The weekly Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1861, 1856-08-28
NEW SERIES. VOL. 3, NO.

QlDg 10 our cO9VlCuonss tne triumph Ol SUCH
party puts that Union in danger. That is
my reason. And for you, and for me, and
for all Of US, in whose regards the Union
possesses such q value, and to whose fears
it seems menuced by such danger, it is
reason enough. Believing the noble ship of
state to be within half cables length of a
lee shore Of rock, in gale of wind, our first
business is to put her about, and crowd her
off into the deep, open sea. That done, we
can regulate the stowage of her lower tier
of powder, and select her cruising ground,
and bring her officers to court.martial at our
leisure. ... .
If there are any in Maine-and among the
Wings Of Maine hope there is not one
but if there are any, in whose hearts strong
passions, vaulting ambition, jealousy of men
or sections, unreasoning and impatient phi
lanthropy,o ,or whatever else haveturned to hate
or coldncss the fraternal blood and quenched
the spirit of national life at its source, with
whom the union of slave States and free
States under the actual Constitution is a
curse, hindrance, q reproach; with those,
of course, our view of our duty and the rea-
son of 1t, is stumbling block and foolish
ness. To such you have nothing to say, and
from such you can have nothing to hope
But if there are those again who love the
Union as we love it, and prize it as we prize
it; who regard it as we do, not merely as
q vast instrumentality for the protection Of
our commerce and navigation; and for
achieving power, eminence and name among
the sovereigns of the earth, but as means
of improving the material lot, and elevating
the moral end mental nature, and insuring
the personal happiness of the millions of
many distant'generations; if there are those
who think thus justly of il, and yet hug the
fatal delusion that, because it is good, it is
necessarily immortal; that it will thrive
without care; that anything created by mans
vii is above or stronger than his will; that
because the reason and virtues of our nge
of reason and vi,tuc could build it, the pas.
cannot pull it down; if such there are
among you, to them address yourselves with
all the carnestness and all the eloquence of
men who feel that some greater interest is
at stake and some mighter cause in hear
ing, than ever yet tongue has pleaded or
trumpet proclaimed. If such minds and
hearts ere reached, all is safe. But how spe-
cious and how manifold ure the sophsms by
which they are courted!
They hear and they read much ridicule Of
those who fear that geographical party
does endunger the Union. But Can they
forget that our greatest, wsest and most
hopeful statesmen have always felt, ard have
ali, in one form or another, left on record
their own fear of such party! The judg-
ments of Washington, Madison, Clay, Web
ster, on the dangers of the American Union,
are they worth nothing to a conscientious
love of it! What they dreaded as q remote
and improbable contingency-th which
they were so happy to die without seeing
is upon us. And yet some men would have
us 60 on laughing and singing, like the tray
eler in the satire, with his pockets empty,
at present peril, the mere apprehension of
which, as a distant and bare possibility,
could sadden the heart of the Father of his
Country, and dictate the grave and grand
warning of the Farewell Address. .r
They hear men say that such party ought
not to endanger the Union; that, although
it happened to be formed within one geo.
graphical section, and confined exclusively
to it; although its end and aim is to rally
that section against the other on question
of morals, policy and feeling, on VIII ch the
two differ eternally and unappeasably; al
though. from the nature of its origin and~ob
jects, no man in the section outside can pos.
sibly join it., or accept Office under it with
out infamy at home; although, therefore, it
| is stupenduous organization, practically to
take power and honor, and full share oI
the government, from our family of States
and bestow them, substantially, all upon the
antagonist family; although the doctrines Of
human rights, which it gathers out of the
Declaration of Independence-that passion
ate and eloquent manifesto of revolution
ary war - and adopts as its fundamental
ideas, announce to any Southern apprehen'
sion crusade of Government against slave
ry; far without and beyond Kansas; although
the spirit and tendency OF its electioneering
appeals, as whole, in prose and verse, the
leading articles of its papers and speeches
of its orators, tc are excite contempt and hate
or fear of our entire geographical section,
and hate or dread or contempt is the natur.
al impression it all leaves on the Northern
mind and heart; yet, that nobody anywhere
ought to be angry, or ought to be frightened
that the majority must govern, and that the
North is a majority; that it is ten to one
nothing will happen; that, if worst comes to
| worst, the South knows it is wholly to
blame. and needs the Union more than we
do, and will be quiet accordingly.
But do they, who hold this language, for
get that the question is not what ought to
endanger the Union, but what will do it? Is
! "a l. - 70 he ha ia