Carroll free press. [volume] (Carrollton [Ohio]) 1834-1861, 1858-02-25
THE PRESIDENT AND DIS
UNION.

THE PRESIDENT AND DIS
UNION.
The position Of Mr. Seward (says III
Pittsburgh Gazette, in supporting The bill
for the Increase Of the army, is atthbutec
| by bis friends TO a desire on bis part 4
strengthen tbs military force Of the gov
ernment in the event Of the Soutberr
States, or q portion Of them, attempting
to secede from the Union. 1t is also al
legged that afr Toombs opposed the bill
for the reason that it might prove an I'm.
pediment to bis fayorite scheme Of estab
fishing a separate and Southern Confede.
racy. The position Of Mr. Seward, thus
explained, is as patriotic as that Of Mr.
Toombs is revolving; but il should be re.
membered that it il predieated on the sup.
position that the present administration
would stand by the Union as it is, against
every effort to destroy or disInember it,
Now this is eoncediog too much 10 Ar Bu-
chanan, under the circumstances. His
present course not only shows that be is
completely uuder Southern influence
that be is bound hand aud foot 10 the ser.
vice ofthe slavery Propogandsts-but that
through bis friends, he has been commit
ted TO the peculiar notions ofthe secession
lists. We have heard il repeated time and
again, that in the event Of dissolution Of
the Union, Pennsylvania would 90 with
her Southern sisters. That idea was broa.
ched by Pennsylvanians 10 the Cincinnati
Convention, and it had the effect to create
a very cordisI feeling on the part Of the
South toward Mr. Buchanan
The st Louis Democrat, in comment
ing on the course Of Mr. Seward, and the
supposed position Of the present admins.
tration remarks:
"Mr Seward opposes disunicn, and re
lies upon the standing army aud the fsGe-
raj administration to put down any such
attempt. But what assurance has he that
the President, who has already surrender
ed himself TO the secessioUists, would de-
sire to prevent disruption Of the confed-
eracy. Does he forget the significant Ian.
guage, "Ruth to Naomi" spoken in be-
half Of Mr. Buchanan by Mr. Black, Of
Pennsylvania, at the Cincinnati Conven-
toni Does he not hear the whispers that
are industriously repeated around Wash
ington that in the event Of q separation,
Pennsylvania will 60 with the SouthG Is
lie satisfied that the attempt to force sla-
very upon Kansas How, does not originate
partly from the wish Of the President TO
establish tier Of Western slave states on
a parallel with his own State. Can it
have escaped bis attention that the texts Of
all the Presidents late messages are taken
from the Dred Scott decision, which deci.
sion, as interpreted, by his own organ,
would re.introduce slaveholdng as a con.
stitutionSl right into every northern free
state! These things are certainly not cal
culated to inspire patriots with much con-
fdepce that the executive head of the ma
ton is at heart favorable TO the permanau.
cy Of the existing union. The use too,
which be has made Of the army in Kansas
to eDslave a free territory, to uphold q
fraudulent usurpatioD, to carry out the doc
trine of passive obedience, is amply sCffi.
cieut to show that, as an instrument in the
hands of power. it is no friend Of equal
liberty. The wisest statesmen Of this re-
public have ever looked with apprehension
to the appearance Of standing army up
on the stage Of our civil contests, and we
still believe with them that, in Q demo-
cratic country; resort to this use is far
more perilous to freedom than beneficial
to order. Our country instead Of demand
ing an increase of troops is, from its eI-
banding civilization, rapidly dispensing
with their necessity. The present system
of army organization is calculated to give
all the influence of its offering and edu.
cation into the hands Of those very men
who make no secret Of their hostility to
the existing union. 1t is to be apprehend'
ed therefore, that it would never prove
serviceable TO MAINTAIN the confederscy, but
might contribute greatly to dissolve it.-
In this case we not desire to reflect upon
soldiers who may fulfil their duties to
their country faithfully and we'll, but to
point out the tendency Of the system as
! administered at Washington under succes'
sive Southern Secretaries Of War"