Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1860-01-31
State of the Country.

State of the Country.
OF all the letters from distinguished men which
the present political excitement has called forth,
we have read none which seems to us to meet
the case at all points so satisfactorily as the one
addressed by the Rev. DIR. Breckenridge, of Ken
lucky, to his nephew, the Vice President OF the
United States. Dr. Breckenridge declares that
the settled and deliberate conviction OF Kentucky
is that the dissolution of the Union is no remedy
for anything whatever, but that it is itself the
direst of all caamities. Kentucky has been ex-
posed. along frontier of seven hundred miles,
to greater evils and losses than all the slave
States which have no free frontier put together !;
vet she has never entertained single thought OF
secession. 1t is Maryland, Virginia, Kentucky
and Missouri that have borne all the losses and
ANNOYANCE, and are to bear all the impending
peril. To these States, therefore, the decision OF
the national aspects of these impending perlls
emphatically appertains. In like manner the
border free states ought to remember that their
borders are as much exposed as ours; SO that on
them, with reference to the free States behind
them. rest the duty and the right of deciding
the national aspect of the subject of slavery on
the free side of the line. 1t may be confidently
asserted that posterity will hold these border
States. on both sides, responsible for the fate OF
the nation, if they permit the country to be
ruined, and themselves thrown ipto . position
of endless mutual hostility, along common
frontier of fifteen hundred miles.
The true remedy for such disorders as we
complain of is not in the breaking up OF the
Government, but in the due enforcement OF the
laws. When any part of the country refuses to
respect the laws, the proper course is to take
up arms and compel obedience. Says DR.. Breck-
enridge:
.sCivil war itself within the Union, horrible
as civil war always is, is necessarily temporary,
and is consistent with the ultimate preservation
of everything distinctive in our present nation
ality. and in all our institutions, general ana
particular: and a universal civil war at this
time aoithin the Union could hardly fail to end
in the permanent establishment, fer the whole
country of lust whet our fathers established from
1776 to 1899, But after the division OF the
Union upon the slave line, and the necessary
breaking out of fierce and intermlRable war a.
long frontier extending from the Atlantic y
cean to the western border OF Missouri, no man
d ~NN
be preserved along that frontier as We'll as IT car
be in the Union, and every man can see that any
future union of the divided portions OF the Con
federacy. if any union shall eyer be possible
must be upon the very terms which now exist.
1t is alleged, however, that there is the ut
most probability that Northern anti-slavery
party will ultimately acquire controlling infu
ence over every department of the Federal GOV
eminent. and that the slave States cannot, con-
sistently with honor, continue members OF On
ion controlled by such party.
ITO this let me say" continues DR.. B., 'hrst o.
all that if every word were true and certain, the
wise. manly and successful alternative would be-
not the dissolution of the Union, but tie re-
covery of the country, by force II necessary, IRON
those who shall have subVerted Its Constitution
Nor can there be any doubt that the unltee
South and the minority OF the NofIl VIII De al
WAYS and to every INTENT without arms or With
arms. more powerful in the Union than the
united. much less the divided South, can ever be
ont of it. Nor does it appear to me to be loya
to the people of the North who are faithful t6
the Constitution, even if they were the smaller
number. for the South to withdraw and leave
them subject to domination as intolerable tx
them as it could be offensive TO Us.
We can hardly doubt that if the real feelings
and wishes of the people, North and South
could be represented at Washington, unintiuencet
by partizan bias, the whole matter in controversy
would soon be settled without difficulty. How
stands the case The Republicans at the Nortf
generally disclaim any intention or desire to IN
terfere with slav cry as it exists IN the Southern
States, but profess to believe that it is the settee
policy of the South, by means OF the Fedora
government, to extend slavery throughout ths
country and to resist this encroachment Of the
sslave power" as they call it, they are organ
lied into political party. On the other hand
the South generally believes that the Northern
majority are banded together to wage fanat
ical crusade against the institution. The lons
continued and virulent abuse of slavery anf
shareholders by Republican speakers and writers
certainly encourages the impression alluded to
Admitting, for the sake of argument, that slave
ryi bad institution, it is difficult to tell why
those who have no responsibility on account O
it, and no control over it, should persist in de-
nouncing it, unless they desire to raise crusade
for its determination. But if the Republicans
are sincere in their formal declarations, there
need be little difficulty in coming to an amcable
settlement With the exception of few ex-
treme men at the South, the people OF this Sec
ton are not slavery propagandists "-they have
no desire to carry slavery into any Territory
now free, and it is not their interest to do so.-
They could give profitable employment to many
more slaves than they now hold, and the in
stitution would only be weakened by being dill
fused They, however, with reason, object to
being told they shall not do what they believe
ley have a Constitutional right to do, although
they have no idea of doing it. Why then can
not all parties and both sections agree to let the
matter alone and cease agitation. Soil and eli
mate will, without doubt, ultimately settle the
boundaries of slave and free territory to the
satisfaction of all reasonable people.
Should all efforts to restore peace to the
country fail. we fall back upon DIR. Breckin-
ridges idea. He says:
ssThe firm determination of every portion Of
the Union to maintain its rights within the In
ion. under every extremity, would soon put an
end to all necessity for any portion OF it to elect
between terrible means of doing so. x x i !
It is horrible to reflect that the children OF the
Revolution might be obliged to shed each Others
blood. How much more horrible to shed 1T IL
such manner that oceans of it could never re-