The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1850-10-02
Consequence. OF further Agitation.


will be agitated with fierce conflict. Assault
and defence, elimination and retort, will in
volve the country in a war of opinion which
has probably had no parallel. The opposing
principles of fanatcism will cooperate in this
disgraceiul strife. These positive and negative
forces will be united to destroy the Union
We have, however, no doubt that the love Of
the Union will prove too strong for the com
blned Influence Of its enemies. The power Of
popular opinion will quench the torch that ia
naticism would apply To the Temple of Liberty
For ourselves, we shall stand for the Union
and the Constitution. We believe that 'the
people of the United States" who formed the
Constitution, can alone abrogate it,
In the South the approaching contest will be
very violent. The Union party is numerical
ly the stronger; but the secession party con
tains many able and uncompromsing men,
The political conflicts of the South are al
ways of the most desperate character; none of
those great reciprocal interests which exist
elsewhere are implicated 1t is a war of
opinion unrestrained by interest. 1t cannot be
adjusted until the last combaant is cut down
The extremists of the South openly advocate
disunon. The more moderate propose non in
tercOurse with the Northern States--non- con
sumption of its manuiactures-lhe non employ
ment Of It's shps-the Withdrawal Of Southern
patronage from the literary, scientific, and phi
lanthropical institutions of the North. They
think the Southern people should no longer
visit its watering places and cities. Even the
Southern advocates of union advise the encour-
agement of Southern manutactures-the con
struction Of Southern railroads-ihe employ
ment of Southern shipping. These are the
three grades of opinion in the South. We are
convinced that the love Of Union, the apprecia-
ton of its practical advantages, will triumph
over the insane designs OF the Disunionists.
Considerable excitement evidently exists in
the North. The fugitive slave law is de-
nounced in public meetings. stampede of fu-
gitive slaves is reported in Pttsburg lndi-
cations of violence occur in New York upon
the first enforcement of this fugitive law. Be-
sides this, there seems disposition to be dis
satisfied with the Legislation in regard TO Cali
iornia. The people of that State have decided
against slavery. Nature seems to have i'm
posed her irrepealable veto upon its admission.
The moderate men of the South are endeavor-
ing to reconcile the more violent to the joint
decree; yet it is insisted that the still further
confirmation of Congressional restriction is ne
cessary, and men murmur because proviso,
thus proven to be useless, has not been i'm
posed. Besides these special subjects of com
plant, there is the usual amount of inflamma-
tory denunciation, by Southern ultraists, of
Northern motives, and the reciprocal abuse of
Southern character by Northern fanatics.
Notwithstanding these appalling clements of
coming tempest, we hope the patriotism and
good sense of the people will prevent mischief.
We trust that the ship will ride out the storm
without parting a strand of her cables Without
departing from the impartiality of our position.
we may be allowed TO reason with those who
have a very deep stake in the results Of this
contest-an interest which may be injured.
whilst the Federal Government and the Union
remain unscathed. We address those whose
interests we have advocated most faithfully;
they must feel that we have no impairment or
selfish motive in appealing to them. We as
sure the merchants and mechanics of the North
that they have been seriously implicated in this
whirlpool that is absorbing the most vital in
terests Of the nation. Much of this strife is at
the expense of the workbench and the counter;
it must result in diminishing the demand for
the products of American industry. The South
has been stimulated TO engage in manufactures,
to open an intercourse with foreign parts, even
20 practise self-denial. The South has a maya
zine from which she can draw the means Of an
independent sustenance. She possesses all the
climatic and physical resources to feed. cloihe,
and employ her whole population Heretofore
she has relied exclusively upon the production
of the profitable staples, leaving 10 the less ia
vored States Of the North, in a spirit Of sister
ly affection, TO compensate by enterprise and
energy for the disadvantages of soil or climate.
The South produces the great staple which
holds the world in check. Without the cotton
of the South, wheels stop, spindles rust. and
starving operatives will parade the cities OF the
world, demanding employment or plumber. If
the South ceases TO export this and other sta
pies, she will manufacture enough for her own
consumption, and she will attract the starving
labor Of Europe. Supported by the abundant
productions Of her fertile soil. the reciprocal
interests of industry will spring up around
| her, and instead Of that equitable and hamo-
NOUS division of employment which has re-
suited in the happiness and prosperity Of all,
we shallhave non-intercourse, non-consumption,
and a jealous determination, upon the part of
the South, to create every thing essential to
independent existence. and to deny herself any
article Of convenience and comfort, rather than
to resort to those whom the concurrent fanati-
cism Of the North and South denominates her
enemies.
Such must be the result 10 the laboring mil
lions Of the North. We call upon them all
those for whom we have striven 50 long and so
faithfully-mechanics artisans, farmers, mer-
chants, men upon whose independent and intel
ligent action all practical freedom depends, we
call upon them to come to the rescue Of their