Newbern weekly progress. [volume] (Newbern, N.C.) 1858-1863, 1860-04-17
THE DRIFT OF DIsUNION.

Republicanism, like murder, will {: out
Strive as some of the more cunning of its leaders
may, to throw over its hIdeous features a thin
gsuze of conservatism, the cloven foot cannot be
concealed Thus, when Old Brown went into
Virginia to stir up a servie insurrectisn there,
the imputation that he was Republican was in
dignantly denied. Nor was Gerrit Smith a Re-
pubican; nor anybody else who advocated or
encouraged interference with slavery in the
States. These persons were abolitionists, pure
and simple, and ought not to be identified with
the Republican party, that sought to deal with
slavery only in the Territories, the common heri-
tage of the country ut large. This has all along
been the preaching but if the practice is in ac-
cordance with that preaching, then such men as
Mr.. Lovejoy, of Illinois, ought to be forthwith ex
communicated from the Republican party The
member from Illinois, however, is as good Re-
publican as Mr.. Sherman of Ohio. or Mr.. Burlin-
game of Massachusetts, MIR. Grow of Pennsyl-
vania, or any other of the fathers, whose otho-
doxy and good standing in the church have new
been called in question. Hence, it will scarce
ly do for the managers to seek to do away with
the damaging influence of Lovejoys appeal to the
Republican party to extirpate slavery" by act
of Congress-just as polygamy has been extirpa-
he is in advance of the Republican party " or,
the Republican party is not responsible for his
utterance." That game, respectfully submit,
is played out. Mr. Lovejoy is an excellent Re-
Republican party. The Republican party is res
ponsible for his utterances. Hence, when he in
vokes Congress to 1" strangle slavery''-when he
denounces the ''spirit of slaveholding as =" the
spirit of the devil when he says public
timent will burn and scorn out " the institution
his words pregnant with fearful meaning-a
meaning they could never have were he simply
giving expression to his own individual views
The meaning is, that the slavery agitation must
go on on, The further meaning is,-1nsur
rection, Civil War, and Dissolution of the Union.
This is the true Interpretation of Mr.. Lovejoy's
preaching on the floor of the House on Thursday
last; and let no man say the preacher IS not
member in good standing of the Republican
Church.
This then being the drift. and these the ten
denotes of Repubicanism, it is more than over
the duty of all good men who love their country
better than party to throw aside the shackles of
the political machine and rally under the banner
sorry indeed to think that there are not many
thousands of moderate conservative men who are
Republicans at present just because they cannot
be Democrats, and do not know exactly where
else to CO. We put it to the thinking portion OF
these, whether the time is not come when they
have a solemn duty to perform to themselves and
to their country; a duty that should move them
at once to turn their backs upon mischlevous
sectional organization which in these Northern
States. is gradually making up the fatal issue of
Disunion and War. We repeat, that is ust what
interference with slavery in the States really
means. We are happy to know that there are
many national men no have hitherto acted with
the Democratic party. who say that the drift of
that national organization likewise to
the opposite extreme-who have
had the couIage and manliness to give up their
party for tile good of their country. and many
more, we question not, Will III due time follow
their example
If there are any Republicans Who hesitate to fol-
low where the Lovejoys lead, let them 60 and do
lillewise.--N Y. Express.