The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1856-06-07
From The New York Freeman's journal.
THE CRISIS.

for their disposition to Ego ahead We readily eoncede
the business Of this remark absractng it from the many
hasy and absurd which have been hazrded upon the
people and country Crockett the who started
the motto into circulation in this FORM abe sure you are
right then 60 ahead" Anayze it carefully and something
of this may be got out Of it, "When you think you
wrong stop"
For time have been noting, in these columns,
the progress of certain rgiopolitica movements and
predicting catastrophe their natural result We even
need that the people concerned would themselves come
TO suspect that their speed re too rapid and could
suffer abatement without serious damage to anybody But
truth compes the ayowal that there apparent mis-
gVngs their part the entire safety of their head
long and foohardy career.
Does any plain sober man. of sense doubt that
this country has for number of years been steadily tend
ing towards revoluion Is necessary cite evidence
Shall summon the writings of Garrison and Gerrit
Smith, the abolition journals the rank seconaism of the
Tribune and the Times the Uncle Tom of Mrs Stowe, the
phippcs OF Theodore Parker the creed of the knownoh
ings2 Or shall we recall sad recollection the dying
struggles of the immortal Claythe broken heart of the
peerless Webster? This ceasess assault upon the fouuda
lions of the cannot go forever Nobody
imagined that the constitution survive the aena
ton Of the affections of the people of the United States 1t
be bond bind together hostile
tons hateful discord. If the people dissatisfied
with their governmenf its principles and its original
compacs become odious to them If they consc
entousy live under it, and seriously bent upon
thing better or dierenthen the system has already failed
We in the closing Of the great drama and dsas
ter is all that remains behind Was it before known
that nation unassailed by disease unvisted by the first
touches decay in its pride of strength in the buoyaney
youthful vigor, met end mournful and shame
full And how2 The welfare and the hopes of twenty
-four millions of white sacrificed of three
millions Of black menhe whole confederation of existing
States shivered to fragments for unpeopled Territories
Such inevitably be the dsgracefu record of this
Union unless the American people shake of the nightmare
which besets them.
We have among US a body of men who are the malig-
naut enemies Of government Their daily avocation,
their nightly dream, is selfaggrandizement They
pursued beset possessed by that devil the lore Of orrer
They have upon the neck Of the American peo-
pie the Old Man of the Sea got upon Sinbad the Sailor
and there is shaking them Off With detestable dex-
eity these incarnaions Of mischief seize upon every
pulse of the popular feeling and direct it the profit OF
their advancement and Importance They spec
ulators gamblersas much the dealer in stocks
farcand of them have amassed large fortunes and
others Gnassng them by administering the excia-
bty and gubility Of the people This unhappy
Gaming affair in Washington has been for them tortu-
nate hit-just the woody horse to Barnum. Pro-
Tossing purity greater wisdom higher patriotism
than the founders OF the republic they bottom
the eonr5 of popular government The hatterers and
pushed the country to the verge Of ruin The
ton Of their at hand and 1t be stayed only
by the aroused indignation and energy Of the people
How long will The people tolerate this tamperng with
the lifesprngs Of their conederacy How long permit
individuals among them TO cultivate latent treason
art and TO follow up agitation "the chief end OF man 2
When is the conaiioa be lei dlonsP When arc the at
tacks upon it to cease? Is there such crime in State
suicide sich right political selfdcence2 Shall
the who strikes down a single life be branded as
Durdr, while the villain who fomen Girl par
escapes all retrbutionH This must not and will be
The time is gone by when the Of The people could
be hurled into conflict and mutual discussion while The
projectors Of the mischief passed uuscathed An inte-
gent aud injured people will seek out with faultess
gacty the authors Of their undoing They covet
high place before the excited multitude they may live to
higher than they bargained for The heads
Danon Marst and Robespiee fell at length by that gull
lone which had long drpped with the blood OF their
victims
Are these gentlemen endowed with that degree Of des-
peraon which Is needfu to the game they playing
Mr. Theodore Parker full Of brave words and uent In
fierce dsnuncaton pale at the sight Of blood and
humby duplicated for protection that he thought be
had despsed The who rush into excited mass-meet.
iBgs at the whirruE or gutth-percha stick and who
whisper in alarm at the smoke Of Kansas village
yet strung the mood which IL fitting TO encoun ter
the terrible sgonies Of expiring State These fanatics
who are PeriuF everything for s belong 10 the class
Of mock heroes whose courage mounts with the absence Of
the danger II is thing 10 Gull the vocabulary Of
abuse and TO play the Thyrscs Of the press leisure
safe distance aod II Is another stand where blows are
falling where sudden death leaps from the fold Of cart
ridge or flashes from the point Of bayoneL We say
that the emergency which is fastening demands this
sort Of determination Hot words aud reckless writing
about to issue into deeds There h ground
believe and do believe shat the people Of one
quarter Of this Union possess higher courage resolution
than those Of mother part Of H. The essential difference
viii be The recttude Of the alone The umpire will
DC the constitution and the laws
We do not desire to the issue adjourned evaded
escaped but met We desire know once for all whether
we live under government able to protect itself or
whether demAgoEues and fsconists are our lords and
masters For this trust that the difficulty with
England viii pass by, and operate as diversion Of
the important question " pray that the force Of
the government may be tested and that the national spirit
may be tried against the powers Of disunou The question
Is the American people capable Of fulfilling the destiny
which shaped for them and worthy Of the blessings
IL held in store? We want that question be tried now
before mountebanks ehsrlaans, and political Adventures
have undermined the fabric Of the government and up
rooted the loyalty Of the American people,
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