The Lansing state Republican. [volume] (Lansing, Mich.) 1855-1874, 1860-07-18

in the South for whose rights and welfar
We have struggled and exhausted ourselve
through long and ardnous campaigns, feel
ing our passion for the Union to be GU
weakness. break in upon our needed res,
and startle our fear, with Its threatene.
dissolution This cry always comes from
the same quarter. and is sectional. 1t ha
been wonderful. magical in its Office. |
has secured tribute, subsidies, and esteem
Where our judgments would deny, ou
hearts have granted; and aung by ou
wrongs, We have even caressed their cause
This cry that has so often startled the na
ton in the past, "Me Union is im da,,
ger" has BY no means been a groundles
one. 1t has been in danger. 1t has beer
placed in surroundings of danger by tn
political speculator. for the mere purpos'
Of having it saved 1t will be again il
danger how frequently it may be so, it i
not for me to predict but this | will ven
ture to declare, that danger will period
cally assail it. until the lessons of justic'
shall be better learned on the one hand, o.
concessions shall be refused upon the other
Whenever that danger has existed, securi
ty, transient from its very nature. has beer
easily purchased, and always at the same
price-by weakening the strength of ont
portion of the Union. and by Strengthening
the weakness Of another portion Of th'
Union. The consumptive system of slave
ry can no longer feed upon itself and live
1t is to be nourished by milk drawn from
from the healthy beast Of vigorous liberty
The sinking energies of the other. In thi
way, is an equilibrium to be maintained il
the Republic. The laws of God and ma
ture are to be counteracted, and principle
of vastly unequal forces, and always at wal
with each other, are to be made coequa
by human enactments. Shall God or maj
rule ? Shall the temporal law repeal tht
eternal law? If the Union is to be pre-
served, it will be by bulwarks, and not BY
fight. Secession, now SO fippantly prom
ised, is violation of more than sworn OBJ
legation it is worse than treason it i.
the destruction Of the happiness Of mum
berless posterity; it earns the felon's death
and We trust its punishment first to hin
whom we shall call to preside over our des
tinies and If he fails US, then to self.pres
ervation and the unconquerable energies
of truth, as it presides in the hearts of ed
ucated freemen.
The years from 1874 to 1850, inclusive
will long be remembered, from the mos
remarkable, as it was the most bold ant
adroit sectional movement known to ou
history. 1t had for its object a gigantic
slavery extension, but under a pretext very
different in its form. 1t was nothing les
than the forcible acquisition of one-half i
not the whole of Mexico, for the purpos'
indicated, under color of the annexation o
Texas 1t is worse than folly to suppose
that the determination to sustain what tn,
South call the balance Of power, but which
would be more appropriately named ned y. As
CUP. ......oJ vr puwef, IIas only just peeh ue
termined upon. 1t has long been set
tied policy with Southern leaders, recOgni
sing in it, as they do, the condition of tn
life of slavery. And how is the cor
rectness of their view to be resisted? Tha
man who has read the history of his race
and has not closed his eyes against tn
plain teaching Of events transpiring dahl
around him, will never be convinced tha
there can be an enduring peace betwee
slavery and freedom Truces may b
agreed upon. but they will be like tn
compacts of kings. made to be broker
whenever interest, ambition, passion, G
progress, shall win it. Air lines may d.
fine rival States, but they never can boun
conflicting sentiment. The vigorous an
the true will evade the sickly and the falls
The light of the press, the mechanic;
agencies and other productions Of highl..
cultivated art, the green fields and profu'
harvests of scientific agriculture. the wild
spread wings of prosperous commerce, ar
and the flooding wealth of ceaseless thrii
are not to be restricted by river banks,
corner stones, or parallels of latitud
These influences are forever and ever
work. They are your zealOts, your tana
les, your traitors, your abolitionists, etc
nally preaching of the noblest triumph
Of civilization, and impressing their lc
sons upon the hearts OF the most inconsid
rate and wayward. They are the invin'
bic antagonist of ignorance, Incidence, ST
rility. and poverty, and none but the u
wise or disengenuous should attempt to .
ny it. When you can wall them in, y
can control the travels Of reason and t
mightiest impulses Of humanity. Th
you may "bind the influences os Pleiad
and loose the bands of Orion" Then y
may bring forth Mazzaroth in his season
and "guide Arcturus with his sons"
1t is not the handful of men planti
5 sedition. and warring openly against le:
: institutions and fundamental law. VIII
the States South fear, and against VIII
: acts they seek protection throug h exp
F.; sion. 1t Is the reflection from the VIII
/ surface of the States North-their inte
+ gence, skill and production, enterprise, Q
prosperity. which threaten and distu
f To foster and encourage these is to a
y ment the danger. Not to attempt to CO
t teract them would indicate an aband
d ment of the strugglc-tbe breaking dc
# of the Trajan bridge. I see here the ca
: of all the agitation upon the slavery ~
o tion. in Congress and out Of Congress,
b the last fifteen years. Herein lies the
cret of the contests for the Territories,
: violation of covenants and compromises.
N the appalling aggressions upon the so
" eisn rights OF the people. The South 8