Holmes County farmer. [volume] (Millersburg, Ohio) 1857-1926, 1860-12-20
Mistellaneous.
The Dangers Of the Republic.

IL IL aSserteu anu prOUaDly UelleVeu DN
some Republicans, that the threatened Sc
cession of some of the Southern States
is only a teporary excitement and passion
or little brag and bluster of politicians
that will pass away in a short time. Tina
there is no foundation for this assertion i,
evidenced by the fact that in some of tn,
Southern States the determination to Sc
cede rs almost unanimous among the peo
pie and that they are now coo!ly and de
liberately instituting measures to accom-
plish this object. The trouble is upon L,
and already is heard throughout the South
the calm but determined preparation fol
deadly strife, the exciting and warlikt
scenes of military organization and dis
play, and the marshalling of armies, while
in the North is heard the threat, the taunt
the sneer and attempted intimidation
This is the situation of the country, and
GoD alone in His Infinite wisdom can dis.
place the threatening cloud of danger that
hangs like the pail of midnight over the
Republic. A time like this brings wildly
to mind, those warning and almost proph,
etic words of Henry Clay, uttered as long
ago as 1889. He then said:
"Sir, l am not in the habit of speaking
lightly of the possibility of dissolving this
happy Union. The Senate knows that !
have deprecated illusions, on ordinary
occasions, to that direful event. The
country will testify that. if there be any.
thing in the history of my public career
worthy of recollection, it is the truth and
sincerity of my ardent devotion to its last
ing preservation. But we should be false
in our allegiance il we did not disc,imi-
nate between the imaginary and real dan
gers by which it may be assailed. Abo-
litionism should no longer be regarded as
an imaginary danger. The aboltionists,
let me suppose, succeed in their present
aims of uniting the inhabitants of the free
States, as one man, against the inhabi-
tants of the slave States. Union on one
side will beget Union on the other, and
this process of recprical consolidation
will be attended with all the violent pred
judice, embittered passions, and impaca-
ble animosities which ever degraded or
deformed human nature. X
One section will stand in menacing and
hostile array against the other. The COL
lison of opinion will be quickly followed
by the clash of arms. will not attempt
to describe scenes which now happily lie
hid from view. Abolitionists themselves
would shrink back in dismay and horror
at the contemplation of desolated fields,
conhagrated cities, murdered inhabitants,
and the overthrow of the fairest fabric of
human government that ever rose to ami
mate the hopes of civilized man."
We have arrived at all but the last scene
of what he predicted wonld be the result OF
the spread of the sectional feelings to
which he refers; all has come but the "clash
of arms" Nothing can be done to avert
the dread calamity the "desolated fields,
conhagrated cities, murdered inhabitants.
and the overthrow of the fairest fabric of
human government that ever rose to ami
mate the hopes of civilized man." unless,
at once, some assurance be given the coun-
try that all parties founded upon mere
sectional ideas shall be put down, that the
constitution shall be fulhlled in letter and
spirit, and the rights of all sections res
pected. TO do this sectional organizations
must be abandoned by all conservative,
union loving men and these must unite
upon some common ground of settlement,
Just, alike to the North and the South
ASHLAND Union.