Civilian & telegraph. [volume] (Cumberland, Md.) 1859-1875, 1860-12-20
Breaking up The Union.

In view Of dissolution Of the Union ant
breaking up Of the Government, many sug
gsstions are made which indicate in the mos
unmistakable manner the terrible ruin tc
which VIC would be o1p ,sod.
One man gives his opinion, and wo sec i
confirmed by correspondents and elitpria
outsivings. that the great city Of New Yorl
will disconnect herself from every other por
ton Of tho Confederacy and proclaim hcrse
free city. Iu other quarters 1t is said, Fir'
ginin, with her inoxhaustible resources ant
her territory in extent equal to an empire
will declare herself sovereign government
Texas will raise tho Lone Star, and her mr.
mics, headed by Gen. Houston, will march
to tho palace Of the Montozumas and annex
that empire to her already immense territory
and the Annapolis Gazette, calls upon our
own little State to proclaim herself to the
world as power among the nations, and how
many more heaven only knows. Commence
once the movement Of disintcgration anG there
is no knowing when it will stop. Our con-
dition, il this thing Of dsunion is not stop
ped, will be verso than it was before the pres
emit government WAS formed. Judge Story
that eminent jurist, gives the following graph
ic picture of what the States were before the
adoption Of the present Union, and what they
would likely be again If it should be dis
solved:
THE most opposite commercial reg
ulations existed in the different States,
and. in many cases. and especially be-
tween the neighboring States, there was
perpetual course of retaliatory legisla-
ton. from their jealousies and rivalries
in commerce, in agriculture, or in man
ufnctures. Foreign nations did not fail
to avail themsel, es of all the advantages
accruing to themselves from this suicidal
policy, tending to the common RUM
And. as the evils grew more pressing,
the resentmcnts of the States against
each other, and the consciousness that
their local interests were placed in OPP
position to each other, were daily increase
ing tho mass of disafection, until it be-
came obvious that the dangers Of imme-
date warfare between some Of the States
were imminent.
And the evil did not rest here Our
foreign commerce was not only crippled
but almost destroyed. Foreign nations
imposed upon our navigation and trade
just such restrictions as they deemed
best to their own interest and policy.
All of them had a common interest to
steal our trade, and to enlarge their own.
They did not fail to avail themselves to
the utmost of their advantages. They
pursued system of the most rigorous
exclusion of our shipping from all the
benefits of their commerce. and endcav-
ored to secure, with bold and unhcsi-
tating confidence, a monopoly of ours.
The effects of this system of operations.
combined with our political weakness,
was soon visible. Our navigation was
ruined; our me chanics were in state of
poverty; our agriculture was
withcred, and the little money still found
in the country was gradually findingit $
way abroad, to supply our immediate
wants: and state of alarming embar-
rassment, in that most difficult and deli
cate of all rclations-the..r relation of pri-
vatc debtors and creditors--threatened
daily an overthrow even of the ordinary
administration ofjustice. Severe as were
tho calamaties of the war, the pressure
of them was far less mischievous than
this slow but progressive destruction Of
all our resources, all our industry, and
all our credit