The miners' express. (Dubuque, Iowa) 1849-1854, 1850-03-13
DUBUQUE:
AY::.::::::::::::::::NIARCH 13,lis5O.
Preservation of the Union.

ION Shall 1t be preserved Z! On the bare men,
ton of the "Union,' subject of thought,
considerations of peculiar character present
themselves spontaneously to the mind of every
citizen-such is the nature of the thoughts you
have SO forcibly and feclngly presented in your
article, tracing the prosperity of our country to
its authors, its origin and it's dcsi gned effect
Whatever may have been or may yet be the i'm
preston abroad in regard to the American Rev
oluton, or whatever may be its effect upon the
destinies Of other lands, to us and to ours no G.
vent in our political history, past, present or flu
ture, can equal it. The purity of motive, the
crgy and perseverance, of action, and high toned
sense of character exhibited therein by its actors
tend as the happy result of their labors indicates
to present a spectacle of the most intense inter-
est and value. From that event arose a new
era in the history of man. The fallacy of the
most firmly established principles of past govern
mcnt was fully demonstrated. The Utopian
dreams of political philosophy in past ages have
been more than cqualcd, not by fanciful theory
but by solid and practical prosperity and rnp-
dity of advancement hitherto unrivalcd in the
worlds history. Never before was man SO high
ly advanced in the scale of u free and RESPONSE
bic agent. Never before was fully tested the
experiment of mans adequacy to enact the duty
of voluntary submission to and support of
government based upon his intelligence and in
tegrty and compatible with the widest possible
extent of personal freedom. Never could have
baap o,,idopco of tba oft tl,,
principles upon which that government is based:
ofthe disntcrcstedness and deep thought as we'll
as sage experience, whence cmanatcd the con-
stitution which established its form, not as a
temporary cxpcdent for present emergency,
but as broad basis upon which should be built
the dearest political rights Of generations yet
unborn which in short should furnish the soil
best adapted to the nourisllment of the broad
spreading tree of Liberty The value of this ba-
sis is inestimable-strong and impulsive passion
untutored, and goaded on by self interest, with
blind and bgotcd zeal may undervaluc it-but
calm reflection will burnish its gold and present
its value so pure and spotless, that all who seek
to tarnish it must sink in their own ignominy
| regret to perceive in your article indications
of fear Of the worst result. In these fears |
some, nay many, among us who while they en-
JOY the blessings Of union unconscious of its cost
would as you remark "apply the fargot and fire
of discord and dissolution - but will not mo-
mcntary operation of the calm delibcrative minds
which direct the energies of the press consign
all such cattle to their appropriate cells? Can
the bombastic prccnsions of 'sbun1umite' DEM
agogues have attained sufficient importance to
silence the thunders, or misguidc the lightning
shafts Of this potent guardian of republican lib
erty2 In short can measure conceived in self
agrandizement matured in ignorance and bro t
forth in Eanatcism acquire power to hurl to Earth
the mighty fabric of her strongest government !?
The very discussion of such measure by res
pcctablc men lends it an artificial importance to
which its own merits would never dare assume.
We are bound together by an ndissoluble tie
Distant nations have conceded to- the institu
tions of the "Young America the palm of su-
periority, while the mother who bore her, so
long acknowledged "mistress of the wave,' has
jealous eye the soaring of that proud bird whose
shrek has quelled to silence her Lions angry
roar. May it ever be thus is the tcryent prayer
of every patriotic heart. Though the bones Of
our Revolutionary sires lie moulderng in the si-
lent grave their spirits still surround the blood
bought legacy they bequathcd us to shield its
purity that it may descend unsullied to genera
tions yet to come. The intelligence of our COM
munity is fully convinced that disunon must
inevitably result in the destruction of individual
as well as social liberty and though they deeply
deplore the effect of few misguided minds who
rufile the steady current of their country hap
piness, in hopes Of floating the bubble of their
ambition to the harbor of its aspirations, are re-
posing in security conscious that the spirit of
Patriotism still fingers Der our land to check
serpent Treason, though his abode may be found
even in the hearts of those upon whom an en-
lightened Republic has conferred her highest
honors. "The hand that created can Destroy
their fall will be proportonate to their elevation
and unless the subject be dropped the day can
IoL Dc ldI WHICH, SOOu ScuSe VI Llle
people will be aroused, day ofreckoning com
menced and not a few self imagined eslnaster
minds be consigned to oblivion or registered in
tile category of Arnold .a ....@. .-...." .'@'
If the question of the abolition Of slavery must
have some respectable issue to entitle it to con-
sideration, let the threatened crisis be something
--be anything rather than dissolution of our hap
py union: another might be assumed upon as
| just grounds and sustained with arguments e.
qually logical However widely they may DIFF
fer on other subjects, may but sentiment act
uate the North and South upon this, and may
that sentiment be, The Union shall be preserved,
and then 1l@171E" h" |@@! 1'H.&
''The star spangled banner .forcver shall wave
Der the land Of the free and the home Of the brave
| .......s.. ."ANDRE."
lMPRovEMEETs.-Ou neighbors of Musca-
tine contemplate the erection of bridge over
4 the Iowa River above its junction with the &c.
J dar. 100000 is the sum. wanted. a., -.,, ,;dfd