Newbern weekly progress., 1860-12-25

VOICE OF CLAY IN 1884 Farming aguiast
A6oZitionists-A Abolition should no longer be
regarded as an imaginary danger. The aboli-
tionists, let me suppose, succeed in their pre-
sent aim of uniting the inhabitants of the free
States as one man against the inhabitants of
the slave States. Union on the one side will
beget Union on the other. And this process
of reciprocal consolidation will be attended
with ali the violent prejudices, embittered pas
sions and inplacable animosities which ever
DEGRADED or deformed human nature. A vr-
tual dissolution of the Union will have taken
place, while the forms of its existence remain.
The most valuable element of union, mutual
kindness, the feelings of sympathy, the fra
ternal bonds which now happily unite us will
have been extinguished forever. One section
will stand in menacing and hostile array
against the other The collision of opinion
will be quickly followed by the clash of arms
His Picture Qt'he Consequences. will not
attempt to describe scenes which now happily
lie concealed from our view Abolitonsts
themselves would shrink back in dismay and
horror at the contemplation of desolated fields,
confagrated cities, murdered inhabitants, and
the overthrow of the fairest fabric of human
government that ever rose to animste the
hopes of civilized man.
Nor should abolitionists hatter themselves
that if they can succeed in their object of alni-
ting the people of the free States, they VIII en-
ter the contest with numerical superiority that
must ensure victory All history and expe-
rience proves the hazard and uncertainty of
war. And we are admonished by Holy Writ
that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle
20 the strong.
Tile C0nqueror and the Conguered- if
they were to conquer, whom would they con-
querf A foreign foe, one who had insulted
our flag, invaded our shores and laid onr coun-
Try waste? No, sir, no. 1t would be can
quest without laurels, without glory-a self,
suicidal conquest-a conquest of brothers over
brothers, achieved by one over another portion
of the descendants of common ancestors. who
nobly pledged their fortunes and their sacred
honor, had fought and bled side by side in
many hard battle on land and oceap, severed
our country from the British crown and estab-
Ished our national independence.
Ills Defence of Southern Action-The in
habitants of the slave States are sometimes ac-
cused by their Northern brethren with display
ing too much rashness and sensibility to the cp-
erations and proceedings fAbolitionists Bat
before they can be rightly judged there should
be reversal of conditions. Let me suppose
that the people of the slave States were to form
societies, subsidize presses, make large peeunia-
ry contributions, send forth numerous mission
aries throughout their own borders, and enter
into Vaccinations to burn the beautiful capi-
tails, destroy the productive manufactures, and
sink in the ocean the gallant ships of the
Northern States. Would these incendiary pro-
ceedings be regarded as neighborly and friend
ly, and consistent with the fraternal sentiments
which should ever be cherished by one portion
of the Union toward another? Would they
excite no emotion? occasion no manifestations
Of dissatisfaction, nor lead to any acts ofretal-
atory violence' But the supposed case is far
short of the actual one in most essential cir
cumstance. In no contingency could these
capltols, manufactures and ships rise in rebel
lion and massacre the inhabitants of the North
prn Stotac