Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1860-12-19
LESSON FOR THE DAY.

There is no physician SO skilful that he can
prescribe properly for disease until he under
stands what it is. Hysterical concern may be
ready and lavish in the use of some infalible
specific OF the nursery, but neither 'eatnip"
nor n'motherwort' will cure all troubles. The
soothing system" with its ignorant expedi-
ents may yet along without serious disaster
while the disease is not very active. But
whoever would reach the seat of trouble and
effect permanent cure should know what he
has to deal with. 1t is now plain enough that
many of our political doctors do not under
stand the present trouble of the country, tor
their prescriptions are ignorant, contradictory
and useless.
The question now before the American peo-
pie is neither more nor less than this Shall
the republic become despotic oligarchy with
the slave power for presiding genius, or be
an earnest guardian of human rights and the
watchword of all lovers of free principles
throughout the world Our fathers meant
it for freedom. They made it to be the home
of liberty and light to all oppressed nations ;
and how grand a country it would be, with
light and power to transform the world, if
it had never been molested by the curse
of chattel slavery The men of the revolu-
ton supposed it would be such q country. In
their view chattel slavery would be so tran
sient that free principles would always be
paramount and as time should go on, the
several states would more and more realize
If tho
idea; and because they worked for such an end
history has made their names immortal. But
the slavery extremists hold that they were
not Sound" on the slavery question and in.
sist on having it made political heresy to
believe as they believed on that subject. This
demand OF the slave interest occasions the
present trouble; and compromise" really
means submission to it.
The leading secessionists have told us that
they must be allowed to control the Union if
they stay in it and this control must be Sc.
cured to them by such amendments to the
constitution, aud such changes in ourselves as
win make it secure forever. And what should
we save by such a compromise Not that
Union Which was formed by our fathers. Not
that grand republic which they thought
to give us. No, but we should save that pre-
dominance of the slave power and bequeath to
the next generations the old struggle made
tenfold more difficult and dangerous. Pat
riotic men will do everything that can be done
honorably to harmonic differences and secure
peaceful relations between the north and the
south, but there is neither harmony nor peace
in anything that sells the honor of the repub-
lie; and we are told plainly that 10 appease
the secessionists we must give up our senti.
ments concerning slavery, and have no more
like them; we must cease to follow the fathers
Of the republic, who were "nnsound" on this
question, and believed too much in the Dec
laration of Independence; we must accept all
the new doctrines which slavery invents, and
allow the institutions of South Carolina to be.
come the predominant institutions of tile whole
country. We cannot do all this and, if we
it done, the old Struggle would at once be re-
newed. All the laws of things would combine
to revive it and keep it in motion, for moth,
ing is settled that is not right"
1t is not compromise" that is demanded
by the secessionists, but submission to their
will They will concede nothing How UNI
wise, then, and how forgetful Of selfrespect it
is for us to try hurried expedients and talk in
frantic, hysterical way of personal liberty
laws, whenwe should behave like men