Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1860-12-01

voluntary association Of sovereign States, made.
not only for the mutual go9d-but by each one for
it's own good, aud il il be sound doctrine that o
State couceiying its own good is no hngcr rromot-
oil by tho association, has no right to pcacably
withdraw, then Of course, there is no such thing
MS a sovereign State, IN the very respect in which
sovereignty eau alone be determined or exhibited
Our Union never had and never was designed ~
have my other bond than that Of the interest Of
the parties belonging to IT, 1t was believed, it is
yet believed, that the highest good Of each and ev-
cry State is subscrvel by the Union, Of which self
interest is the bond but if any State in calmness
or passion determines Uther wise for itscl!, it is its
sovereign right So to determine, and to act accor'
dinghy.
We may deprecatc and lament the step and sec
10 it the cause Of much evil, hot It's evils would
be less than those which n coercivc pulley would
occasion. A State penceHbly out of tho Union,
would be a much less calamity than q State coer'
uivrly In the Union. a c%oefCisn union is neces-
sarily tho establishment VI a central despOtism. in
which, of course. oil The officers Of the Union are
destroyed, and the Union itsclt bot II union of dis
cordance and quarrel.
This republican government was established on
n basis Of faith in the people. 1t was obliged to
take the rick of human passions, Ignorance, and
human impeI f~sotiUns generally, But it's founders
believed the manifest self-inierest of the people in
that form Of gnyernmont, coupled with their then
existing intelligence, would De sufficient to carry
it safely over these waves Of passion and ignor-
Nnoe, and that it would sui vive and grow stronger
every year. But if they made a mistake; if pas
sion, ignorance. &c., triumph over reason and in
terest, the republic will 60 by the board and no
power can prevent it. The same lie the case with
she Union. 1t has no ba is but the intelligence
and seltinterest Of the people composing the
States; and if the people Of any State are 80 ig-
norant of their interests or so blinded by passion
as to wish to Withdraw from this partnership, no
powe. can or ought to prevent them. 1t may be
an evil, but not half the evil it would be to compel
them to remain, where and as they are.
Ia our opinion, no greater evil can at this mo.
mcnt beiall this nation, than an attempt on the
part of the Presiden, to coeree those States to re-
main in The Union, which arc exhibiting q dispo-
sition to leave it. II the telegraph states the con-
dition Of the President correctly, his position is a
sound one; that is TO punish notification in the
Union, but not to coerco the States to remain.
Let us recognize this principle of sovereignty in
the States; let us say to these States, il you have
deliberately determined on going, go, and may
God bless you, and secession will speedily come to
on end. No State would ever fulfil its purpose, in
such circumstances; for the reason that passion
remaining unstimulated, would speedily yield to
seli-interest, But if an attempt Mt coercion is
made, the whole character of the difficulty will be
changed, ond resolved into it's most disastrous
shape. 1t will be a war on this fundamental prin-
ciple Of sovereignty, in which the seeding States
will undoubtedly have the sympathies Of the peo-
pie, and will triumph to the complete disruption
and prostration of the republic.
Let it be borne in mind that the bond Of this
Union ia not in the federal governments is in
the interest of those composing the Union, of
which interest each and every member Of the
Union is and must be its own judge. To deny this
is to create q central despotism, which is itself
thoroughly and completely destructive of the
Union.
A close adherence to fundamental principle and
The exercise of sound judgment. will carry US safe
y through all the difficulty that exists. Indeed
difficulty in itself is nothing. 1t is but q little
park which will be kindled to a destructive con-
or completely eztinguiehed, as we hap
ZEN to treat it. Let it alone, is the great remedy.
interfere with it in any way and you but fan it to
anne.