The Athens post. [volume] (Athens, Tenn.) 1848-1917, 1857-12-04
THE UNION.
tFrom the National Intelllsencer.l


We took occasion some weeks ago to al
lude In terms Of remonstrance and dissent to
the arguments Of such among our cotempo-
raries rs seem disposed to press even the
financial misfortunes Of the country into the
services of q narrow sectionalism. Many who
at first professed to look with "great COM
placency" upon the present arrangement Of
our currency because, by illustrating the COM
parative exemption Of the South from It's
scope and pressure, II would serve,to show
her essential independence Of the North,
have perhaps before this found reason some
what to modify their opinions and abate their
ungenerous exultations. Other journals Of
the South, we are glad TO perceive, with a
cogency of logic as much superior as the
spirit which animates them 10 more patriotic
and catholic, are rather drawing from the
general prevalence Of the spanicn a lesson n
illustration of the intimate union and mutual
independence of the two sections, which are
proved BY experience to be equally one in
adversely and in prosperity. The political
connection Of the two is thus shown TO be
the counterpart of their economical identii-
cation in interest, as indeed Nature herself
has plainly indicated by that very diversity of
their productions which renders them mutual
compliments of each other.
They therefore reason widely and sound
ly who discern in the present dernngement>of
our national finances faint type Of that all
pervading and incurable calamity which
would overtake the whole country in the
event of dissolution of our National Union.
If the temporary and partial interruption of
the monetary exchanges and business COM
munications Of different parts Of the country
has wrought this widespread and disastrous
depression in every department Of trade nnd
industrial activity, who can measure the ex-
tent or duration of that catastrophe in which
not only our currency but our union and lib.
critics would be engulphed! Happily the
question is one OF speculation and not Of
practical moment. As the value of the Union
is not calculable in any array of figures and
statistics, founded as It is upon sentiments
grander and nobler than any that "sophisters
and economists" ever dreamed Of, SO it must
ever remain unnecessary to demonstrate the
utility or point out the benefcence of that
common bond of confederation which makes
us one people-one in political association as
we already are one in oil those elements
which compose the common grandeur and
common destiny. of n nation. II, under cir.
cumstances like these, the sentiment Of ma.
tionality has died out in the hearts of nny
we should despair Of kindling it anew by
any representations, derived from either facts
or arguments, since in all such the power oI
facts and reason has evidently succumbed to
the power Of illusion and Imagination. As
however, the truth of proposition has an
abstract worth, even independent Of its prac.
tical applications, it must ever be legitimate
to draw from the facts of nature and of his
tory the deductions which they suggest to
the rejecting; and it is in this view that
We cite tho subjoined appreciation of the
moral and political lessons which patriotism
combines with sound philosophy to derive
from the present experience of our country