Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1860-12-20
The Philosophy ofDisunion.


true in moral philosophy Great results never
produced by trihing causes. Those, therefore, rho
attribute the impending dissolution Of this confcd
cracv to the disappointment of aspiring candidates.
or TO the ordinary resentment of defeated party,
are as unphiosophical as they are ill-informed.-
There is deeper and broader influence under the
movement, and one which is but little appreciated
Mt the North, and felt without being generally un-
dcrstood at the South 1t is growing stronger and
broader every day, and though it grows faster with
"agitation,"it il would grow very fast without it.
For the prescntitis obscurcd by party associations
and connections, but it will surely grow far above
them, and appear sooner o. ksterr II Is, no fac
tious demand of n party male imperi0us by long
prcdominance and crazy by final defeat no trick OF
capital invested in slaves seeking new securities,
but a necessity Of the connection between freedom
and slavery. When the Union was formed slavery
was so trfng element, both of population and
wealth, that its preservation little considered,
and little was done or thought about il, except Sc
curing it from immediate injury. No prov ision was
made for its growth, because nobody believed it
ever would or should grow. The Government
thus fitted to feeble and dsregarded institution
would have renamed fitted had the institution
had remained fceble-But the moment slavery be-
gan TO grow that moment the government began
to pinch, and before the North could begin to nm
derstand why the old system was not rs go0das at
FIRST, the South was camoring for relief The de-
bate in the Constitutional Convention of 1857 that
disposed Of slavery with few earnest and always
deprcciatory speeches in ls20 grew into an agita-
ton that alarmed the country. In 1852 the agita-
ton, though nominally caused by disputes about
revenue. was really nothing but slavery writhing
under an unfavorable government. In 1850
the agitation Of 1890 was renewed and increased,
for slavery getting bigger. and the pressure of
government though greatly relaxed since 1890 was
hurting more than ever. In 1850 the agitation is
still moro serious for slavery is still more
itous and feels tho old Government still more hcav-
lily. In short slavery has grown clear beyond the
bounds which the Constitution assigned il, and the
Constitution is consequently perpetual drag and
vexaton to it. The invention Of the cotton gin, or
in general terms, discovery of means of furnish
ing the world with cheap cotton, made the change
In size and strength Of slavery which gradually rem
dered the government put upon it in its homage so
troublesome. Ii grew rapidly and enormously, and
is still growing. The Constitution docs not suit IL
as IL is. That is the explanation of the secession
mnvcmcnt. S.ayery cannot remain under the
Constitution without injury. Hence after stealing
or forcing one concession after another, it finds
that 1t cannot endure the Constitution without an
other concession which will remove all restraints,
and this it has secured in form, but the late elec-
ton has destroyed its substance AMI ended all hope
OF more. Now, seeing no hope, ii resolves to tear
the burdensome Constitution off. The triumph of
the hepuOi1canS Is prOclamatiOn thnt the Constr
tuition, offensive as it may be, and injurious as it
may prove, to slavery, shall be preserved, and the
preservation OF the Constitution is the repression Of
slavery.
As slavery has grown stronger, pecuhiary inter
ests have become more largely identified with it,,
and its necessity to material prosperity has natu-
rally justified il to the moral scrupcs OF its possess
ors. Thus it has grown doubly, from feeble insti-
tuition to a strong one, from an admitted evil to
humane aud civilizing power.
The strength of the feeling in its favor is pro-
portioned OF course, to the portion il forms of the
wealth of State. In the Gulf States slavery is
almost the entire wealth ofthe people, and conse.
qucntly, the feeling in favor of it is not only strong
but strong vitality itself People fight for il
and argue for it, lift for their life. In the
border Slave States slavery is not so absolute and
universal, and the people having other elements OF
wealth and prosperity are mo-e indifferent tn the
paralyzing grasp Of the Constitution upon it, They
could live and thrive without slavery, could loose
il tomorrow and recover from the injury in the
next ten years. hence feel less disposed to leopard
ize other interests In maintaining its supremacy
Thus the development of the cotton trade has
forced slavery from an insignificant into a COM
naanding position. and changed its character to
those possessing it, possessed by it, from evil to
good. Between those States that depend on il ex-
cIusivcly, and the North, the issue of right and
wrong made. One insists on the Constitution as
il was made, and on slavery remaining an evl.--
The other insists that slavery is good and the Con
stitution must be changed to support il. A real
union between those two sections is just impos-
sible as union between FIRE and water While one
maintains that TIE greatest cruelty Of the age is its
greatest honor, ard the other sticks firmly to the
old creed that slavery il wrong, union between
them cannot be maintained except in such a re
mote relation, or connection as viii keep one from
any interference, in any manner, with the govern
ment of the other. An alliance between the two
sections may exist, but never an union. The pres
ent alarm may be aIlayed, and fresh effort made
to preserve the old relation between the sections
but the same cause that has pulled them steadily
apart in spite of all the cords Of compromises and
concessions that have from time to time been fas
tened around them will ultimately pull them MS
sunder. This philosophy ef secession then, IN our
judgment, justifies us in admitting the peaceable
departure OF the Gulf States. Sooner or later il
will como, unless some peace maker. greater than
the Saviour, can reconcile wrong with right The
two sections, one by moral teaching and training
the other by pccuniary interest," identified with
irrcconciiiably hostile views Of great moral ques
tion. Each in the opinion Of the other arrays it.
sclfaganst rghtec usncss, reason, justice and hu-
manty. Every day will make this disagreement
greater till slavery is uprooted, the North can
believe it right Now maintain that an union
Sucu rs VIC uc>lrcs diht SUCH rs tnt OOustituuOn
con,einplatcs is out of the question between suc
radically adverse views. Let us then make the
best ofa bad association, connection that re can
not maintain, if we would, and adjust our dsputt
quietly. As neighboring Republics. we may ar
range treaties ofcommerce with each other which
will preserve all our interests intact. As parent
government clastising an uaruly child, we shall
ruin each other, and leave the Union ruined too
Il is possible that sort Of distant union. securing
each other from all connection with, or interference
in the administration OF Justice and collection and
expenditure Of revenues. of each other, might be
kept up, and we still stand to foreign nations one
nation but If We fight we can't do even that little
Until right and wrong, humanity and cruelty, are
reconciled to look on both alike, the States de
pending on slavery, and identified with IT, and those
abhcrring slavery, and eager 20 repudiate all re-
sponsibility for it, can never live peaceably in the
same government The past has proved it. Agi
tafions as we have already said. have increased il
fury slavery felt ths pressure Of the Constitution
more heavily. and all concessions wrung by ser.
vile party ont Of conciliatory people, have no'
suiiced to stay agitation, to alleviate the qrar
rela particle. This is enough to prove that the evil
lies Deep far below the cure OF anodynes, or poul
tices. With the border States union is possible, II
we are willing TO let their slavery alone with as
little interference mar be short Of giving it the
national support, for slavery is not the abe alln
nor "end alb Of those States But with the others
a union is radically weak, and must inevitably
break. A man and wife, whose views of the pro-
pricty and moral duty of stealing diers will never
livetogether in quiet, and they had better psrt.-
States with diverse views Of another great moral
outrage cannot 1--we in peace. We have tried
il under The most elastic and skilifaly constructed
Constitution in the world, and failed. The ex.