The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1851-01-19


ments. The reforms in those governments, which
have consisted essentially in raising the people from
condition Of political nonentity 10 substantive power in
the State, have drawn their anmang breath and derived
their effective support from the precedent supplied
by these United States II the NesserOdes and Meter
nics Of the day are compsten Witnesses This country
has been the great laboratory from whence beal IDEAS
have been continually fitting across the ocean and dis
turbng the Dead Sea tranquility Of the venerable des
pousns OF Europe. The extent to which these ideas
have peImeated the there is really surprising,
when considers the vigilance and severity with which
tyranny everywhere guards its usurpalions. Many a
generous struggle has proved aborve and heca'ombs
Of brave hut unfortunate patriots have been inundated
to the Moloch OF absolusm; but the OF freedom
has the whole advanced The nations not where
they were al the commencement OF this century and un
less we betrsy trust and exhnguish the light which
allures them TO freedom there is little likelihood
that they will consent to resume their chains Ii
guard this vesial Il ime uron winch many anxious
eyes are turned the political renovation of the world
must go Other lands viii be erlancpated, and the
prophetic vision beautifully depicted by the poe, will
be realized:
81 saw the expecting Regions stand,
To catch the coming haine Ia turn
saw from ready aaLu 10 hand
The bright but but struggling sli, ,Sa glory a burn
Ligh led her altar with It's ray;
Then, smiling TO The next who came,
Speoied it ON its sparkling way't
No man who believes that there is Providence can
take brief retrospect of our history, like that
which has engaged attention. without discover
ing nnumerabe evidences Of his benlgnan agency He
who does not Divine hand directing and controlling
the whole course OF affairs from the landing OF the
coonsis al jamestown and Plymouth until the present
hour would hardly have the pillar OF cloud and Of
fire hal he been with the Hebrews IN the wilderness
This Union is not the work OF man. II IS THE WORK OF
Cop Among the achievements OF his wisdom and be
necence in conducting the secular OF the world
must be ranked OF his greatest and best works
And he who would destroy 1t Is chargeable with The I'M
pie,y OF attempting subvert structure which is em
neny adapted 10 illustrate The periecons OF the Deity,
and to bless the whole family OF man.
There are howeveI-the fac, cannot be disguised
parties actually q, work in endeayoring 10 destroy the
Union A party the South and another party at the
North the poles apart IN their speculative views o tue
subject which agitaes ,hem aud nfamed with bitter
mutual hostility have virtually joined hands Tor the ip puI
tpne OF these pares the ostensbe object they have
in view; but il essentially involved in that object and
they know il They must, therefore, be held TO the
sponsibliiy Of aiming At dissolution OF the Union.
equally with those inhabitants OF the southern States
who avow this as their aim.
The subject which has occasIoned this commotion 10
SLAVERY The southern dsunonsis wonld secede be-
cause Congress, at its late session, passed certain acts
abrdging, they ailege the rights OF the slavehoding
States aud the northern dsunonis,s insist upon the
peal OF law passed a, the same time, entitled the ug-
nvesla law, even though ns abrogaiion should In
vove dissolution OF the Union, My business as a
northern man. and citizen OF free State, is with the
latter of these parties rather with the North generally
In the few observations am about to make on the sub
jeci, shal simply reerae sentiments which have been
often and eoQuenty expressed both IN Congress and
out OF H. that they have become familiar TO every we'll
informed citizen But may say ,ha, the man who can
put the American Union, with all IT'S untold and neon
ceivabe blessings into scale and the repeal OF the
fugitive slave law into the other and then strike the
balance in favor OF the latter, without an eIempar IN
The history of the until we get back TO The record OF
that primeva ,empter who said TO our hst motheI re
shall not surely die"
"Shc pluckd-sbe eat!
Earh felt the wound, aud Nature lrom her seat,
signing ,hro' all her works, gave 'igns OF wo
That all wa. orl"
In saying this. utterly discam any design TO become
the champion Of slavery. have never sci myself to de.
lend III and ey he aes o. oa s VIII naoos 81 bs
North and by tens of thousands OF our southern country
men, that colossal evil, and that no contamination
is more devouty be wished and prayed Tor than lis
moya But can as little undertake the championship Of
northern agiaors and fanatics as that OF slavery be-
eve they are the enemies OF the slave and the
most efficient protectors OF slavery, and asssuch can
have no fellowship with them. The law 10 which they
object may be, or II may not be- defective or unjust IN
some OF It's provisions IL II is will no doubt at the
proper time be amended II II IL not, It Will stand But
what called upon TO discounenanee Is the spirit
in which this excitement is promoed-the recklessness
and violence with which the unconditional repeal OF The
obnoxious aw sdemandcd irrespective OF consequence
the abusive attacks which are constantly made upon
the Southland the whole system OF measures put IN
operation to ALLEVIATE the two portions oil the confedeaey
and bring about disruption
However the fact NAV be contemned by the radical
abouonists il behooves all TO remember what even
the cursoy retrospect presented IN this discourse must
have made sufficiently manifest that the Union OF these
States matter Of compromse DISTRACTED as II was
by the serious impediments, II could never have
been effected had all the parties concerned been AMI
mated by rare spirit OF accommodation Gen. Wash
ngion IN submitting the drsught OF the constitution to
Congress, thus expresses himself IN his official letter as
the president OF the convention " In all our de- beatons
on this subject kept steadily in view that which
appears the greatest interest OF every American
the consolidation OF our Union, in which is involved
prosperity, felicity safety, perhaps national exist
This important consideration seriously and deeply
impressed minds led each State IN the convention
be less rigid points OF inferior magnitude than
might have been otherwise expected and thus the con
OF am,ty, and Of that mutual deerence and concession
which peculiarly OF political situation rendered
indispensable" e."
In this spirit the Union originated, and IN this spirit u
has under Gods blessing, been preserved. On all the
important OF the government the country
has been divided into great parties We have passed
through various crises which have tested the loyalty OF
fiery furnace Take for example, the following measures
Jays reaty-the embsrgo-the war OF lsl2-the MIS-
sour queston-the notification conference.-the admls
sion of T.xas--and the Mexican war. Each OF these
measures was highly onensive large portion of the
American people The Legislation Of Congress was. in
Of the cases, resisted by statesmen OF the emf
nent abilities, being in the face OF the constitution
and destructive to best n,erssis Bu, when the acts
were passed, the law abiding spirit of The Anglo Saxon
began work, and all parties aoquiesced We have
iking illustration Of this in Of the most recent Of
the measures just msntoned-the admission OF Texas
The major part OF the population IN the free States re-
gArded tnis, in the manner which done, a.
ssoss invasion Of The constitution. distinguished ci'-
OF South Carolina, formerly governos OF that STATE
has remarked, letter recently published. that the sd'
--
II az, indebted % Mr Evsssu fc his beautiful quotation