New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1860-10-03
Ex-sECRETARY MEREDITH FOR LINCOLN.

TO rerr IEvI RrTrrR President Young Meu's Repuol'su
niteei WV B THOMAS, PIeiien. Central Republican
Club spd GEORGE INSAS RlcHE, President Republican
GEsTLEaTx: regret that the state of my health
has been and continues TO be such as TO render II i'm
postl. for me accept the several invitations which
have received thrOugo the Summer, from yourselves
and obeTs 10 address my fellow cuzens on the pend
ing political issnss.
in 1890 the Missouri Compromise was passed by
the Of certain Northern members who prOtes5od
10 have saved the Union by giving say before threats
of oisuDion. Those threats loud and clam )rous,
and they were then unaccusiomedi they fell suddenly
on the startled Nevertheless the people OF the
NoJihern States and especially the people Of Penosyl
wanna expressed unanimously aud vigorously their
dsspprovsl of the whole pr cfdure, and 30 heartily
der Ouuctd u CONDEMNED the conduct OF those OF their
me mbtrs who las they then yed ~ hid betrayed
their principles, tbst this system of legislation was
efeciuallv stopped for a time No want Of harmony
between the Norh and the South was caused by this
aetOn Of the PEOPLE. II full fifteen years from
1870 before the Slavery question was again made a
regular theme Of 6isssnsion IN Congress, and II was
thirty years from 1890 before upon this question: an
other formal surrender was made-before members
from the North had again the courage 10 vote upon II
in suhservience to their fears
Unfortunately during the last % years, with here
az there brief interval the people Of the North have
been irving very different system from that which
they pursued after the Missouri Compromise. And
this new stem has already produced the kind OF mar
mony which is asiDg around us. II 1t be per-
sisted in uch longer il is not difficult 10 see where II
NUT end The large Vass Of really loyal and patriotic
people at South have found the North substantially
encouraging the originally email body of violent or
misled men who we 8 bent on maptalnDg Sou hern
sect ma par y. Thy have been left To right the bat
ties Of tie whole country singe-handed aud under
every dscourS gen ent, aud the Only w0oder u that
they were Lot g, OneT overwhelmed Inc SCUM mas
been nau ed by inculca ing the beef t7at the ORTIZ
ia bent upon destroying her property and interierng
with her constitutional rights and that her only safety
lies in successfully graspng An undue portion OF pohl
cal poweJ-all witch belle se 10 be an error.
Ard the North bss teen psralyz by the belief, ln-
dusi, usy disseunsted that the South is bent upon
dlssolv be Union, which i believe 70 he Just as
mu,b an the other. UGder these infaeaces
we are led into perpetual discussions and dstracuons
the principles Of the Constitution being perverted
and The general interests of the country and the whole
policy OF the Government subordihsted 10 the sup
posed political interest of one section.
/ give thfs as my opinions Others WILL OF course
be governed by T. cir own. must add that believe
q great tart Of the mifcbef has been done by we'll
neaning sgitators against agitation, who have Kept all
this dlscord afoot by I'll conceived exhoraous TO har
mony Just as fnssy boy III q school will souet!mes
keep whole class in a sort Of free hSht by neddle-
come itterce, sioDs.
When u der free government differences OF opn-
ion exit las they must somemes on great questions OF
principle OF policy, conceive that II they canno. Oe
teconeled by ca 20 discussion they should be decided
by votefly the vote Of every voter being cast In &C.
oordsuce with bic conscientious opinion tor lhe'
theory OF free government assumes thst 70 !ue aver
age common fenee of the people may be safely lnrusied
tie decision Of such questions And know OF no
other road 20 harmony in Republic than this Suroy
there can be no real harmony 20 long &c the threat OF
oaunion shall be the habitualy successful argument
for legislat on which can be defended by no other
So far az leas', ss regards the Atlantic STATES spo
those on The Gulf on the lskes, and 10 the valley OF
the MISSISSIPPI their relatOns-moral, ethnologlcal,
geographical and oOmmeTcia-seem 10 combine TO form
a law Of political gravitaiOn memorable ss that OF
material gravitstion. And regarding the whole Union
as il exists we have the remembrance Of common
grne giles and tumphs-the sense Of common affections
auo interesis--the hope Of common prosperity ana
1elfare-the habit Of common natioHalty-and these
tLjngs do hold us firmly together.
This Union IL Dot broken by empty threats in one
quarter saved by strdulous deprecaiions in an
other. 1t rests on the essential loyalty OF the people
IN al ouarers and that oy atty rests safely the SOLID
bsses come OF which have euumsra'ed.
cannot agree that there s &uy sntagoBsm between
the tue iLteress Of the South and the North any
necs ssty for admins eriDg the Government with an
xcluye view 70 the fupposed particular Interests Of
sifber section On the contrary, true enlarged ma
,icIaI policy would In ny opinion favor the Industry
and tend 70 develop the resources, moral Intellectual
and material, Of both. -ul.-o
Ttes no reason Why we should not all stand where
eli ,be neonJe of Pennsylvania stood together IN $50
= Is q voutb at that time. IL may DO memory ana
:, "A i,dSmfnt that makes my heart tbr0b now 10
s~siI The things that then happened: Eitsi primer
- 5o rot decay with time among tealhy pe9Pe'
STcb neoule hold 10 their great tradtlons' 40 DC
isYs6 he opponents of the Missouri ComPTgnBe 70
ie The truly conservative party then 90 Veie'e 'S