, both State and
federal is based eections that the distribution of all
the honors and vast patronage OF both depends them,
and that the people everywhere divided into two par
ties nearly equally divided in most of the States, and
are ever engaged in ardent struggles to obtain RETAIN
majority and thereby the control of government and
with 1t the distribution of Its honOrs and emolumens
The consequence of this state of things is that if par
~ held together by cohesive force, stronger than
the ties which hold together the two political parties,
should spring up each of the two in their ardent struggle
ior the mastery would court it, and, if necessary to o.
tain its support, profess regard and attachment to its
cause Such is the abolition party; Or least such
slavery to be SINFUL and that in their efforts put down
they were serving the cause both of God and man. Now
we add that at the North, where it originated the two
political parties usually equally divided and
the struggle between them still ardent than at the
South, not only because their own local patronage is
generally larger and that they are to far greater extent
the recipient OF the emoumens of the federal
but also because the tendency to conflict between the
democratcal and arstocraca elements of society is far
stronger there than at the South such being the case
1t was next to impossible to prevent abotionsm from
connecting and combining its with the party
movements in that quarter of the Union Each party
there, and especially the weaker for the time would be
to bid for the of the aboltoniss and for that
purpose countenance, favor and support them and their
movements however averse in reality they might be to
movements They thus became the object of courtship
by both parties and it not at all wonderful that they
should increase in number and influence under the joint
patronage of the two, until their weight became so con-
siderable as to be sufficient to turn the scales in favor of
either IN several OF the northern States At that stage
began to be sensby felt the action of the federal gov
eminent, and especially in the election of the President
and Vice President, the common of the struggle
OF the two great parties throughout the Union This in
ucnce extended to elections with u.s. and thereby
gave powerful impulse the cause of abolition in the
North and at the same time has divided, distracted and
debased the South
1t is not necessary with the object have in view to
enter INTO minute investigation TO show how this has
been effected 1t sufficient to state that the leaders of
the two parties soon perceived that this element
which had infused itself into the political movements of
the North had strong tendency separate the northern
and southern wings OF the respective parties and that
preserve lnQSen sable TO adopt ehCent
measures to counteract it. Each perceived that its sue
cess over the other in the presidential election and of
course to obtain retain the power to distribute the hon.
ors and emoluments of the government among them
selves, depended it, For this purpose the leaders of
the parties, both at the South and North including their
respective organs, adopted the policy to observe silence
and to keep out of sight far possible the movements
and progress OF the aboonlss and the and
support they received from their respective parties the
North; and when compelled to notice any act move.
men too marked to be passed silence to denounce in
feeble tone possible, and at the same time to throw
whatever blame they attach it the opposite party
and to excuse their own This policy has been OBJ
served with such success by the party leaders and
gans as to keep the people of the South to great ex-
tent ignorant of the of the aboItonsts and
the actual progress they have made towards accomplish
ing their object Il has done more, and worse 1t has
kept the South divided, distracted, and engrossed in
presidential struggles, in which it has comparatively little
interest," and indifferent to that which vitality concerns
her safety 1t has not stopped there 1t has blunted
her feelings to render her almost Indifferent to the
greatest insult and the most fragrant aggressions on her
ght-so much that when the support of the abolition
lists and their movements by both parties at the North
became at length too glazing TO be any longer concealed
instead OF uniting in bold and manly stand in opposi-
on to BOTH the leaders and organs of the two parties at
the South have entered into pfu contest to prove
mat their respective candidate and party at the north
less hostile to us than their opponents if nothing
was left us but to choose the least hostile for our pro-
tector! Can degradation go further?
Under the debasng influence of this policy both par
ties at the South have permitted their northern associates
to court the aboonss and receive their votes without
President Is it then wonderful that they should increase
in strength and influence, while the same degree
should become weak and Insignificant! Under the same
debaslng influence have Welded step by STEP made