The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1854-08-31
THE VALUE OF THE UNION.

| Elliotsville, Maine, april 1854.
| THE VALUE OF THE UNION.
We have no sympathy with the supersttious
reverence for the Union which Is afraid to
| calculate its value. If the Union is not worth
preserving, it should be dissolved by mutual
consent; and if it has inestimable value, there
cen be no danger of weakening the affections
of the People for it, by essayipg to calculate
that value For, although that which is ines
Unable cannot be defined by arithmetic, it
may be shown to be infinitely great; and that,
for all practical purposes, would be regarded
as sufficient.
The subject was discussed some months ago
by the editor of the Era, as well as by other
journals, with view to chow that the South
has more to lose by dissolution than the North.
Our present purpose will be to contemplate the
consequences of dissolution of the Union to
the South; q measure which is threatened
from that quarter as often as the North mani
tests symptom of repuguance to the extension
of Slavery, or desire to check its aggressions
1t is said that if the Fugitive Slave Law is
repealed, or materially modified, that disunion
will be the consequence Well, suppose it is
VIII that remedy the evilg Would it not be
bringing Canada to the line of Mason and
Dixon, or more probsbly to the Potomac
With free and separate Republic, strong and
powerful, imbued with anti-slavery, bordering
the slaveholding States, from the Atlantic to
kLa xy-oetory, horJoro &c M;oso,,,; xxho-o III
be the guarantee for Slavery in all the border
States? Can anything prevent the slaves
from marching over the line in gangs of hun
dreds and thousands
But this would be a minor evil Slavery
would be shorn of its strength, if disconnected
from the free States of the North. It would
possess no longer the power of extending itself
by annexation or conquest and would find
itself in o condition little better than that of
colonial vsssalsge to England and France
Can il be doubted that such would be the re-
suit? How long is it that the Union, with all
the wealth of the free North to back it, has
been in the proudly independent position which
it now occupies Only few years 1t is only
since the Mexican war, that the Governments
of Europe have manifested real respect for
the power Of the American Union And now,
if that which constitutes the essence of its
strength and power be withdrawn, and placed
in On antagonist position, where will be the
strength of Slavery? Where the power of
the South to acquire Cuba or Mexico; where,
in fact, will be it's power to maintain its inde-
| xuik kha 4
frowning upon its peculiar institution gu
With one-third of its population in state of
Slavery, the South, in our opinion would con-
stitrtc very weak State; and from it's purely
agricultural condition, very poor one. II
would have no power to check the efforts of
England and France for the abolition of Sla-
very in Cuba and Brazil; no power to annex
Mexican provinces, no power, against the
North, to claim a share in the Territories, and
no power to catch the fugitive slaves who
| would fly from her inhospitable shores not
merely to the free North, but to Jamaica.
Cuba, Hayti, and Mexico. The power of the
South to bully these countries, and compel
them, lawfully or otherwise, to surrender the
fugitives, will pass away with the Union, and
she will look in vain for aid to the North.
South, East, or West.
We appeal to Southern people themselves.
for the correctness of these differences from
well-known facts. 1t will be in vain to talk
of an alliance with England Doubtless that
country would avail herself of the opportunity
OF extending her commerce; but the field
would be very little widened by dissolution
OF the, Union. The necessities of the South
would compel her to keep up tariff as high
as that of the Union at present; and the
probability is that the duties would be raised
rather than lowered. The preference which
English commerce could be given under such
circumstances, would not be sufficient to cor
rupt the public heart, and divert it from its
cherished desire to abolish Slavery throughout
the world. Whatever may be said of the.un-
scrupulous ambition of the British Govern
ment, there can be no doubt that the people
of England are thoroughly and conscientiously
hostile to Slavery; and that no Government
can dare to disregard this fixed principle in
the British mind. Ii has cost the Government
countless millions not merely for the Enamel
patton of their own West India Islands. but
for the suppression of the slave trade and it
has scorned every temptation of commercial
brides from Brazil and Spain, in obedience to
this dictate of the public conscience.
There is no hope for Slavery, therefore, in a
dissolution of the Union. The South. on calm
reflection, will come to the conclusion that il
is better to suffer present Ills in the compan-
ionship of Greeley, Garrison, & Co.. rather
than rush into the fatal embrace of the demon
| Disunion.
/ We believe that every rejecting man in the
South fully understands these things; and that
threats of disunion are merely designed 70
| frighten timid doughfaces of the North into
soquiescence under the rule of the Slaveoc,
racy. G.
George Washington, in 1894, spoke, in let
ter to Tobias Lear, of his desire to Hbcrate 1
certain species of property, which possess
very repugnantly to my own feelings.1 HI
would to-day be the scoff Of his neighbors In
bis owp home!