The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1848-09-23

case with the leit-handed fiddler, be-
come the means OF our destruction
Yankee Blade. .r5y ,o-.
Cass on the Dissolution of the Union
The English language may be ran.
sacked in vain, to find sentiments more
true or patriotic, than the following
beautiful extract from one ofthe speech
es Of Gen. Cass, in the United States
Senate. II came fresh from the heart
of one who dearly loves the Union,
and prizes it as the richest boon of our
Revolutionary fathers, TO which the
present generation is expected TO cling,
as the "mariner clings to the last plank
when tempest and darkness closes
around him:" = ,'
alt pains me, sil, TO hear illusions to
the destruction Of this Government, and
to the dissolution Of this Conlederacy.
1t pains me, not because they inspire
me with any fear, but because we ought
to have one unpronounceable word, as
the Jews hac of old, and that word is
Dissolution, We shouIdrejecs the feel
ing from our hearts and the name from
our tongue. The cry Of "Wo, wo, to
Jerusalem," CRATES harshly upon my
ears. Our jerusalem is neither belea-
guered nor in danger, 1t is yet the city
upon hill, glorious in what it is, still
more glorious, by the blessings OF God.
in what is to be-a landmark, inviting
The nations Of the world, struggling up.
on the stormy ocean Of political oppres.
sion, to follow US to a haven Of safety,
and Of rational liberty. No English
Titus will enter our temple OF freedom
through breachin the battlements, TO
bear thence the ark Of our Constitution,
and the book Of our law, to take their
stations in a triumphal procession in the
streets Of a modern Rome, as trophies
of conquest, and proofs Of submission.
"Many raven has croaked in my
day, but the auguro has failed, and the
republic has marched onward. Many
a crisis has presented itself to the mag
ination Of our political Cassandras, but
we have still increased in political pros.
perity as we have increased in years,
and that, too, with an accelerated pro-
gress unknown in the history Of The
world. We have class Of men whose
eyes are always upon the future, over.
looking the blessings around us, and for
ever opprehensive Of some great polit-
ical evil; which is to arrest our course
somewhere or other on this side of the
millennium. To them we are the image
Of gold, and silver, and brass, and clay,
contrariety in unity, which the first
rude blow Of misfortune is to strike
from its pedestal. .i5atnc9 in5eoj4 50
"For my own part, | consider this
the strongest government on the face Of
the earth for good, ,and the weakest for
evil. Strong, because supported by,the
public opinion OF people inferior to
none Of the communities of the earth in
all that constitutes moral worth and
useful knowledge, and who have breath
ed into their political system the breath
Of life; and who would destroy it, as
they had created it, ifit were unworthy
of them, or failed 70 fulfil their just ex-
pectations. And weak for evil from
this very, consideration, which would
make its foilies and faults the signal Of
lis, overthrow, Its the only govern
mentiin existence which nc, revolution
can subyert, Il may be changed, but
II provides for its own change when
tbe public will requires. Plots and in
surrec:ions, and the various means by
which an oppressed populace minifests