Weekly American. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1858-1858, 1858-05-15

Il
North or Sou,h may be occasionally of
opinion that their interests would be BEN
ehted by neutrality-suspicious. honestly,
it may be periodically, entertained; but
what must eyeraslingly be the sentiment
of that great Western region of country
TO which have alluded2 Their interest,
II may call it so, their peculiar interest
is the Union. There never can be time
when any one Of us in that section can
think 1t is our interest that this Union
should be destroyed. ask gentlemen
here, coming from the region Of which |
speak, how many men are there that you
have found in that region who counte-
nance for moment the idea of disunion?
They are all of one ENTHUSIASTICALLY Of
one mind. Instnctively they understand
their interest; and that is the great per-
vadlng motive of mankind, on which alone
durable relations can be established. What
is your interest, you Of the West? have
painted your condition feebly, and your
productions. What are you to do2 Are
your products TO rot upon your hands, and
TO be the cause of pestilence among your
No; but 1t must be so, unless you can
find vent for them somewhere. Where
are you to goa If dismemberment of
the Union takes place between the North
and South, you are opposed 10 that, for
ever opposed to it, because it is to lake
away from you one of the means of &C
cess to the ocean and to the world and to
the marts of the world, for the sale OF your
productions. If there was a division be-
tween the North and South, the West might
be occluded entirely either from going to
the markets of New York or going to
New Orleans, without being subject to
tolls and taxes and could that be borne'
1t would be mighty burden for them to
bear. 1t Is their interest to avoid that
burden. It's their interest, their peculiar
interest, and must ever remain so, TO keep
the Union together, in order that they may
have that mi ghly scope of free trade which
they now ENJOY. They will always have
more to sell than any other equal number
of people on the face Of the earth. They
have more than would gIut New Orleans,
more than would glut New York, if it
could all be poured there. We want all
these accesses. In our very position there
is local, natural, a destined patriotism,
SO far as the Union is concerned We
must be found in it. Our prosperity,
may say, if not our existence as an agri-
cultural people, depends on the preserva-
ton Of the Union, and all the means for
expectation and for commerce that both
the Northern and Southern sections afford.
We must 60 through both sections in
order to find markets abroad for those pro-
Ia, nh nh l.
our own country. We are enlisted and
bound by an everlasting and perpetual
bond of interest to stand by and protect
the Union for the sake of the commerce,
and for the sake Of the freedom OF trade
which 1t, and it alone, secures TO us.
This is our peculiar interest. The North
may have its; the South it's this is ours.
You of this region ought 10 consider
yourselves as bound by this interest, if
possible, to superior care and vigilance
over its preservation. We, having this
interest always to guide us, an instructive
as we'll as a judicious guide, standing be-
tween these two extremes, ought TO take
care that Justice be done by one extremity
to the other. We have no interest, gen.
tlemen of the North and South, that is not
yours, so far as mere union goes; but we
have an interest beyond that; we have
material, peculiar interest in the preser-
vation of the Union of these States, for
the sake of the trade and the market
which it gives us. This ought to govern
our actions. We should consider our
selves as the appointed guardians Of this
particular interest, having a deeper stake
than Others in the preservation of the
Union, and bound TO stand together in
every fretful moment of discomfort between
the North and South, TO see that equal JUS
tice be done to both and to ALL
This is the position which feel for my
self and my brother Senators who repre-
sent that section of country; aud | wish
it were so that these great political truths
were known and recognised, even in half
their value, by every man who lives in that
region, much less every one who repre-
sents them. We should be then as
sentinel set up in the Constitution, to
watch over the Union, for the sake Of
protecting that which we shall be sure
never TO lorget-our local and material
interests. That will keep us awake con-
We Ndll ildNN nv DliluulIto
against North and South Our prosperity,
to a great degree, depends upon them.
We hail and cherish them all as our fell
low-citizens, all as parts Of the grand
whole which constitutes us a mighty ma
ton, now talked Of in all the courts of
Europe as one Of the great Powers of the
earth and but a few years shall sweep
over us, when, instead of being one
Of the great Powers of the world, we
shall be ranked as the greatest Power !;
when our word and our law, our words Of
justice and our laws Of liberty, shall be
heard Of and known throughout the hab-
table globe. What a glorious mission
and what a bright day Of prosperity is
thus presented to US! Are we, the des-
tined heirs and inheritors of such mighty
land as this is, to lower our thoughts to
the practice Of little arts and little poll
cies, about the terms and conditions upon
which little feeble Territory is to be adj
mitted into the Union2 Are we TO be
distracted with this Lecompton question ?
Is it fit for the consideration of men, born
| as we are to such a mighty destiny-men