The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1855-11-24

try which have several times heretofore come near.
~ 20 disastrous issue and been compromised, are
never had to meet before The danger il that the
politicians will dissolve the Union before the peo.
pie have time to act-that we shall find ourselves
On .ne rock before we are well aware Of the danger
Let Us calmly look at the causes which endanger
the Unicn-the consequences of dlssolution-and
zee il this remedy for evils exiting is not infinitely
worse than the evils themselves
/. The causes-The Missouri compromise tlxed
line north Of which slavery was never to be permit
ted by law. The compromise acts OF 1siS-'49 pro-
vided among other things, for carrying out more
efficiently the provisions Of the constitution for tho
return Of fugitive slaves The last Congress re. re-
pealed the Missouri compromise, and threw the
question open to be adjusted by the people Of the
respective Territories irrespective Of any geographic
cal line. This repeating act--calleh the Kansas
Nebraska bill-was constitutional, but most i'm.
polite measure 1t re-opened the most dangerous
controversy that ever agitaed the Union for ade
produced deep feeling throughout the North,
where 1t was considered wanton breach Of good
faith. do not charge the South with this error
but II was miserable mistake on the part of
Northern representatives; and it is deeply to be re-
gletted that the Southern members themselves had
not foresight and magnaniuity enough 10 refuse it
their aid II is the first consequence of the loss Of
country.
But thing that ought never to have been done.
when done, Is sometimes extremely difficult to
undo. Torepeal it now involves the question Of the
power OF Congress to abolish slavery whereas the
South contends it has now egalised existence.
ms question Is now to be met. Ii is the rock
above water.
have been suffering aggressions from the North that
every species Of interference or meddling with the
institution OF slavery Is an aggression: that every
difficulty iLterposed by any person or persons at the
North to the recovery of fugitives is aggression
that every attempt to induce Congress to interfere
IN any manner with the subject in the Territories is
an aggression. That Congress has no constitution
al power over the subject that the matter il one
exclusively Of State jurisdiction and that any at
tempt to exclude slavery from the Territories by
Congressional legisat is hereafter to be resisted
breaking up the government. This, beyond ques-
ton is, at this moment, the fixed and settled under
standing Of the Southern politicians and the South
ern people are almost unanimously with the poiti-
claus upon this point.
No more fatal time could be selected for striking
blow at the heart Of the republic than the pre-
sent. Not only is the ab0liti0nist Of the North
striking at the STAKEHOLDER Of the South but
the natural2ed and foreign born part Of our p0pu-
lation, and kindng the fame Of religious intole.
rance in our midst. Enthusiasts in the cause Of
temperance are attacking with a zeal almost
amounting to frenzy the property and the business
Of another class; and in the midst of this universal
conflict, carried, in come cases, to the extremes Of
fire and bloodshed, ambitious men, and little poll
ticans are everywhere tanning the fame, that they
may possibly win some miserable crumb of official
plumber in the conflict And besides all this, but
few men OF distinguished talent or commanding
influence have now q seat in halls of repre-
sentatives, State or national. The people seem to
have literally everywhere failed to select as their
representatives the first talent Of the country.
Of ea
the republic.
II. What can possibly be gained by a dissolution
of the Union? That act will not release a slave.
Will it rescue the Territories from the stakeholder?
They must be amcably divided or fought for. The
people Of the North will not fight the battles Of abo
lionists. The cause of quarrel will not be redress
ed il that lie made cause.
The South will not advance one step towards Sc
curing themselves from the aggressons of which
they complain. What is now domestic, will become
foreign aggression that is all. They will lose all
surrender their fugitives The North will become
free soil to the runaway slave see present mis-
chief that dissolution OF the Union will not increase
q hundred fold.
Now, if il he true that majority Of the members
elected to the next House OF Representatives
pledged and determined 10 pass repeating bill; il
1t is deter ed to restore the Missouri compromise
at all hazards what is to prevent the result which is
thus threatened? What is to prevent q dissolution
OF the UDony suppose by attaching q repeating
section to the appropriation bill in the House, and
refusing to pass one without the other, dissolu-
ton may be brought about. What are paper con-
situations and laws and courts Of justice, when
voluion begins in tho government itself, and one
half the country is Grrayed against the other half?
it, The law is silent in the midst OF arms We
have no standing army-no means of queng ma
tonal tumult or Of reducing q combination OF re-
fTactory States. Revolutions are sometimes blood
less This might be so But
i'll. What would be the eventual consequences
OF dissolution ofthe Union? The first step would
be but the beginning Of the end. The bond once
broken, who can say into how many fragments it
will bleakI The Union once severed, the people
on the Pacific shore, would hardly, ad-
here to either party. The States on and he
yond the Mississippi, would probably erect a govern
ment OF their own; nor is 1t certain that New Eng
land and the middle States would coalescc. ! think
| see in the first fatal step the utter ruin of our
hopes. 1t opens to my yi.ion an awful prospect OF
desolation and misery, and an eventual resort to
military despotism. The causes which dissolved
the Union, would remain causes Of conflict
would he the parent Of bloody wars. Wars would
down every vestige of popular government and the
quarrel begun about three millions Of slaves, would
end in cnsiaving the continent.
The fact would stand revealed. that under no cir
cumstances are men capable of selfgovernnlent;
that there is not virtue and patriotism, and intcli-
gence enough among them to maintain free inetitu-
tons. That the white, as well ~ the black race
must have masters. II j. but the old lesson Of his.
tory, an oft told tale in the ages of the world.
But enough. Fifty years ago to name a dissclu.
ton OF the Union was considered little less than
traitorous. Thirty years ago men talked about cal
culating the value Of the Union. Now thousands at
the North say, I'VE are tired Of yielding to the in
science and braggadocio Of the South--let disco
luton come Thousands at the South say, 'We
are tired Of submitting to Northern interference and
aggrcssion-let dissolution come Passion il
ascending the throne Of reason and once seated
there, will soon write the cpitaph OF liberty amid
the ruins Of the republic.
II seems the very error OF the moon
She comes more near The earth than she was wont,
And makes men mad
A CITIZEN OF rHE NoRrn