, 1860-05-11


people are the last in the world to put up with
either injuries or insults; undoubtedly she would
be prompt to take up arms agninsta any odds, when
she thought that no hope was lei but in arms, and
undoubtedly whoever puts her to that extremity
will sec good reason to regret having done so.
What assert is, that tor all that has cotte and
gone, she sees no reason for the ruin Of the
country, none c,r the dissolution Of the Union,
none for the secession Of any State by revolu.
ton or otherwise, none for allowing herself to
be forced into q position fatal to her. by the IA
naticism Of portion Of the people Of the North,
and the passions Of portion Of the South Ut
the fifteen slave States (f Delaware can properly
be so consideredD the eleven which lie further
south than Kentucky have, as members OF the
Federal Union, a thousand times less cause Of
complaint than she has, and will not encounter
the ibousanith part Of her peril if the Union is
dissolved. Il is Maryland, Virginia, Kentucky
and Missouri that have borne all the loss and an
noyancc, and are to hear oil the impending peril
Il is to these four States therefore, that the de-
cision Of the national aspects Of these impending
perils emphaticaly appertains, so far ~ that de-
ciSion appcrtains to the slave States at all. And
every wise and every generous impulse ought to
prompt the people Of the other eleven slave
States to forbear whatever course Of action Is
disapproved by these four border States. And
these four great States are bound by the highest
considerations both Of patriotism and oi interest
to throw their united weight against all sudden,
rash. and unconstitutional action on the part OF
the slave States and if the worst comes, to Sc
cure for themselves position compatible at once
with their honor their freedom, and their safety.
In like manner, the border free States NewJersey,
PENNSYLVANIA, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois and Iowa,
ought 10 remember that their borders are as
much EXPOSED as ours, and that multitudes Of
considerations, besides numerical force, enter
into all warfare, and, above all, in border war.
So that on them, with reference to the numerous
free States behind them, rests the duty and the
right Of deciding the national aspect Of the sub
Iect Of slavery, on the free side Of the line, Just
a. It rests with the border slave States on the
other sid. Il may be confidently asserted that
postcritv will hold these six bordcr free 5 ates
and these four horder slave States responsible
for the fIts Of this nation at the present crisis
And they will deserve its lasting contempt, u,
with their central position across the Rspub!ic,
aud their rr sisiibc iorce, they permit the clun-
try to he ruined aud di%graced and themselves
thrown into position Of endless mutual hostility,
along common frontier Oi fifteen hundred mikes
And for what reason! And for whose beneth!
Ey what blindness aud by what violence Of
political nartics. by what incompetence Of public
men, or by what madness of the people, the
country has been brought to the verge Of public
viulence, upon q topic which has been iaInliar
to oVrry one since the first settlement OF tnlS
continent are questions which this generation
will have to answer to generations which are to
come. The questions we should answer to our
selves are, what is the precise nature OF tn, dt-
heulty nOw-and in what manner may that DIM
Guilty be surmcuntedG II certain people Of tue
North come ielouiOusly among the people Of the
South, and are put to death for their crimes, and
then if other people, even IN grrat numbsrs,
glorifr tho dcAh lctnns as martyrs, hut take care
not t0 commit any overt act aud he hung; It
seems to me that the very most futile Of all pro-
pdsals against such annocancrsis the overthrow of
the Federal Government ltnay be PcSsible that
Government can never do all that needsto be donei
Il may I've lrSsiblc TO pervert i to the dolhg o. in
tOcrable mischief but in the former case the hack
Of power in the Federal Gov, ,rnment rcsults irola
the very nature Of our inStitutions--and its in.
t0lerabi- abuse Of power in the latter case would
neces. arily be followed by the Uni ni.ersai arming
Of all tie Slave States The real difficulty does
not lie in any such grounds as these nor its rem
edy in anything that can be done touching such
aspects Of the case. In like manner thOsc great
questions Of the rendition Of fugitive slaves by
the North, anil Of the for,ign slave trade at the
South are finally settled so far as the Constitution
and laws Of Congress car settle them, and It re-
mains for the legal tribunals aud the Executive
authority to enforce the laws in both repects
That during periods Of unusual excitement those
laws touching beth subjects, may be imperfecty
administered, Is extremely probable; but that the
North will openly defy the powers Of the natien,
aud permanently refuse to execute the Fugitive
Slave Law, and that the South Will act In SINH
lar manner with respect to the foreign slave trade
is what no man Is justified In asserting. ! admit
that the permanent continuance Of the Union
would be impossible, IL the North or the South
would deliberately persist in such revolt against
the Constitution and laws, if at the same time
the Edefal Administration should be too feeble
or too timid to cdrrce obedience. But surely no
such revolt either North or Southland no such
imbccility in the Federal Government as justifies
the overthrow Of our national institutions eau
be alleged 10 exist. II the minds Of men were
calm or f their thoughts would be directed stead.
iy ID the results that must follow the dissolution
Of the Union, Il seems impossible Of belief that
adequate motives for such an act could be found
in the existing state Of any of these questions.
know II is alleged that the settled doctrines
and deliberate purposes Of that great party in the
North, which was formerly called Abolitionist and
Is now called Republican, amount To nothing
short Of an organized ahd fhnatical crusade
against the institution Of slavery as Il exists in
fifteen States Of this Union that there is the Ut
most probability that It will ultimately, perhaps
speedily, acquire controlling influence over every
Department Of the Federal Government; and that
the slave States cannot, consistently with homer,
with prudence, or with safety, continue members
Of tlIs Union controlled by such party. or sub.
iect 70 Government administered by them. To
this let me say, first Of oil, that if every word
we're true and certain, tho wise, manly and sue
eessful alternative would be, not the dissolution
Of the Union, but the recovery Of the country, by
force Il necessary, FROM those who shall have sub
vcrted its Constitution. Nor can there be- any
doubt tina, the united South, and minority Of the
North, will be always and to every extent with
ont nrnak 0r with arms, more pOWerful in tho