The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1851-01-08

q he
and the establishment OF liberal principles in her poli,
cal economy, Maryland cannot be indifferent specta
tor IN the midst OF the fearful agtalions which have
threatened aud still may again threaten the peace OF the
Union She cannot forget iler ancient honors and the
memories OF her foreathers Though inferior in size
populaon and wealth to many OF her younger sisters in
the conederacy she is nevertheless entitled, in em
uen degree, to defeenta consideration IN this of
passions Her voice should be heard and her counses
respected for she speaks IRON the nausoleum OF
Iniouafy heroes whose blood shed with equal pro-
fusion upon bleak hills of the North and the sunny
savannas OF The South 10 nationality which The
Union alone preserve Though allied to the Soutl,
leeing and interests by the habits OF her people and
the nature u her domestic nstutors she nevertheless
occupies peculiar position, which should Command for
her IN hls efisis an especial weight and Influence
han land Is border State, the immediate link between
the North and the Southldenied with the latter. yet
iimarlzed by constant intercourse with the virtues and
the of both Upon her soil there is no resting
place Tor an uliIasi or fanatic Her people calm,
deiberaiive and patriotic, Neither the rude Borpas Of
northern ana,icsn nor the hot Simeon Of southern
nlf,uosy move her temperate people from the
iasiar- n THAI WAY in The plain path OF duty
And, apart from their natural temperament, which
leads 10 canness and vision in this fierce sectional
strife, AlayandeIs are not unconscious of the terrible
certainty that, should frarcidal FOLLY and wckedness
plunge this nation into civil war, their State must be
the battle-ground for contendng armies Of Can-like
God-accursed destroyers Let Maryland then, speak
the words OF wise counsel and broherly conciaiion.a
Let her speak plainly the unyanshed TRUTH that traitors
nay be abasied and unre'eetng patriots may arouse
man, whatever may be ms political position Tor the time,
presume TO speak for the people OF State, yet if
may be ao wed the expression OF my individual opinion,
would say that the people OF Maryland will value the
Union beyond all other temporal blessings, SO long they
regard conducive TO perfect freedom and the
p'sbment OF our national destines. But il cannot be
supposed that The conieteacy alone is the beginning aud
the end OF our hopes and afectlons II s but the
through winch we aim al the attainment OF adeiRed OBJ
!eet; and that Is, the promotion OF national happiness
and national power, which would be unattanable 70
any oil tue States, less than the whole, II
organized into separate republic. How can such re-
.tII2 HI, ahnio lntnp
justice By the rude oppression OF brute force. The still
offensive tyranny OF legislation, winch cannot be
peaceaby resisted by the oppresseds Certainly not No
Union OF republican, States possibly stand upon
such foundation. The arch OF this federal constitu
iion must forever rest upon the mutual confidence and
love OF the whole people, shall il Crumble into
the dust before the eyes Of rejoicing kings and amidst
the lamentations of hopeless humanity Shall It be said
that II is mchoate moral treason to weigh the chances OF
the continuance of this Union, and to deliberate upon its
end and lis value' The day for such dangerous tmidX
has passed Would to God that the whole nation was still
governed by the nisttaets Of old reUerenee,hat the
name oil Washington had become political Mythe or
apotheosis, and that the constitution, like the tables of
the Mosaic law, beyond the mplous daring OF pro-
lane criticism! Then, indeed. ihis would he q republic
of confederate hearts, where the impulses OF sublma-
ted would supersede the government OF cold and
calculating But that day. if existed, has
been numbered with the pasi for anacism and lreason
have precptaed the Crisis and is the duty of all
men, approaching the task with splrts purified by the IN.
culcaions OF rational patriotism. 10 look fearessly into
that terrible abyss OF dsunion and Iuin from which
distinguished American prayed that the veil might
never be withdrawn. Ay, let II be Withdrawn; let us
look into it and view its horrors let us scan its inmost
gloom let every bleeding fragment OF the giant republic
hurled into the depths speak TO us from lis wounds with
moe touching eloqnence than the mute appeal OF Casars
WOUNDS 10 the Roman people Then tell lhe naton what
Il is that can accomplish this their destruction. Let be
known that possible and hoio it possible and
will ecoi from the peFeraion or the countenancng of
those things which lead on TO the appalling issue.
The heaviest curse of mankind must fall upon those
WHOSE action naciion shall the dss oluton OF
this conederacy Nevertheless to dssect the possible
causes which may lead to- such disaster is not the fore
shadowing of treason but high patriotic duty and to
counsel with another upon our mutual obligations
is not to famarze the public mind with the crime Of dis
union, but rather TO strengthen the popular veneraton
for the confedeacy by Intelligent appreciation OF it's
blessings IL is evident that the compromises and guaan
tees OF the constitution must be observed with entire faith
fulness II is evident that the minority OF The States and
OF the people must be assured Of protection from the ab
trary legislative rule OF the majority, by strict adherence
to the original terms OF the federal compact long as II
is the recognised organic law OF the land is evident
that the moral power OF the majority States must be in
cited to the suppression of that insulting and awess
spirit OF crusade which has characterized aboitonism
especially late years. and which has not only rendered
the property of southern insecure but has threaten
ed the safety of their hesides, and exaspeated Their per-
sona and sectional PRIDE OF character 1t should not be
forgotten that the compromise bills OF the last session
of Congress- the South has, n fact, yielded everything
She has surrendered the public domain, won, in very
disproporlionate degree. by her blood, and by the
common OF the entire nation. She has
in return received nothing. but the fugitive slave
act, which is merely the reafhrmance and grae-
tca enforcement OF q night originally secured 10
her by the constitution Whatever may be The opinions
OF The North the abstract question ot Afnean sla-
yery il cannot be doubted that il s the duty Of all good
citizens to obey the constitution and laws OF the land
And when, in addition 10 this plain dictate o duty the
great inequality OF the compromise measures ~ consider
ed surely northern brethren cannot fail to that
the South has already contributed her tu quota OF con
and concilaon and that the future responsible
y of the crisis must est with the North. speak upon
10 hypothesis that the South her part will continue
fSnful 10 the Compromise, and VINO can doubr it Has
not the conservative patriotism OF the southern unlon
lists triumphed the enemies oil the Union no lar
Has the South submitted 10 many aggressIoDs and
much villifcaon Has sbe not smothered her iDi'g-
nation and with her heart in her hand come forward To
lay upon the altar of the republic her wrongs and grew
ances as 90 many hoocaasts 10 'fbery and wnso~ r.
What il her Hotspurs have threatened and her madmen
raved Were there not wisdom and loyalty enough
fouud from Marysnd Texas to chde the treason and
10 bind M the fury of such men say that the South
will do her duty bat will suffice TO cry out, ''the
Union and nothing but the Union" II is much more i'm
poran that those things should be done upon the doing
that the BY wheh Ae claims OF the South
promised have gone Into decisive operation, and could
only be resisted by rebellion her part whereas
the fugiive-slave act which the only compromise
measure f such can Justly be caed) acceded TO by the
North her share of mutual concessions operating.
and TO operate daily, weekly, and for years, and may be
nuhed by fanatics and traitors, though comparatively
few in number, through supineness, indifference. or pos
sblya lack Of moral courage the part Of the great
mass Of northern Uoionists Hence give il my most
earnest and painful conviction, that the Union VIII %
put in imminent jeopardy By any such derecton OF our
northern brethren whilst am confident that ms main
body of our southern people would rest entirely ssasoed
upon the basis of the Compromise with the as:usance,
however. emphatcaly given. not ony ~ p.DH men'