Washington sentinel. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1853-1856, 1855-09-01
.wILL THE UNION BE pIssoL WE'D o.

which it first presumes that the Abolition, " Fu-
sion, " Republican" Ga sad msnomer,) or what
1t calls the Free party" will succeed in elect
ing the next President Taking this success as
fixed and certain, il then inquiries, will the South
dissolve the Union in consequence of it; Now,
although the Era is an Abolition journal, unlike
all other abolition journals, it observes the de-
cencies and courteses of debate We, therefore,
cannot find il in our hearts to deal with it as we
do with other papers of the same sentiments
With confidence that is quite ludicrous, the
Era says that the " ntslavery President
will, in all probability, receive a constitutional
majority OF fifty votes in the electoral college
that to say, the votes of all the free States ex
cept California
1t then proceeds to show how what it calls ga
free Government, will work II says:
"The Government will be installed on the 4th
OF March, 1881 at the end of the short session of
Congress. There can consequently be no Congress
sional agitation, and no legislation, until the
following December, or say January, 1858. Hence
the South will have nothing to complain of and
nothing to warrant or make secession desirable.
The distribution of Executive patronage, whether
It be on proscriptive or tolerant principles, will
furnish no such Justification, because prescription
has for many years been the policy Of all Admin
istrations; and although it has caused great deal
OF heart-burning among politicians. we have
never heard II used as an argument for disunon.
80 lar from this being a source of embarrassment,
it will, if judiciously used, be the talisman which
Will charm away the evil spirit of discord from
the land!'
Now, we will not gravely argue with the Era
the question whether the success Of the Abolition
party would the dissolution of the
Union. Such success is so improbable that any
argument as to its consequences would resemble
an argument in regard to that old question as to
whether eff the sky were to fall it would catch
larks. We will content ourselves with the
simple declaration of opinion, that the cleo
ton of an Abolition Administration would in
stantly disrupt and discover this confederacy.
But supposng the Union to be maintained
under such fanatica mis-rule, we will indulge our
Imagination in picture.
An Abolition President and an Abolition Vice
President elected An Abolition cabinet is
appointed. We know Of but one avowed Adolf
ZIONIST III the South, (save GASEOUS Nj. Clay-a
brave maniac,) and that is u certain cambridge
Pitts, Of Essex county, Virginia No doubt
Cassus NJ. Clay would be appointed Secretary
of State, and cambridge Pitts secretary of some
thing else Such men as Wendall Phillips
Horace Greeley, Joshua r. Giddings and William
Lloyd Garrison, would be installed in the other
secretaryships. Every Democrat, every Wing,
even every know-nothng, would be turned out
of Office, and avowed Abolitcnists put in their
places What feast of fanaticism, and what
flow Of sspos'
In the North and in the South in the East, and
in the West, Abolitionists would BE- made United
States marshals and attorneys and judges. No
fugitive slave could possibly be recovered, even
under the Constitution and the Fugitive slave
law. Underground railroads would be as plen-
tiful as the behring's in waters, or the grass
hoppers in Utah. Underground railroads. did
we say They would become over-ground rail-
roads, for the " spoils," according TO the Era,
would convert the shareholders into Abolitionists
II says
"There are tens of thousands of southern hearts
now bursting with impotence to throw off the
yoke of slavery-white men and women, we mean
who only lack the encouragement and support
of the Federal Government to embolden them TO
speak in thunder tones in the ears of the handful
OF aristocratc shareholders, who now doRineer
over them with all the powers Of the Federal and
State Governments, They will find bold and
manly leaders in the class Of shareholders, thou
sands OF whom are anxious their non-slave-
holding brethren to be free. A party Of Freedom
will at once spring up all over the South-slavery
will be freely discussed, and il due time, wise
measures of emancipation will be- adopted by the
great majority 81 the southern people"
We would not use harsh words towards the Era,
(athough abolition journal,) because it is po-
lite; but cannot help asking-is this one Of the
dreams Of fanaticAh or one Of the vagaries Of Ia
nacyi Items Of thousands Of southern hearts
now bursting with impotence TO throw Off the
yoke Of slavery" Where are these southern
aboltiossts? In what States and in what party
We were born and raised in the South, but we
confess that we are ignorant IL regard 10 the mat
ter. Yet this we know, they are not in Virginia
and they do not belong to the Democratic party
But 10 go on with our picture. All appoint
ments at West Point and in the Navy would be
made from the abolition ranks-(God save the
markD AN appointments for new regiments
would be from among the AboItionists. All OF
our foreign ministers, charges, consuls, and com
mercial agents, would be Abolitonists
by means Of the patronage" or "pap,"
which the Era seems TO regard as omnpotent, il
confidently expects that when its party comes
into power, the people Of this District will will
lingly emancipatc their slaves, and that bought
up Congress will pay them the value thereof ;
that slaves will be excluded from all the Terri
tories-kansas, even-and that majority Of the
purchased Southern members Of Congress will
agree with all the Northern members 10 repeal
the Fugitive slave law and restore the Missouri
compromise!
If this is not cooking your hare'' "before you
catch i, Ito use the language of the Era,) we
do not know what it is
But here Is the picture. Startling enough in
all conscience. Horace Greelsy's notions pre-
vailing in the Cabinet; Gerret Smiths (peace)
notions prevailing in the army and navy; Fred
Douglass amalgamation notions prevailing in
social life, and the Era's notions prevailing in
the Treasury Department!