The Lansing state Republican. [volume] (Lansing, Mich.) 1855-1874, 1860-04-18

the constitutional rights Of free people into the
hands of despotic Oligarchy-the people OF his
native PENNSYLVANIA, now and then true TO the |
principles bequeathed by Jefferson and Madison, |
seize the hand Of the assassin of the rights OF the
people And the Democracy of the North are
firmly planted upon the ancient faith, that free
dom is more desirable than servitude. The remote
East, from New Hampshire, stretches forth her
arms, and receives a welcome from the far Vest,
even from the young sister which is nestled amid
the head waters ofths Mississippi. and greet each
other over the Keystone of the Union-"a land
whose stones are iron, and out OF whose hills
thou mayest dig brass"
The honorable member from South Carolina,
IMr. Ashmore, in his speech of Thursday last, in
an eloquent and glowing description of the South,
presented to our imaginations an array Of greater
proportions than the grand army Napoleon led to
Moscow. They will probably take counsel OF pru-
dence, and remain at home; they might lind
Russian winter in their path. Does the gentle
man, candid and frank as l know him TO be, for
get that portion of history which assures him that
many good men in the South dreaded rebellion
against England in consequence OF the insecurity
that would follow to slave property? that this
system of bondage prevented his people from be-
slowing the full measure of their abilities to the
cause of independence? thattwo OF the serious de-
feats you suffered in the South were in conse-
auence of your chattels suddenly converting
themselves into sentiens beings, and leading the
enemy upon your armies: Are not the obstacles
which your fathers encountered increasing every
wear, not only from the addition of numbers, but
the intelligence which you say you are implanting
in their minds: VIII the slaves quietly stay at
home and work, while the kind hearted patriarchs
are engaged in the easy task of chastising the
heather round about:' Look at the rigors of
your fugitive slave law-the cruelties of your
| statutes-the iails in your own cities filed with
slaves when you are about transporting them
| from place to place-the mother driving the cold
steel to the heart of her offspring, rather than
| their limbs should be chated with the chains OF
endless bondage-see within the very shadow OF
this Capitol, while the Representatives of great
and free people are celebrating, innocent, guilt
| less human beings driven, chained in gangs,
guarded by armed men, and then answer the
question. Or will you do As did good old Abra-
| ham-whose patriaFcbal system you 80 much ven-
erate-when he heard Lot was taken captive,
| EARNED his trained servants born IN his own
house, three hundred aud eighteen and pursued
them unto Dan" Try it; marshal your black regi-
ments-your trained servants; you must be salts
fed it is a Divine arrangement. You claim the
attachment of your slaves, they certainly ought
to love as did the trained servants Of Abraham.
You boast to have taken them into the covenant
| and circumcsed them in the new faith.
| | will not contemplate the collision of arms ana
| banquet DOo0 10 WHICH ,Uu i..;.~ -, e. 10
eve it to be the aim of civilization and mission of
Christianity to teach
| 'Thst right Is more than might,
And justice mole than maii.
| Sir, l desire not, wi, not, suffer myself 10 in
stitute a comparison between the North and the
IL &C
hundred thousand to control opinion in the North,
it must be they are talking to amusc our fancy;
they certainly are not weak enough TO suppose
| they can excite our fears. II book OF two hun
dred pages convul>es your empire, and is so deadly
a spark in your dangerous magazine; if John
Brown and twenty followers could brighten your
brave men, and make your women nervous, as
one of your Virginia lawyers said in the late State
trials in that State, do not deceive yourselves by
any delusion that you can annihilate eighteen mil
lion freemen.
| Gentlemen tell US, in certain contingencies they
will dissolve the Union. However much you de.
sire it, whatever of power and influence the
''Gulf squadron" may bring to bear upon that
issue, neither you nor your children's children
will witness that gloomy event.
''Thereis terror, Cassius, in your threat.''
When you undertake such treason, there will be
Palmetto regiment to stand by New York. to save
the ark Of the covenant. We cannot surrender
our principles at your dictatiOn. We prefer an
anarchy of opinion to an order like the order of
Warsaw, founded on despotism. "Peace, and at
such a time!" No, sirs; you will long have to
march to the music of the Union; that music
which is everywhere uprising, from the fields
where labor is repaid, and the workshops where
industry is rewarded; from the machinery which,
through the fundamentally of steam is doing the
bidding of man from the gigantic steamers that
pillow our rivers and lakes; from the buzz of the
electric telegraph, and the scream Of the iron
horse. We are bound together by common Ian
guage, common religion, and common destiny
Maiorities will still control the affairs of the nation
You cannot, you dare not resist. We threaten
not with bayonet, revolver and bowie-knife, but
with the silent ballot,
| "which executes fr.eman's will
| As lightning does the will Of Cod
Your own people would rebuke your mad am.
| bition. Their arm OF power would be raised, and
the voice of prayer ascend spare the curse of
ruptured brotherhood. They would suffer you
to commit no such treason against human hope.
They never would indulge you in the agricultural
pursuit Of which go fppanty you have spoken,
ITO run burning plowshare over the foundations
of the Republic"
| The veal or woe of nations is in the hands Of
the American people, and they will never betray
their trust. Their progress is onward, their aim
is upward. Your blind and reckless iniatuation
cannot stay the advancing column. Throw in
your lot with theirs, and it will be eight thing
for the shadow to 60 down ten degrees :" but
you have not the supernatural power, neither
would your unholy designs deserve the Almighty
aid which would 'let the shadow return back.
ward"
| When you force this Issue upon your own PEG.
pie, they will not move alone, but the spirit of
him who WAS Graded in South Carolina aud en-
tombed in Tennessee will lead their hosts. When
YOU raise the paricida arm to stab the liberties of
your country, you will hear the voice of the great
jackson, warning you now, as he did South Car
DINA in 1882, when he said:
'sAnd then add without horro. aud reorse this happy
Union will dissolve this picture of peace prosJ
ity will deface this free viii interrupt
these fertile fields VIII celuee blood the
of that glorious flag will the very ZANE Of
Americans discard And for what, mis- AIKEN for
what DO you throw away these insstlriabe blessings:
Their objsct is disuncn but be deceived by names
sunion by armed force is treason Tell them that CON-
pared TO 6sguicp. all other evils light. that
brings with it accumulation of all declare that you
viii never take the field unless the starspanged banner
Of your country shall float that will not be
sugmatzed when dead and and scornei while
I've the authors OF the first the Cons,i.
tuition OF your country
Not only guided by the spirit and prophetic
admonitiOn of Jackson, but, arming themselves
with the ancient seal of Virginia. representing
Virtue as their tute,ary genius, robed in the dra.
perry OF an Amazon, resting one hand upon her
lance, holding with the other a sword, tramsling
upon Tyranny under the figure of a PROSTATE
man, having near him crown fallen from his
l. L