Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1857-08-25
The NortE, and ,he south.


ions in the following article from the Spring.
field Republican, yet the general view therein
presented is well worthy of consideration
Few understand precisely the nature Of
that power which, iufusing itself into every
department of our national government, col
oring all its legislation, moulding the decis-
ions of its Judiciary, debating its foreign poi
icy directing the arm of its executive, and
distributing its patronage, makes slavery the
dominant, vital fact in current American his
tory. If we 90 to the South and search for
the secret, what shall we find We shall NOT
find great commerce; we shall not find a
decent agriculture; we shall lind no grand
development of tie arts We shall find only
a niggardly educational policy; we shall find
no literature; we shall find no wealth. The
South is absolutely poor in every one of these
accomplishments of high civilization-poor
in all those elements of greatness which char
acterize the free States of the Union yet the
South rules the country with despotism
which even resorts to violence when legiti-
mate means fail to compass its purposes.
Slavery is not profitable, and the South knows
and feels it, but 1t is the source and bond of
power. Therefore, they support it. Outside
of it they have no strength. This is their
uhAl "CoAsAi 4DSSSAAo ~ Oil SASS w use u
strong world, they are princes i'll this, and
every Northern interest is at their mercy.
Nothing can be more evident to any sane
man than the fact that, so long as they can
maintain power they will maintain slavery !;
for it is that which unites them, and makes
them the real rulers of the country. The
leading men at the South-those who control
the masses-have no destiny or hope outside
of slavery. There are no other fields of am
bition open to them. If they achieve any
thing, it must be through the maintenance
Of their institution. This holds all their hopes.
Take this away from them, and their predom-
nance as power in the nation ceases. To
maintain this, they will throttle even their
own citizens, or drive them from their terrific
ry at the first questioning word. So long as
they hold this position, nothing can be done.
We may play with sentiment, we may inveigh
and denounce, we may build nice platforms,
we may fight battles on incidental issues, we
may criticise one anothers' positions with re-
lation to the Philadelphia platform, and
weaken ourselves by countless conscientious
divisions, and they will only laugh to see the
sport go on-they will only be too happy to
perceive in it a warrant for the continuance
of their power. What they pray for, is, that
we may not be united. What they fear, is,
that we. in our hounderings and blunderings,
shall somehow discover the secret of taking
the power out Of their hands, for they cannot
but see that it is very simple thing. Just
as soon as they perceive us in danger of APP
preaching the correct idea, they shout dis
pnion,' and scare the tools, common and
commercial, who do not understand the ruse.
Now, if we will not blind ourselves with
platforms, and will reach forward for union
for the sake of power, the game is all in our
own hands. What good do sentiments and
platforms accomplish without power OF
what use are resolutions, when we have no
means of enforcing them Of what moment
are pledges to measures, or the repeal Of
measures, when there will occur no practical
opportunity of fulfilling them These senti-
ments, platforms, and pledges, may all stand
in the way of multitudes of men who honest
ly desire change in the government, but who
will commit themselves to no ultra abstrac-
tons, and who despise those who do. Let us
take, then, this simple idea-an idea which
every man can grasp and UNDERSTANDABLE the
acquisition of power, in order that we may
revolutionize the policy of the government,
kicking platforms and all declarations Of alb ..
stract truths out of the way of thorough
UNION of all who desire change. The mo-
Ahoilt pOHCi Is JdhGu lIOul Gl6 OOutng anu we
have demonstrated our capacity to conduct
the government, we are sale. The slave pow
er, having lost its hold, becomes of small ac-
count. There will be no difficulty then in
so ordering the affairs of the nation that the
interests of free labor shall be developed and
protected. Emancipation parties will be form
ed in the South. There will be no attempt
by the national government to force slavery
upon free territory. In other words, we shall
have the power to do what we waste our
breath in declaring it the duty of an adverse
power to do.
When slavery at the South shall cease to
give power, it will lose its friends. When it
shall fail to command place, there will be none
so poor as to do it honor. 1t will be dropped
by the politicians as dead dog. Then down,
say we, with everything that stands in the
way of a thorough union of the people upon
this idea of obtaining the power of the govern
ment, that the slave power may be over
thrown, and the free labor and free soil party
become dominant. We have sentimentalized,
and passed resolutions, ana built platforms,
enough. Let us be practical men hereafter,
and do something.