Cincinnati daily press. [volume] (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1860-1862, 1860-12-19
What shall be Done mt the Union Meet
... Inc To-day TO save tho UniOns

What Shall be Done MT the Union Meet.
IBs To-day to save tho UniOnS
What has been done to endanger it2
That's the first question. No council of
ply hyscians, however large, can prescribe
remedy, unless it agrees upon the nature of
the disease. What has been done to the
Union A President has been elected ac-
coTCing to the forms of the Constitution. is
that to be recognized as cause for dissolu-
tion2 Does that demand compromise in
order TO save the Union? Then the Union
is not worth saving. II would be nothing
but perpetual anarchy; and despOtism would
be a Ielieffrom our popular Institutions
Is there any thing in the principles or in
tentions Of the Presidentelect and his party
that justihes South Carolina or any part of
the South in seeding from the Union2 Has
the Republican Party a determination TO
make war upon the domestic relations of the
Southern States in order to abolish slavery,
or to incite servile war, or to interfere with
it in any respectG If it has, let the Union
meeting declare it in unmistakable terms.
Let them not cry peace, when there is no
peace for the South; but proclaim to them
that the character and sentiments of the
majority Of our people are dangerous to
their safety.
To attempt to conceal this would be
tIeochery to the people of the South. They
purposes of the party which has now got the
control of the free States, and to judge for
themselves whether they will trust to the
chances of this party being overcome, or
whether union with States, which should
even have minority Of people with incen-
diary purposes toward their property, would
be consistent with their safety.
The crisis demands the truth The South
has a right to judge the sentiments of the
people Of the free States by the party which
is in power. If the Republican Party intends
any violation of the constitutional rights of
the South, or of their own constitutional
obligations, let it be clearly declared to the
South row by this meeting. No matter how
much denuncation it may heap on such sem
timents and purposes, let the facts be stated.
The meeting can only state what the case is
now. 1t can promise no future revolution
in the sentiments of the people of the North.
How can a meeting of the Cincinnatiaus
pledge the people of the North, or of Ohio,
or even of Cincinnati What meeting can
draw out the popular leviathan with hook
The South can only judge of the future
sentiments of the people of the North, by
the past and present; and the meeting will
only try to deceive and betray the South, if
it covers up the purposes of the dominant
party, and pledges any revolution of its
sentiments in the future.
Selfpreservation is the first law of nature,
in States as well as individuals. This is the
higher law of nations, above constitutions
or compacts. If a Republican national
Administration, ora Republican ascendancy
in the free States, is dangerous to the
domestic relationsof the South, or threatens
any of their constitutional rights, the South
has q right to secede. Let il be called re-
bellion or treason, it is justified by the
supreme right of self preservation. Having
shown them their danger, we have no right
to ask them to stay and risk their own
destruction.
If on the contrary, the election of a Re-
publican President is only a change of
parties in the administration of the consti-
tutional functions of the Government, and
implies no violation of the rights or safety of
any section of the Union, let this meeting 80
declare it, boldly and without equivocation.
There is no middle course between truth and
falsehood. Humiliation will do no good.
If the sentiments of the majority of the
people of the North are such as in the des-
perate straits of partisan warfare have been
represented to the South, she could not
sahlJ Say IN the UntUu, though the mer-
camille class of all the Southern cities
should ostentatiouSly eat the dirt of humili-
stion.. But if the election of a Repub-
iicsn President purposes no infringe
ment Of constitutional and local rights,
then true representation of the case
would disarm the South of every reason for
secession. II would remove from the sub
stantial slave States any such desire. 1t
would restore fraternal relations between
the border States. Then the question would
he only whether the Union and Constitution,
in the letter and spirit in which they were
founded, AID have always existed, shall be
maintained, or whether they shall be sur
rendered to rebellion and treason. Capital,
and business-which is capitals proven
bially timid or conservative; but when the
question becomes reduced to this, it is not to
be supposed that mercantile men will hes
itate between the maintenance of the Con-
stiution and Union, or the recognition OF
rebellion and secession as a constitutional
right and as q partisan remedy for any
grievance either real or imaginary.
Let US not have meeting under the name
of Unicn, to be made the tool of a set OF
broke L. down politicians, who hope to re-
trieye the fortunes of the party they have
ruined, by exciting sectional hostility. That
policy has broken down party, and is the
cause of the present troubles. The hair oi
that dog will not cure the Union. And let
us have no such humiliating sentiments as
"concession before secession" Justice re.
quires no concession. Let justice be estab.
lished. The maintenance of the Consti,
tuition in its integrity and the execution o
the laws is not concession. And any thing
less than this is not preserving the Union
There is no Union left if the Constitution il
gone. Let us not, under the name of Union
establish rebellion and secession as a power
in our Government, superior to the Oonst
tuition, to be resoTted to or threatened a
every Presidential election, and made thl
alternative of every demand. Such politi
cal organization would make the busines
and capital of the country the football o
partisan contests. No country could pros
per under such an organization. Instead o
protecting property-one Of the first dutie
of government-it would sacrifice the prop
eTty and material interests ofth country b,
its own elections. Such a saving of tn