Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1857-03-12
HEAR HENRY CLAY.

HEAR HENRY CLAY.
The great Commoner, says an exchange
"though dead, still speaketh' to his coun-
trymen, in
- Thoughts that breathe, and words that burn,
warning them against countenancing the for
nation of sectional parties just such Sec
tional parties as thatw which is rallying under
the black, disunion banner of Northern Re-
publicanism. We invoke all who revere
the memory Of that illustrious statesman, to
ponder we'll these sentiments, which fell
from his lips in the Senate Chamber, on the
fifth of February, 1889. If forcibly appli-
cable to the state of the nation II years ago,
they are doubly, trebly true, as regards its
condition now. Again, We say, READ AND
PONDER
The abolitionists, let ME suppose, succeed
in their present aim of uniting the inhabi-
tants of the Free States as one man, against
the inhabitants of the Slave States. Union
on one side will begct Union on the other.
And this process of reciprocal consolidation
will be attended with all the violent preju-
dices, embittered passions, and implacable
animosities, which ever degraded or deform-
ed human nature. 4 virtual dissolution of
the Union will have taken place, while the
forms of its existence remain. The most
valuable element of union, mutual kindness
the feelings of sympathy, the paternal bonds,
which now happily unite US, will have been
extingushed forever. One section will stand
in menacing and hostile array against the
other. The collision of opinion will be
quickly followed by the clash of arms. l
will not attempt to describe scenes which
now happily lie concealed from our view
Aboitionists themselves would shrink back
in dismay and horror at the contemplation
of desolated fields, conAagrated cities, mur.
dered inhabitants, and the overthrow of the
fairest fabric of human governmentthat ever
rose to animate the hopes of civilized man.
Nor should these abolitionists fattcr them
selves that, if they can succeed in their OBJ
ject Of uniting the people of the free States,
they will enter the contest with numerical
superiority that must ensure victory. All
history and experience proves the hazard and
uncertainty of war. And We are admonish-
ed by holy writ that the race is not to the
swift, nor the battle to the strong. But if
they were to conquer, whom would they con-
quer? A foreign foe-one who had insult
ed our hag, invaded our shores, and laid our
country waste?
No, sir: No, sir. 1t would be "a conquest
without laurels, without glory-a self, sui
cidal conquest-a conquest Of brothers over
brothers, achieved by one over another por
tion of the descendants of common ances.
tors, who nobly pledging their lives; their
fortunes, and their sacred honor, had fought
and blcd side by side, in many hard battle
on land and ocean, severed our country from
I the British crown, and established our ma
tional independence.
The inhabitants of the slave States are
sometimes accused by their Northern breth-
rem with displaying too much rashness and
scnsibility to the operations and proceedings
of Abolitonists. But, before they can be
rightly judged, there should be reversal Of
conditions. Let ME suppose that the people
of the slave States were to form societies,
subsidize presses, make large pecuniary con-
tribution, send for numerous missionaries
throughout all their own borders and enter
into Vaccinations to burn the beautiful capi-
tails, to destroy the productive manufactories,
and sink into the ocean the gallant ships of
the Northern States. Would these incen-
diary proceedings be regarded as neighborly
and friendly, and consistent with the frater-
nal sentiments which should ever be cher
ished by one portion of the Union towards
another? Would they excite no emotion ?
Occasion no manifestation of dissatisfaction,
nor lead to any acts of retaliatory violence ?
But the supposed case falls far short of the
actual one in most essential circumstance.
'In no contingency could these capitals
manufacture arms and ships, rise in rebel
lion and massacre the inhabitants of the
Northern States