Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1860-03-21
WHOLE NO. s26s.

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political action by suffrage in organized par
ties within their own borders, inspired BY an
enthusiasm peculiar TO themselves, and eXas-
perated by grevienees and wrongs that some Of
them had suffered by inroads Of armed pTopa-
gandists of Slavery in Kansas unlawful as their
own retaliation was, attempted to subyert
slavery in Virginia by conspiracy, invasion,
and force. The method we have adopted. Of
appealing to the reason and Judgment Of the
people, to be pronounced by suffrage, j. the only
one by which free government can be maintain
cd any where, and the only one as vet devised
which is in harRlony with the spirit Of the
Christian religion. While generons and char
/ table natures will probably eOneede that John
Brown and his associates acted on earnest
though fatally erroneous convictions, yet all
good citizens will nevertheless agree that this
attempt to execute an unlawful purpose in Fir-
J ginia by invasion, involving a Servile war, was
an act Of sedition and treason. and criminal to
just the extent that 1t tafeeted the public peace.
and was destructive of human happiness and
human life. 1t Is painful reflection that. al
ter so long an experience Of the benekcient
wOrSIng of our system as we have enjoyed. we
have these new illustrations in KaBsas ard Fir-
ginia Of the existGnee among us of a class Of
men so misguided and so desperate as to seek
to enforce thsir peculiar principles BY the
sword, drawing after it O need for the further
illustration by their punishment Of that great
moral truth especially applicable in Republic,
that they who take up the sword "a a weapon
OF controversy shall perish by the sword. In
the latter ease the lamented deaths Of 80 many
citizens slain from an ambush and by surprise
all the more lamentable because they were
innocent victims of frenzy kindled without
their agency, in far distant 6res-the deaths
even Of the offenders themselves, pifiabIe al
though necessary and Just, because acted un-
der delirium, which blinded their judgments
to the real nature OF their criminal enterprise;
the alarm and CONSERVATION naturally awaken
ell throughout the country, exciting for mo-
ment the fear that our whole system, with all
its securities for life and liberty. was coming
to an end-a fear none the more endurabIe be-
cause continually aggravated By new ehimeras
to which the great leading event lent an air Of
probability; surely all these constituted sum
/ of public misery which ought to have satisfied
the most morbid appetite for social horrors
But, as In the case OF the gunpowder plot, and
/ the Salem witcheraft, end the New FORK col
omar negro plot. so now; the original actors
were swiftly followed by another aud kindred
class, who sought to prolong and widen the
public distress by attempting to direct the in
1 dignatiOn which it had excited against parties
guiltless equally of completely and sympathy
with the offenders. Posterity will decide in
all the recent eases where political response
bility for public disasters must fall; and pos
terity viii give little heed to our instructions
/ 1t was not until the gloomy reign Of DOnIitiaE
had ended, and liberty and virtue had found
assured refuge under the sway of the milder
NeFva, that the historian arose whose narrative
Of that period Of tyranny and terror has been
accepted by mankind. The Republican party
being thusTindicated against the charge of hos
tility to the South, which has been offered as
an excuse for the measures of unconstitutional
resistance IN the event of its success, feel as
sured that 1t viii sustain me in meeting them
In the spirit of the defender Of the English
commonwealth.
