The republic., 1851-07-08

pTOplCIB5 ILCy DTOp0cL5.
Ye men of Virginia, what do you say to all this
Ye men Of the Potomac, dwelling along the shores
Of that river where WAsHiNGroN lived, aud ~here
he died, and where his remains now rest Ye, so
many OF whom MAY see the domes Of the Capitol
from your own hotreg--what do ySfu say 7 3. y j.
Ye men of James river and the Bay, places cen
-,, led bv the early settlement Of your Common
wealth, what do yUd says Do you desire ifoin me
soil Of your State as you trave 10 tne Noll, ~
these halls vacated, their beauty ann " i''lsnV
destroyed, and their national uSelulneSs "iea S"H0
foreverf - -
Ye men beyond the Blue Ridge, many thousands
Of whom are nearer this Capitol than to the seat
of government of your own state, wheI 90 you
thi5k of breaking this great association into irag
rnents of States and OF people! Know some OF
vo,t and believe you all would be almost as much
Shocked al the announcement OF such catastro-
phe as II ydu were to be informed tgsl lhe niue 1
Ridge itself would soon totter from ite base And
We men of Western Virginia, who occupy the great
alone from the top of the Allegheny to the Ohio
and Kentucky, what course do you propose TO your
selves by dsunionf II you "secede," what do you
s.secedeb from, and what do you "accede" TO! Do
YOU look for the current ofthe Ohio to change and
to bring you and your commerce to the waters
Of eastern rivers? What man In his senses can
suppose that you will remain part and Parcelol tr
ginia month after Virginia should have ceased 10
&c part and parcel OF the United States!
The secession ofVirginia! the secession OF VIZ
cina whether ao..e cr in company, - most I'M
probable the greatest OF all improSebliltles- fH1
GINA, 10 Der eNerlaSunB nOnOr, aCNSp u y N'N -
in framing and establishing the present Cohs'tu
ton. She hath had her reward and her distinction
Five of her noble sons have each filled the Presi-
dency, and enjoyed the highest honors of the coun
try. Dolorous complaints come up to US from the
South, that Virginia will not head the procession
of secession, and lead the other Southern States out
of the Union This would be something of mar
vel, certainly, considering how much pains Vir
gina took to lead these same States into the Union,
and considering, too, that she has partaken as
la upU of lts benefits and It5 government
other State.
And ye, men of the other Southern States, mem
bers of the old thirteen; yes, members OF the old
thirteen; that touches my regard and my sylnpa
thies; North Carolina, Georgia, South Carona
What page in your history, or in the history of
any one of you, is brighter than those which have
been recorded since the Union was formed! Or. !.
through what effect has your prosperity been great
er, or your peace and happiness better secured!
What names even bias South Carolina, how so
much dissatisfied, what names has she of which
her intelligent SONS are more proud, than those
which have been connected with tile government OF
South CarolinaS
In revolutionary times, and in the earliest days
of this Constitution, there was no State more hon.
ored more deserving to be honored. Where is
she now2 And, "what fall is there my country
menl"
But leave her to her own reflections, commend
ing to her. with all my heart the due consideration
OF her own example in times now gone by.
Fellow citizens, there are some diseases of the
ties we'll diseases OF individuals, that must be
left their cure; at least it is wise TO leave
them so, until the last critical moment shall arrive
hope it is not irreveren, and certainly Is not in
tended reproach, when | say, that know no
stronger expression in our language than that
which describes the restoration OF wayward SON
che came to himself" He had broken away from
all the ties OF love, family and friendship He had
forsaken every thing which he had once regarded
in his iather's house. He had Quilted his natural
sympathies, affections, and habits, and taken his
journey into far country. lie had gone away
from himself, and out of himself. But misfortunes
overlook him, and famine threatened him with
starvation and death. No entreaties from home
followed him to beckon him back; no admonition
from others warned him of his fate. But the hour
of reflection had come, and nature and conscience
wrought within him, until at length 'he came to
himself"
And now, ye men of the new States of the South!
You are not of the original thirteen. The battle
had been fought and won, the revolution achieved
and the Constitution established, before your States
had any existence as States. You came into pre-
pared banquet and had seats assigned you at table,
just honorable those which were filled by
older guests. You have been and singuarly
prosperous; and if any one should deny this, you
would at once contradict his assertion. You have
bought quantities Of choice and excellent land
at the lowest price, and if the public domain has
not been lavished upon you, you yourselves will
admit that it has been appropriated to your own
uses by very liberal hand. And yet in some OF
these Statcs not in all, persons found in favor
OF dissolution Of the Union OF secession from II.
Such opinions are expressed even where the general
prosperity OF the community has been the most
rapidly advanced In the dourlshing and interest
ing State of Mississippi for example, there is large
party which inssts that her grievances intoler-
able, whole body polite is in state suffer
ing, and all along, and through her wholeextenten
the Mississippi loud cry rings that her only reme
dy is "Secesson,' accession" Now, gentlemen,
what inlction does the State of Mississippi suffer
under? What oppression prostrates her strength
or destroys her happinessf Before we can Judge
of the proper remedy must know something OF
the disease; and, for my part, confess, that the
real evil existing in the case appears to me to be
certain inquietude, or uneasiness, growing out OF
high degree OF prosperity and consciousness OF
wealth and power, which sometimes leads men 10
be ready for changes and to push ON 10 still higher
elevation If this be the truth Of the matter, the
doctors about right. II the complaint spring
from over wrought prosperity, for that disease
have no doubt that secession would prove a sove-
reign remedy.
But return to the leading topic on which was
engaged. In the department of invention there
have been wonderful applications OF science to arts
within the last sixty years. The spacious hall OF
of American inventive art and genius. Their re-
suits seen in the numerous improvements by
which human labor is abridged
Without going into details, 1t may be sufficient
to say that many Of the applications of steam to
locomotion and manufactures; OF electricity and
magnetism to the production of mechanical motion;
to the electrical telegraph; to the registration OF
astronomical phenomena; to the art OF multipl ying
engravings; the introduction and improvement
among US Of all the important inventions of the Old
World are strikingly indicative Of this country in
the useful arts
The net work of railroads and telegraph lines by
which this vast country is reticulatcd have not only
developed its resources, but united emphatically
in metallic bonds, all parts of the Union.
The hydraulic works of New York, Philadcl
phia, and Boeton, surpass in extent and impor
tancc those of ancient Rome.
But have not confined our attention to the
immediate application of science to the useful arte
We have entered the field of original research, and
have enlarged the bounds Of scientific knowledge
Sixty years ago, besides the brilliant discoveries
of Franklin in electricity, scarcely any thing hao
been done among Us in the way of original dis
covery Our men Of science were content with re
pcating the experiments and diifusing know
ledge of the discoveries of the learned of the Ole
World, without attempting to add a single new
fact or principle to the existing stock Within thi
last sttwenty five or thirty years remarkable i'm
! provement has taken place in this respect. Ou
natural history has been explored in all Its branch
es; our geology has been investigated with result
of the highest interest TO practical and theorctca
| science Discoveries have been made IN pure
chemistry and electricity which have received th
appreciation of the world. The advance which ha
! been made in meteorology in this country, within