Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1860-11-20
THE DECLINE OF LOYALTY.


If \ stranger were to visit this country, for
the first time since the passage of the Com
promise mt asures" of 1850, wholly ignorant
of its historical progress during the subse-
quent decade, his first surprise would be, to
find that while those measures still stand as
they were made, without precept altered or
line obscured, the slave states are either
openly disloyal, or rent with dissension', on
account of some neglect decline Of their
peculiar prestige. Then they had achieved a
triumph in the passage of the fugitive save
law which ought to have lasted them ior "
generation. Mr.. Webster had succeeded 10 d
considerable degree in overcoming the disgust
and indignation with which that ugly statute
was received in the free states anu LOT 'ile
sake of peace, many who wavered Tor whlie
returned to their constitutional obligations
with alacrity and accepted the unequal compact
as final settlement of the slavery question
Where there were evidences Of dissatisfaction,
imposing meetings were held, and the lmma-
ture voice of the opposition was lost in the
tempest of eulogy which went forth Tor the
union and the compromises. The great parties
accepted them as the curean and end-aIl OF
sedition and pledged themselves to the coun~
try and to history to leave the vexed question
where the compromises left it. Ten eventful
years pass away rapidly enough. Webster
returned to Marshfied, and went YEARLY to
his rest.
Timon made his everlasting mansion
BY the bleached verge of the salt flood
Which day, with his embossed froth,
The tu bulent surge doth cover
The party OF which he was welFdeserv-
ing pillar soon afterward disappeared from
the political arena. The democratic party
Immediately falsified its pledges, and initi-
ated a more stormy period of agitation
than that which preceded it. They not
only violated their own promises, but attacked
with violent and robber hands the older COM
promises which in the providential growth Of
the country were coming to be serviceable to
freedom and, in word, by lawess and
perfdious career of six years, compelled the
people to drive them from power. Now comes
the change. Patient under every discourage.
ment loyal against the harshest trials of pa
triotisui, the free states, which have united
their voices at once of condemnation and Of
victory, waited for their hour of triumph
Then it appeared that the dsloyalty, against
which we had been perpetually warned, had
its seat in the cotton states Their legislatures
were in a moment busy in devisng schemes
of disunion. Mr. Rbett, with an affiuence
of imagination which is not given to Others,
says the Union is now dissolved. The
chivalry of the slave cities, organized
into regular companies, and wearing their
terrible blue cockades, are spying out the stran-
gers within their gates, and sending them with
insult and outrage into Punishment. But with
all this, and much more, coming to the sensi-
tive ears of those who have been swift to re.
buke fictitious andimaginary treasons at home,
they have taken no measures to vindicate
their loyalty. No public meetings at Cooper
Institute, or Faneui Hall no ralying of con-
servative gentlemen to protect and defend the
historic glory of the country with which
generation ago their names were associated;
no appeals to the excited and rebellious states
over which their counsels have been accus
toned to exercise control no threats of peril
and prescription, as in the period, when, smart
ing uHueF SOLie pSCulldE WIRING, IupIeSSlDiS
anti slavery men have cried aloud for relief.
The voices which were so noisy in behalf of
the Union in 1850, in 1856, and in 1859, where
are they? Could they be sincere in those
peaceful years, when no state was shaken, and
none seriously alarmed, and be undisturbed
when five states have become SO turbulent
that their citizens refuse to hold office
Fortunately there is no alarm for their
silence, as there was no terror in their
speech. They are not the less loyal be-
cause they share in the confidence that the
powerful and intelligent states which have
elected president for the whole country are
able to sustain him in extending over it the
benefcient shield OF the constitution 1t ar.
CUES no weakness of the system, but defect
in the state, when an adverse election jars it
from its place. If it is worth keeping, it
will return soon enough, in obedience to
historical propriety and geographical necessity.
The states which remain loyal to the con.
stitution are not called upon to give up 1.-THE
OF their self respect as equivalent for the
bought loyalty of others There is not line
in the statutes of Massachu sets which is not
worth more than the allegiance which could
only be purchased by its sacrifice