Washington sentinel. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1853-1856, 1855-08-16
DISuNlON.

sacred sentiment educated INTO the hearts and
minds of young men for the preservation of the
Union, that displayed itself through their lives
and actions. He who talked idly of the posi-
bility of such an event, was frowned down by
the reprobation of his fellows while the. grave
and more matured shook their wise heads in holy
horror at his sacregious sentiments, Those
days have gone. What was a rarity then, has
now almost become habit Even newspapers
prate us gby of the dissolution of the Union as
they would describe Inauguration ball or
grand fete in high life. Nor is this all. These
lucubrations are not confined To the journals of
any particular section OF the country. We find
them in the North and in the South--n the
East and in the West. We see some that are
characterized by most unbecomng violence,
while others are marked by not less alarming
calmness and deberaton To trace to its source
this grevious state of things is no easy or CRATE
ful task. To say when and with whom IT be-
gun, and the causes of it, would expose us 10 the
censure of being sectionalists, and yet, at the
risk of this We propose to ourselves this morn
ing some comment ON this subject.
We were bred to value the Union of these
States above all price, and its dissolution as the
greatest of all disasters. But this was II pc
Rod when, il the rights OF the sovereign States
there was vet the strongest heps HAT FsasOn,
Justice, and patriotism, woaS assert ,ASST slaa-
pire and crush IN the sgg the taGl SyS-ls tia;
would Gssscrate car institutions aEaG throw hack
into chaos the beautiful order which had been
struck from il BY the sases, and patriots, and
founders of The Republic. How vain that hope
has prover--how futile all human effort to rea-
lie IT, Don't give up the ship, > were the noble
words OF encouragement of one of our gallant
captains Don't give up the Union, until further
effort to save il is dshonor, and the persistence
in wrong and outrage upon the rights of the
South would make her a scott and by-word
among all the nations of the earth Don't give
up the Union, until the North, bloated with
greed and fanaticsm, shall, like the cruel daugh-
tiers of the old king, continue to. abridge the
privileges, to insult the dignity, and to destroy
the rights of the South, who has contributed so
largely to the power, greatness, and prosperity,
of which she is justly proud. How near at
hand the fearful consummation of this wicked
purpose may be, it is not for us to say. We APP
prehend, however, from the signs of the times,
that it is not far distant.
- ~---'' THE FUGITUE-sLAyE LAW
E. au.. SLAVERY IN THE DIsTRIcT
the refusal to admit another
riaEs Union, are given out as the
main oplects ., .slative exertion by the Free
oo1 and Abolition MARTY nj tho o.,f ros,r,.ee
When we remember that the next House of
Representatives is composed of very large num-
Der, if not majority, of this party, we may not
be considered alarmists, for saying that they are
at least making fearful strides towards the exccu
ton of their dread purposes. Who shall say that
this Union should stand another moment after the
enactment of such lawsi
The institution of slavery was inaugprated
into our system when the thirteen States formed
the confederacy under which we now live. 1t
was naugurated into it, because in all the States
slavery was not only recognized, but had an
actual existence. If, then, slavery existed in the
several States which formed the Union, and the
right Of property in slaves was not only not in
| terdicted by the Constitution which they agreed
upon, but absolutely permitted by it, how shall
they interdict it now, either within sister States
or the Territories, the common property of all
the States; In Boston, the Athens of America,
God save the mark il was common thing to
see slave sales advertised in her philanthropic
newspapers BY what authority, then, is the
objection 10 it made nowi There is but one
source to which, in the very nature ofthings, we
must look for this authority. That source is the
Constitution. Well, we have but one Constitu-
ton from the beginning; and if that Consti-
tuition recognized and permitted slavery, where
is the power ADORE the Constitution, that
shall contravene it, Abolitionists may break
the Constitution, if they have the po,cer-
so may the armed bandit take the treasure
from n defenceess traveller--but, until that in
strument is destroyed, we have as much right to
our slave property as they have to any species
Of their own. A new constitution might be
framed, which, taking the place Of the present
one, would interdict slavery in States and Terri
tories; but then nep union must be formed,
and the States becoming parties to il would have
right to go in or stay out Of il, with this inter
diction, as they might severally please. What is
the case now Simply, that coming into the
Union, with this privilege guaranteed them by
the common instrument that binds them, they
are, by post facto enactment, prohibited from
the enjoyment Of this privilege. There was no
limitation upon this subject specified in the Con-
stituton, and hence it remains as firmly guar
anteed right TO the slaves States as any other
whatever, recited or implied Slavery was abol-
ished in the northern or free States because it
not deemed profitable, and only because it
was not deemed profitable. God and nature de-
termined this for us Hence it exists in every
Southern State, because produce and soil and
climate attract it thither. Do the northern pco-
pie 1--WE speak now Of the Dorm casters, and not
Of those noble northwestern people who depend
upon their own bold energies for their livelihood
and who keep down and check the serpent fiend
Of Abolition wherever it rears its head) know
that but for siare labor their people would be
drones and beggas, and their cities green pas
lures Take cotton, tobacco, hemp, sugar, and
rice-all products Of slave labor, and raised in