Surely they that shall boast, as we do. to be
a free nation, and having the power, shall not
also have the courage to remove, constitutional
d ly, every Governor, whether he be the supreme
or subordinate, may please their fancy with a
ridiculous and painted freedom, fit to eozen ba-
bies, but are, indeed, Gnder tyranny and serv-
itude, rs wanting that power which is the root
and source OF all liberty, to dispose Of and econ
onlise IN the land which God hath given them,
as members Of family in their own homes and
free inheritance. Without which natural and
essential power Of = free nation, though bearing
high their hands, they can, in due esteem, be
thought no better than slaves and vassals born
IL the tenure aud occupation of another inheri-
ting lord, whose government, though not ille-
gal nor intOlerable, hangs on them as lordly
scourge. not az a free government"
The Republican Party knows, as the whole
country will ultimately come to understand,
that the noblest objects of national life must
perish, if that life itself shall be lost, and
therefore it will accept the issue tendered-
1t will take up the werd Union, which others
are so willing TO renoEree, and, combining il
with the other gloriOC5 thought, Liberty, which
has bsen its inspiration 30 long. it viii move
on=ari. with the motto inscribed on It's ban
ner, Union and Liberty, come what may, in
victory as IN defeat, in lcwer as out Of power,
now and frgver." If the Republican Party
maintain the Union, who and what party il ~
assGil itg Only the Democratic Party. for there
is no other. Win the Democratic Party take
up the assanlt7 The menaees Of Disunion s-e
made, though not in lis nams, get in its belief.
It must av0v or disavow them. It's silence
thus faris portentouS, but is not alarming The
effces of the intimidation, if successfully would
ne to continue the rule of the Democratic Par
ty, though minority, by terror. Il eeTtainly
ought to need no more than this to secure the
success of the Republican Party. If indeed.
the time has come, when the Democratic Party
must rule By terror, instead Of through con-
eeded public confidence, then Il "a quite GER
tain that il cannot be dismissed from powertoo
soon. Ruling on that odious principle, it could
not long save eieher the constitution or public
liberty. But shall not believe the Democrat
ie Party ill consent to stand in this position
though it does, through the action Of lis repre-
sentstiycs, seem 10 cover and sustain those v hO
threaten disnrion. / know the Democracy Of
the North. ! know then now in their waning
strength. / 10 not know possible disunieniss
among them all. believe they will be as
faithful to the Union now Gs they. were in the
by-gone DAYS when their ranks were full, and
their challenge to the combat was always the
wGr-cFy CT vittcry.
Bet. If It shall prove otherwise, then the world
will all the sooner know that ev,ry party in this
country must stand on Union ground; that the
American people viii sustain no party that !,
not csIable Of making sacrifice Of It's ambition
on the altar OF the country; that, although par-
ty may have neysrs0 much Of prestige. and nev
er such traditional merit yet If it be lacking in
the oGe virtue Of loyalty 20 the Union all its adj
van.ages will be unayail ng; and then obuox
ious as. through long chs rIshcd and obstiusts
pr juiic,s, the Republican Party IS in ths Cspi-
tai States, vet even there it will Edpaf &c like an
arInf with banners. winning the favor Of the
whole people, and it will be armed with the na-
!. tiOnal eOnfdsnee and support. when it shall be
found the only party that defends and main-
taius the integrity of the Union. Those wLO
seek to awaken the terTo=s Of disrniOu seem 70
have too hastily considered the conditions under
which they are to make their attempt Who be-
lieyts that Republican AdministRslon and Con
gress eOull rdetiee tyranny under a Constitu-
tiou which interrcses 40 many checks as 0ursl
Yet that tyranny must not only be praeiieed
but must be iBtOl ratble. and there must be ne
remaining hope for Constitutional relief, before
!Orcible resistance can fad ground to stand oa
any where. The people of the Urited Statss,
acting in conformity with the Constitution, are
the supreme tribunal IN try and determine ali
political issurs. Thsy are as competent to Do
eide the issu,s Of 10 Fay "a they have been here
tOlOre TO decide the issues OF other days They
can reconsider hereafter snd reverse, II need be.
the Judgment they shah pronounce 10 day, ~
. they have more than once reecnsideTed and ~
versed their judgment in iorfDer tiInes. il
needs no revolution to correct any errur, or rre.
vent any danger, under any circumstances Ne,
is any new or special cause ior revO ution Kkrly
to occur under hspubliean administration -
"s are engaged in no new Transaction. not
even 10 new dispute. Our fathers undertook
! great work for themselves. for Us, end for our
suecessOrs-to erect free and Federal empirr.
e whose arches shall span the North Ameriesg