The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1850-11-11
T H Il r Z P u Bill G..
WASHIN GTON:
MONDAY MORNING. NOVEMBER IL, 1850.



| 'Insurgents."
Our venerable contemporary of the Union is
the victim of single idea. If the North does
so or so, t"will kindle the flames of discord -
and end in Disunion. Ii few runaway slaves
and Abolitonists meet together and adopt in
cendiary resolutions, ''the result is bound to be
Disunion." If Mr.. FILLMORE does not men
ace Democratic Congress with his veto in
certain contingencies, or issue a proclamation
whenever the ''sole organ" calls for one, it
will inevitably lead to Disunon Thus he
labors to familiarze the public mind with the
idea of Disunion, DESTROYS in some way or
other to turn it to the advantage of the Demo
cratic party.
We protest against this style of newspaper
discussion. 1t is insulting to the intelligence
of the country. 1t is in the last degree unpa-
triotic and criminally unjust to the Northern
as well as to the Southern States. 1t tends to
strengthen fanaticism, and to weaken the true
conservative spirit of the country. Men are
not to be intimidated into an acquiescence in
the laws by any such menaces. The Adolf
tionists are not alarmed by them, because they
seek the overthrow of the Constitution and the
Union; and contemporary is, therefore,
playing directly into their hands. Our South
ern States are kept in constant agitation, not
by any real danger, but by this habitual, daily
ding dong, rub-aedub about aggressons that
call for ''Dsunion."
We had thought, at one time, the editor of
the Union partially cured of his bad habits in
this regard. No man has done more to bring
about the state of embittered feeling which per
vades different sections of the country; but we
supposed that he had been alarmed by the con-
sequences of his own folly and madness, and
that he was sincere in his professions of attach
ment to the Union and Constitution of the
States. The SEDDoNs, MEADEs, RHETTs,
VENABLEs OF the South are men of his own
training in politics, and they now but follow
ing out the instructions which they have been
taught in his school. 1t was our hope that Mr..
| RITCHIE had abandoned these gentlemen to
| their new alliances with the GIDDINGsEs,
RooTs, and CHAsEs of the West, and that he
| would give at least fair play to the friends of
peace and the Constitution, of both sections and
Of all parties. This should now be the object
of every patriotic citizen and every honest man.
If any thing can impair the force and defeat
the efforts of the prudent and patriotic men of
the country, it is the incessant din and hubbub
of the Union, and its kindred presses, about
what they are pleased to style Northern ag-
gressions''-and these perpetual givings out
that if the North does so and so, secession and
disunion will be the inevitable consequence
Men of honor and character do not like to act
under this appeal to their fears; and we may
be permitted to add that men of honor and cha
racter do not often indulge in this kind of appeal
We regard the journal which employs habitually
the argument from Dsunion as being at heart in
favor of Disunion; for men of sense do not chat
ter lightly about events which they believe to
be caamtous, and hope to be remote, if not
impossible. We are not aware of any legisla-
tive aggressions" upon either section of the
country and the argument from this topic
ought to be left to fanatics and professed sedi-
tionsts
Nothing is palmer than that the Union and
Constitution of these States are not worth pre-
serving, if they are at the mercy of handful
of malcontents in Mississippi or Massachusetts,
If there rs not in the PEOPLE of the country an
abiding faith in its institutions patriotic in
terest in its traditions-a generous and lofty
pride in its expanding dominions and augment
ing power and, if these sentiments are not
strong enough to overbalance our disgust at the
rawlings of the chivalry in one quarter, and of
the Aboltionists in another, then we may as
well proclaim the grand experiment of seventy
years failure, and shout Disunion because Of
the crazy antics Of Governor QUITMAN, or be-
cause few lawless individuals in Boston have
interposed obstacles to the execution of the Flu
gitive Slave law.
We have placed, in another column, articles
from leading Boston journals which show how
ridiculously exaggerated were the reports that
have induced the Union TO declare Boston in a
state Of insurrection, and insist upon the Par
sIDENr's forthwith subjugating it by the army
and navy. The Christian Register, Of Boston,
long established and able journal Of the Uni
tartan persuasion, mentions that the excitement
in regard to the law has very much abated
and in allusion TO the statement that a procla-
nation might be expected from the EXECUTIVE
sustaining the law, observes: 1--WE are in
clined to smile at the report. The idea Of an
armed resistance TO la,o ia Massachusetts is
ridiculous" 1t will be seen by the articles
TO which we refer that most of the materials
for Mr.. RIrcHE's proclamation, "like that Of
President WAsHSGroN Of the 9TH Of August,
1894" have been dissipated. II is obvious
enough that it will hardly answer to issue proc
lamations, or to concentrate the army and
navy" on the strength Of Geographic dispatches
to the newspapers.
There is candid and dispassionste article
in the Boston Post of Saturday on this sub
ject, which we should gladly transfer to our
columns, were it not that they are already DC
cupied. But we cannot omit TO cite, for the
purpose Of endorsing the sentiment with which
it closes, that che who seeks to resist the law
as it is, by violence, by practical nullifca-
ton. or by abuse Of legal process, may ac-
quire temporary notoriety, but he will effect
: no ultimate good for himself and least Of all
for the cause Of the slave; for let him be as