Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1860-10-02
The "wide-Awnkes..


Not the least significant feature in the pres
ent canvass is the organization of Black Re-
publican Clubs in the Northern States into
military companies under command of mar
shals, captains, and suh-oficers, some of whom
have distinguished themselves in the Mexican
war, and all of whom are selected with refer
ence to superior qualifications as martial men.
This organization, or chain of organizations,
known as Wide Awakes," are said to reach
already four hundred thousand men, thoroughly
drilled, and ready for any service which their
leaders may demand at their hands. They
had their origin in that traditional nest OF
traitors, Hartford, Connecticut; aud, near the
very coast where the blue lights of the second
war Of Independence were burnt as signals to
public enemy, the red orch-lights of Black
Republican incendiarism are lit in the pres
ent canvass
Is there no signifcancy in these things?-
Our Northern friends are men of action, not
Of words; they organize, drill, march and
file while we speak and talk-they do pri-
vately and by voluntary associations, what
we debate in deliberative bodies, and hesita-
tingly perform, if at all, by legislative action.
Their organizations are not vet armed, it is
true, at least not that outsiders are aware Of,
but they are drilled, uniformed, and prOpided
lrih rails, OUercoats, and torches ready for
marching!
1t will be remembered that the front door
Of John Allstadt, of Jefferson, was broken
open by Browns party with a rail; hence we
learn to interpret the peculiar equipment OF
these abolition cOhorts-they parade at mid
night, carry rails to break open our doors,
torches to fire our dwellings, and beneath
their long black capes the knife to cut our
thrOats.
There can be no mistaking the meaning of
military organizations, nor does it need any
suspicious acuteness to point a moral to such
names as " ZOUdre Wide AWakes,' and " Rail
Splitters battalion" Are there no "BroWn
Avengers" or "Harper's Ferry Raiders
among them? Ofthe Presidential candidates
three are agreed that State has no right to
secede, and on that issue occupy the same
platform; and the Wide Awakes7 have their
authority for believing that in the event of
the secession of Alabama or South Carolina
it will be not only a pretext but duty to
march into Southern territory. Now these
contingencies, of Lincoln's election and State
secession, are imminent, and why, in the day
of trial and danger, should we be distracted in
council and paralyzed in action by division
among ourselves? We hope and trust that
no Virginian can reconcile himself to the
thought of an armed invasion of Southern
States through her territory; and yet this is
the crisis to which affairs are tending, and
which we shall have to meet. What We will
do in such a contingency is a question out
weighing in importance all considerations of
mere party triumph, and it will be TOO late to
respond to it effectively when the crisis is
upon us. Our only hope is to unite and pre-
sent an undivided front How As far as Vir-
giuia is concerned, the contest will be fought
notOut of the Union but for States rights and
State sovereignty in the Union. She will
have to stand between the power of the Cen
tral Government and the assertion ofsovereign
authority by some sister State. Let the first
armed invader, whether Federal minion or
IN abolition drilled incendiary, who violates
the sanctity of her territory, find her citizens
not only wide awake, but prepared to meet
him.