The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1855-11-21

Railroads are the triumph Of peace, the en-
blems of internal confidence aud prosperity,
the bonds of union between the States They
are essentially democratic institutions--they
bring the reinements of the city and the pro-
ducts Of the country together-they give i'm.
petus to the mind, acuteness to the taste, sensi-
bility to the heart and humanity to the soul, by
mingling all classes and conditions of men, by
which The self-conceited are enlightened, the
modest encouraged and the ignorant exposed.
Mr.. Hamilton called the Bank of the United
States political machine" because he foresaw
that it's stockholders would be of the wealthiest
class, and their money once invested and its
value wholly dependent upon prudent and
peaceful administration of the government
they would be found the interested advocates
of order and the strenuous defenders Of public
justice and morality 1t is undoubtedly true
that capital, in any country, is conservative
element, and although it may not be entrusted
with the control of the government, nor with
the direction of its economical policy, on ac
count of its selfish tendencies, it is neverthe-
less most healthful ingredient in the general
administration.
To far greater extent and with vastly more
power, and equally strong motives for securing
the permanent peace and concord Of the States
Of the Union, are our railroads political ma
chimes. They spring from the local sovereign
ties deriving their corporate franchises and
privileges from local legislation, but do the bu-
siness of the whole country, to which they look
for the return of the capital invested.
Tbo,, Il coft
try are of recent origin, it is doubtful indeed
it they are not already the most powerful and
efficient of ell the branches Of industry in sus-
tanning and upholding the federal system. To
say nothing of their effects in producing q
rapid interchange of thoughts and Of products
between the various sections Of the Union--to
say nothing of thecloser social relations there.
by secured, and of the more intimate de-
,pendence of one upon another, their interests,
now grown to be enormous, and resting solely
upon the perpetuity of the existing govern
Eents, are enough to insure their hearty sup
port for the Union and their equally earnest
condemnation Of It's enemies, in whatever guise
The political objections which so long ex-
issed in this country against great central
monied corporation, established avowedly for
the purpose Of operating upon federal politics,
DO net apply to the State railroad corporations.
TheG;ference between the two interests is OBJ
vious--the latter heirg simply adjuncts of
trade, instruments o. social and political
union Their fav0rs are extended upon de-
finite principles, are limited to specific objects,
subjected to State Laws, end find their interests
in the harmonious aud peaceful operations of
the system Of constitutional free trade which
rs the corner stone and ouadation of the pub
Ike prosperity. These reads are yet IN their
Infancy, many scarcely in operation, al I'd few
of them wholly perfected. Hhey have n, OF yet
cone fully to appreciate the important ffices
which selfpreservation may call upon the VI to
perform in the political concerns of the &C un-
thy. They are essentially the offspring of the
federa Union, begotten by its free trade al i'd
sustained by its ,fsee intercourse; and shoul
the time arrive when our Institutions shall be
menaced 10y faction, they will be found true to
their instincts, aud ready to do battle for the
cause OF the constitution. Powerful for good
harmless evil, in thek own interests, the rail
roads of the United States may soonbe counted
to exert a most efficient influence agains. North
eru aLlt3IOrs dilE LII is one OIL the
strongest guarantees of the existing order of
things; because selfpreservation demands its
fealty to the constitution, and its very extern
sion over the whole country, like net, drawing
into common interests and sympathies, and
pointing to all common destiny, assure US of
its ready co operation With the patriotism Of
all good citizens in preserving US from tue end
less evils of separation.
We thus call the attention Of the negro wor-
shippers to latent enemy, which, in the pro-
gress of their schemes of disunion they will |
have to encounter. They have assailed every
interest which has refused to minister to their
reasonable purposes. They have called the
fanaticsm of the pulpit to their aid; they have
denounced the cities as hot-beds of tyranny
and auxilaries of the ''slave. power;' they have
sought to impeach commerce as mercenary
and subservient tool of the South; they have
converted religion into a system of personal
denuncations, and disgusting effort at sec
tional controversy, by men who know as little
Of politics as politics knows of them-men who
have been content to follow the lead of social
list infdels and free love moralists. They will
soon be found to denounce our great highway
corporations, whose offices aud efforts will be
directed towards maintaining the integ-
rity Of the federal compact We give
them these hints-these pulpit texts-these
subjects for newspaper diatribes, for Con-
gregational, Presby terian, and Methodistcal
conventions-for higher law petitions from
thirteen hundred reverend clergymen." We
forearm them by forewarning them. The con-
test is coming--a contest between the patriot
ism Of the country and all its material interests
Its railroads, its commerce, its manufactures,
its agriculture and its capital; against the
free love abolition league; against Seward,