The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1856-08-14
RULE OR RUIN.

the sham Democracy expect to frighten the
People of the North into the support of Blu
chanan, by threatening to dissolve the Union.
This old WORKOUT trick is still relied on in the
present desperate circumstances of that cor
rupt and apostate party, bat to no purpose.
Their doom is sealed. The rawlings of Toombs,
backed by the official organ, will have no effect
in staying the rising tide of popular feeling in
favor of Freedom. We might fill a volume
with the threats of Disunion, made by the
party which pretends holy reverence for the
Union. One of the most recent of these is
that of Senator Toombs, of Georgia, which has
been repeated and endorsed by the Washing
ton Union. We find the extract in that paper,
headed as follows:
"THE ELECTION OF FREMONT WOULD BE THE
END OF THE UNION"
"Our danger is not from abroad it is at
home. The election of Fremont would be the
end of the Union, and ought to be. The object
of Fremont's friends is the conquest of the
South. am content that they shall own us
when they conquer us, but not before. "-Send-
Toombs's Letter.
The Union devotes more than a column to
this subject; and while it takes the same
ground with Toombs, it has the grace to assert
that
There are no threats of Disunion made by
Southern men, but their voice is raised with
earnest unanimity to warn the People of the
North that sectional organization of parties
is irreconcilsble with the continuance of the
Confederacy."
Immediately following this denial that South
ern men threaten Disunion, the editor con-
tinues
"The South knows that it is in the minority,
and it knows that i'm purely sectional contest
the Government must pass into the hands of
the North. What the South means is, that
the present Republican organization is design
ed to conquer the minority by the superior
force of Northern numbers, and then to rule
according to the sectional principles of the or
ganization. Such q conquest can never be
made without trampling upon the Constitution,
and such despotism can never be established
during the continuance of the present Union.
The South intends to contribute its full strength
to the preservation of the Union, by casting its
entire electoral vote for the national candidates,
Buchanan and Breckenridge. For the residue,
the South looks to the Union-loving portion of
the North, and they are calm, quiet, and con-
tented to leave the result to those tried national
men of the North who have never faltered
when the Constitution and the Union were in
danger"
The meaning of this is, that the South is
willing to remain in the Union as long as the
Slave OGgarchy have the rule; but if they are
defeated, they mean to dissolve the Union. But,
supposing them to be in earnest, they will be
mistaken. The propagandists of Slavery are
allpowerful in controlling elections in the
South, by the cry of Danger to our institu-
tions;" but that power is not equal to the task
of dissolving the Union. There is a point be-
yond which they cannot drive the conservative
confined to any class. x large proportion of
the shareholders themselves belong to this
class and they can easily rally the whole nom
slaveholding population on their side, which
gives an overwhelming preponderance in favor
of the Union. The idea of dissolving the
Union in consequence of the election of man
to the Presidency who is opposed to Slavery,
could only have originated in the arrogance of
pampered Oligarchy, which has been accus-
toned to rule credulous and ACCOMPLISHING
multitude. 1t is too ridiculous and presump-
tuous to bear a moments examination; and
whenever the attempt is made to put it in prac.
tice, it will be found to be an empty threat.
That the Southern People will not listen to it
is manifest, from what has already taken place
in Congress. Several leading members of the
" American party South have taken occasion
to rebuke indirectly the foolish threat of their
leader, Mr.. Fillmore, by declaring explicitly
that the election of Colonel Fremont vo,td not
justify dissolution of the Union. Mr.. Cox
of Kentucky, Mr.. Davis of Maryland, and
Others have distinctly assumed this ground,
and they will be sustained by an overwhelming
majority of the Southern people. Indeed, this
very question of Union or Disunion is to be
the overthrow of the Oligarchy at home. Their
efforts to extend Slavery into Kansas, and their
other outrages, upon Northern rights and feel
ings, will cause their expulsion from Federal
power in November; and after the inaugura.
ton of Fremont, the efforts of the same arts
tocratic minority to dissolve the Union will rally
the great mass of non.slaveholders, led on by
the best and noblest of the shareholders them
selves, in support of the Union. These, we
venture to predict, are to be the party divisions
of the South in future, until all hope of "rule
or ruin" is abandoned by the Oligarchs. The
class we thus designate are not merely minor
ity of the Southern People-they are minor
ity of the shareholders themselves. They are
the class who are wickediy or recklessly bent
upon the spread of Slavery over this continent.
They are comparatively few in numbers; but
hv he &c n
on all occasions, and by assuming to them
selves the peculiar guardianship of Southern
rights and honor, they have established reign
of terror south of Mason and Dixon's line.
But the spell is breaking-the dark cloud is
passing away, and Southern men, shareholders
and others, are beginning to see and feel that
the south and Slavery are not synonyms, and
that the "rights of the South" are not all com.
prised In the propagation of system which
washington and Jefferson taught them was a
great moral and political evil. The election
OF Francis P. Blair, an avowed Free-So;Ier To
congress, from st. Louis, marks a new era in
the politics OF the country. 1t is bat the shad
ow OF coming events, the pledge in advance of
the glorious fruits which are to follow the cleo.
ton OF Fremont. Mark the prediction he
gal! not stand alone in the House, as the rep-
resentative of defersonian Democracy from
the South. The people will gain confidence
from the overthrow of the Oligarchy in the
fresidentlal contest, and they will send I'M
others from Missouri, from Kentucky. from
Maryland, Delaware, Tennessee, and North
Carolina.