St. Mary's beacon., 1860-01-05
LEONARD TOWN, MD.
Tia Union

Ire UEI9u
Each week. as the leading political jour
nails Of the country reach Us. We ore more
seriously impressed with the altered and
unhealthy tone Of public sentiment. Our
Northern contemporaries TEEN with the most
violent invectiyes against slavcry--thus at
lacking most vital constitutional right Of
the Sou,h-whilst those of the South re-
tort in tones equally severe, and in many
distances, conclude with the stale and trea-
sonable threat nj secession Ia our hum
bic judgment, this manner Of conducting
the Press is neither dignifed, becoming
nor patriotic; and we ask the ques;ion-Is
it not, in the end. most likely to result in
q manner the most disastrous to the we'll
being AMI prosperity Of our country
Were q people ever reclaimed or turned
from the evil Of their way by inaaming
their passions or exciting their preiudices?
Are we not people Of the same common
country. bound together by the same com
mon ties, reared under the same flag, and
f3stered an protected in our rights by the
same Constitution? Is i. not therefore the
duty Of each AMI every man throughout
this Union, 70 adhere to, honor, respec;
AL obey the mandates Of that Constitution:
If 50, AMI our fel!ow-ccan,rylncn Of the
North dssxspag by committing or encour-
commission Of infractions upon
our rights. az guaranteed By the Constitu-
ton, are we, as an oTsett, 10 complete the
work Of destruction by uptlrning thc very
basis or premises upon which it was formed:
Is it no: clearly thu duty Of every citizeno Of
this Union to stand out to the last in de-
fence of that Constitution which can only
be preserved by perpctuity Of the Union!
Admit this, and if dissolution be produced
by premature secession On the part Of the
South. viii history and posterity hold her
blameless? Again; If tie S"u;h sncedc, in
what manner can she be materially benefit
ed? VIII she be one inch further removed
from the North or one step removed from
h-ra1noyanc and aggrcssions? But some
cay, we will then be in a situation 10 pro-
teet our rights by force Of arms We ad-
NIT this. aud should it become necessary,
would not be slow to fight for the South in
the maintenance Of her rights, but a, the
same time, VIC are not insensiblc to the con-
sequences attendant upon such a state Of
warfare as would follow. Again; We are
unwilling to believe that the great mass Of
the dominant party at the North. will sub
scribe TO the 'irrepressible conflict doc
trinc Of Seward or the unnatural. treasona-
bic and fendish rawlings of such maniacs as
Wendell Philips, Garrison. Greedy. &c
The large and numerous union meetings
recently held at the North, we think. are
Indicative Of a change. and we predict
radical and permanent revolution in public
sentiment, ere the period arrives for the
next presidential election. We are aware
that the rights Of the South have been dis
regarded, even invaded, and as natives and
citizens of Southern State, feel, we trust,
proper and becoming spirit of resentment,
Lut we cannot see that we have, as yet, a
cause (though perhaps jus) sufficiently
weighty to justify the dissolution Of this
great confederacy.
We think every citizen Of this country,
with a local and State, should blend
becoming national pride. and next to the
preservation Of his natural and guaranteed
rights, should be that Of the Union-in-
deed. we would almost say the Union is
worth preserving at any sacrifice not incom-
patible with honor Little less than thirty
years ago, the question Of secession was
agitated and freely discussed in our Ma
tional Legislature, and if the North is now
wanting, she was not then deficient in 10y
al and union-loying subjects. as will be seen
by the following extract from the memora-
be effort Of Daniel Webster on that coca.
sion:
when my eyes shall be turned to be-
hold for the last time the glorious sun in
Heaven. may l not sec it shining on the
broken and dishonored fragments of once
glorious Union--On States discovered. dis.
cordant. belligerent-on land rent with
civil feuds, or drenched, 1t may be. in fra.
terDal blood. Let their last feeble and lin.
gering glance rather behold the gloriou.
ensign of the Republic. now known and
honored throughout the world. still full
high advanced, not single star erased, mol
q single stripe pollutcd-bearing for it,
motto no such miserable interrogatory as
What is all this worth Nor those othCr
words Of delusion and folly, Liberty frs
and Union afterwards'-but everywhere
spread all over in characters Of living light
that other sentiment, dear To every Ameri
can heart, Liberty and Uniou-now anI
forever, one and inseperable! p"