Washington sentinel., 1854-05-03
WHO ARE THE DIsTURBERs OF THE
PEACE OF THE COUNTRYs

This Union may and probably will not last
always; but it would be reproach to history,
shame to civilization, were it to be wrecked
in its youth, with all the elements of progress
in active vigor, before age had palsied its ener-
| ges, or decay withered its strength. And yet
there is nothing which tends so directly towards
a dissolution as these attempts to array one
portion of the Union against another, to rouse
and encourage sectional jealousies. They
weaken the bonds of brotherhood, destroy fra
ternity offeeling, obliterate mutual sympathies.
These, and not physical force, constitute the
great cohesive principle that holds the States
together, that gives to them unity and strength,
aud carries them forward with such prodigious
progress" ALBANY Register.
Such is the language of a leading paper of
that wing of the northern whig party known as
the silvey grays." The sentiments are such
as to commend themselves to the sympathy Of
every true patriot. These remarks were elicit
ed from the Register by editorial comments
which we made few days since on one of its
recent articles.
We regret much that the conduct of the Re
gister and those who act with it does not square
with these sentiments. We regret that while
they talk so prettily they act SO indiscreetly.
Their words are as honey, their acts as poison.
They lament, and lament deeply, that there
should be such thing as sectionalism, and yet
they are engaged in the unholy cause of foster
ing it. The Register accuses us of attempting
to array section against section, the slave
States against the free States, the south against
the north, when we have never uttered sylla-
BILE that could be so tortured as to substantiate
the charge; when, in sooth, our article to which
the Register refers was but denunciation of
its attempt to frighten southern wings into op-
position to the Nebraska bill by the threat that,
ifthey did not opposeit, the northern wings would
split off and separate from them. The Register
used the terms northern wings" and 9south-
ern whigs" 1t drew the distinction between
them. 1t spoke of sections. 1t spoke Of ex-
cluding slavery from Territories, and now it
laments in pathetic jeremiads that we are en-
deavoring to foment discord between sections
We tell the Register, as we have all along said,
that they-whether fanatics, running to the ex
treme Of abolitionism, or more moderate men,
limiting themselves to the prohibition of slavery
in the Territories the enemies of the Union
The doctrine of congressional non-intervention
is at the same time the perfection of State
rights, and the surest guaranty Of the pre-
servation of the Union. 1t avoids all sectional
issues. 1t gets rid of the evils and the dangers
that the Register so touchingly lydeprecates. The
opposite doctrine it is that begets dissatisfac-
ton, ,dissension, and strife.
The Register thinks that the harmony be-
tween the northern and southern wings can be
preserved, if the southern wings will join them
in opposing the Nebraska bill; if not, they
must disband and separate. The Register thus
closes its article;
"The conservative wings of the north are
not aboitionists; they have no sympathy with
abolitionists; they are distant as the poles from
them. But the compromise of 1920, limiting
the advancement of slavery and defining the
boundary between slave labor and free labor,
they should not be required to surrender; and
if required to do SO, they will be forced to re-
pudiate the requisition, and to stand up for
what they regard as the right. They ask the
wings of the south to yield this barren scheme
of forcing the abrogation of the compromise of
1920 for the sake of mere abstraction-to
remain with their brethren of the north in sup
port Of the Constitution, in the faith of COM
pacts in the preservation of principle adopt |
ed by the wisest men of the Union, and ac
quiesced in for more than third of a century
In this way harmony will be preserved, frater-
nal feelings will continue, dscord will be ban
ished, and the curse Of sectional jealousies and
national strife be averted."