The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1855-09-19


suasive language to every rejecting and
virtuous mind, and exhibit the continue
ance of the union as primary object of
patriotic desire. Is there doubt
whether common government can en-
brace SO large sphere P Let expert
ence solve it. To listen to mere specu-
lulation in such case was criminal
We are authorised to hope ethat prop
er organization of the whole, with the
auxiliary agency of governments for
the respective subdivisions, win afford a
happy issue to the experiments. With
such powerful and obvious motives to
union, affecting all parts Of our country,
while experiences shall not have demon
strated its impraeticability, there viii al
ways be reason to distrast. the patriot
ism of those who in any quarter may
endeavor to weaken its bonds
In contemplating the cuuses which
may disturb our Union, it occures as mat.
ter of serious concern that any ground
should have been furnished for charac
terizing parties geographical discrimina-
tions-northern and southern, Atlantic
and western, whence designing men may
endeavor to excite belief that there is
real difference of local interests and
views. One of the expedients of party
to acquire influence within particular
districts, is to misrepresent the opinion
and aims of other districts. You can
not shield yourself to much against the
jealousies and heart burnings which
spring from these misrepresentation
they tend to render alien to each other
those who ought to be bound together
by fraternal affection.
To see the manouvers of the dema-
gogues of the day to array the north
and the south against each other, one
one would suppose Washington was IN
dued, not only with the spirit of wisdom
butswith the spirit ofprophecy that the
veil of the future has been Withdrawn
from his eyes and that he had seen the
parricides at work. All the, mischief
and mischievous agencies at which he
hints seems tobe copglomerating around
us. The material has long been amongst
us, in the form of single demagogues,
and inconsiderable factions.
! For years past, the peace, harmony
aud prosperity of the country have been
disturbed by two contending factions !;
thesmountebanks of thenorth and the
ire-eaters of the south. But for the
madness of these factions, slavery would
have been abolished long ago, wherever
it was practicable, aud wherever it was
not practicable, the condition of the
slave greatly improved But between.
the two, the hopes of the poor negro
hayd been crushed, as between the mp
per and neither millstones.
3 It was profoundly remarked by Phi
.losopher, that the extremes are nearer
together than the means. So It's as to
these desperate factions. The distinc-
tion is hardly percefvable to man of
healthy brains, consisting only in this,
that they operateat opposite ends of the
lever in working out the same common
mischief Supreme selfshness is an in .
stinet commonsto both. To rule or TO
ruin is an end common to- both. To
intiame the immaginations of fanatics, is
a means of success common to both. To
sever the Union, if they cannot get all
they want, issa bug-bear common to
both. To conjure up a fictitious crisis,
to justify the election of an unworthy
man is trick commonsto both. To
make the opposite extreme of our below
ed country,i whether north or south, the
hell of sickly immaginations, is wick
ed humbuga common to both.
But affinity between these graceless
factions appears more clearly when we
reflect hatthey are mutual helps to each
other, and cannot live without each 9TH
er's aid that they initiate each others
wind bladders, and keep each other.
aioat, when without such. help both
would sink to The bottom like millstones.
Thus mountebank, for whom no sane
man would vote,in healthy times, mounts
the tide of northern crisis, and rides
into Congress. A fire-eater, equally
unfit to be trusted, also mounts the tide
of southern crisis, and rides into Con-
gress. Here they sit, kindred spirits,
ready to help each other to reelection
in all future time, by mutually deyour-
ing each other in mimic war. One of
them, without the slightest pro1ocation,
iings the fire. brands of slavery at the
other, and at 1t they go, like the two
fish women at billingsgate. After they
have belabored each other to their own
mutual satisfaction, each prints speech
for buncomb, and, according to the court
esy of Congressional showmen, delivers
a number Of copies to his adversary for
distribution. Each one sends home the
speech of his adversary to his constitu-
ents, to show how he and they have been
attacked, and his speech to show how
they have been defended Thus vul-
gar quarrel, for which they both ought
to have been expelled from Congress,
elects both..a second. d third and a fourth
time.F -
a Hitherto suchmen have acted as IN
d;rid,,als or fantiniass nv. hnfi as they.