The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1860-1876, 1861-01-19

md with forei e State, still abere Is too much
reason to belisve that n2 one& the could long
maintain Republican form govS pment
DIsUNIoN AND THE CONTINUANCE or THE REPUB
LIcAN SYSTEM.
Universal suffrage and the absence Of a stand
ing army, is essential to the republican system.
The world is tyetto see single self-sustaining
State Of that kind, or even any considerations
of such States, except our own. Canada leans
on Great Britain not unwillingly, and Switzerland
il guaranteed by interested smenarchical States.
Our own experiment has thus far been success
ful, because by the continual addition Of new
States the influence of each Of the members OF
the Union is constantly restrained. No one, of
course can toretell the way and manner Of travel,
but history indicates with unerring certainty, the
end which the several confederacies would reach
would render life intolerable, and
they would, sooner or later, purchase tranquility
and domestic safety by the surrender of liberty,
and yield themselves up to the protection of mil
itary despotism.
A MILITARY DEsPOTISM BEGUN IN THE SOUTH.
Indulge me, sir, in one or two details under
this head. First, it is only sixty days since this
disunion movement began. Already those who
are engaged in it have canvassed with porten-
tous freedom the possible recombinatons of the
States, when discovered, and the feasible allan
ces of those denominations with European ma
tons; alliances as unnatural, and which would
prove ultimately as pestientiaI to society here,
as that Of the Tlascalans with the Spaniards who
promised them revenge upon their ancient ene-
mics, the Aztecs
THE DANGERS OF A sERvILE WAR
Secondly, This disunion movement arises in
another view out of the relation of African slaves
to the domestic population of the country. Free
dom is to them as to all mankind, the chief OBJ
ject of desire. Hitherto, under the operation of
the Union, they have practically remained ignor-
ant of the controversy, especially of its bearing
on themselves Can we hope that fragrant civil
war will rage among ourselves in their very pre-
sence, aud yet that they will remain stupid and
idle spectators? Does history furnish us any sa-
tistactory instruction upon the horrors of civil
war among a people so brave, so skillul in arms,
so earnest in conviction, and so intent liz pur-
pose as we are?
Is it mere chmera which suggests an aggra
walton of those horrors beyond endurance, when
on either side there shall occur the intervention
Of an uprising of ferocous African slave pop.
uation of four, or six, perhaps twenty millions
The opinions of mankind change, and with then,
the policies of nations.
GROWING HOSTILITY TO sLAvERY-1uEoRIEs OF
ABOLITION. -.
One hundred years ago. all the commercial
European States were engaged in transferring
negro slaves from Africa to this hemisphere
To-day all those States are firmly set in hostility
to the extension, and even TO the practice Of sla
very Opposition to it takes two forms. One,
European, which is simple, direct abolition, eff
fected if need be, by compulsion; the other,
American, which seeks to arrest the African
slave trade and resist the entrance of domestic
slavery into Territories where it is yet unknown,
while it leaves the disposition OF existing slavery
TO the considerate action Of the States by which
it is retained
THE Union THE PROJECTION OF THE SLAVE OWNER.
It's the Union that restricts the opposition to
Slavery in this country within these limits. II
dissolution prevail what guarantee shall there be
against the full development here of the fearful
and uncompromisng hostility to Slavery which
elsewhere pervades the world, of which the re
cent invasion of Virginia was an illustration?
NATIONAL GREATNESS INsEPARABLE FROM NATIONAL
UNION.
Mr.. President, have d.signedly dwelt so long
on the probable effects Of disunion upon the
safety of the American people, as to leave me
little time to consider the other evils which must
follow in its train; but practically the loss oil
safety involves every other form of public ca
lamity. When the guardian angel has taken
flight everything is lost. Dissolution would not
only arrest, but extnguish the greatness "f our
country. Even separate confedcracies could not
exist and endure; they could severaly preserve
no share of the common prestige of the Union
If the constellation is to be broken up, the stars
whether scattered widely apart or grouped IN
small clusters, will therefore shed forth feeble
glimmerngs and lurid lights. Nor will great
achievements be possible for the new cOnfedera
cies. Dissolution would signalize its triumph
by acts of wantonness which would shock and
astound the world. 1t would provincialize Noun,
Vernon, and give this Capitol over to dissolution
at the very moment when the dome is rising over
our heads that was to be crowned with the statue
Of Liberty.
DiSUNIoN THE DESTRUCTION OF WEAK REPUBLICS.
After this there would remain for diSunon nc
act OF s,upendous infamy to be committed. Nc
petty conicderacy that should follow the United
States can prolong or even renew the maj estie
drama of national progress
NATIONS TuRENoDy.
Perhaps it is to be arrested because its sublim
ity is incapable of continuance. Let it be so, il
we have indeed become degenerate after Wash
ington and the infexible Adams, Henry, and the
peerless Hamilton, Jefferson and the majestic
Clay, Webster, and the acute Calhoun, Jackson
the modest TAYLOR and Scott who rises in great.
ness under the burden of years. and Franklin,
and Fulton, and Whitney, and Morse have all
performed their parts, let the curtain fall. While
listening to these debates I have sometimes for.
gotten myself in making their contrasted effects
upon the page who cuStomarilv stands on the
dais before me, and the venerable Secretary who
sits behind him. The youth exhibits intense.
but pleased emotion in the excitement, while at
every irrevercnt word the aged mans eyes are
suffused with tears. Let him weep no more
Rather rejoice, for yours has been lot of rare
felicity. You have seen and been a part of all
the greatness OF your country the towering ma
tiOnal greatness of all the world. Weep only
you, and weep with all the bitterness of anguish
who are just stepping on the threshold Of life,
for that greatness perishes prematurely, and ex-
lists not for you nor for me- nor for any that shall
come after US! The public prosperty--how could
it survive the storm? Its elements are industry,
in the culture of every fruit; mining of all the
metals; commerce at home and on every sea:
material improvement that knows no obstacle
and has 10 end: invention that ranges through
out the domain of nature; increase Of knowledge
as broad as the human mind can explore, per-
lection Of art as high as human genius can
reach and social refinement working for the
renovation of the world.
DISSOLUTION AND DEsoLATION.
How could our successors prosecute these no.
bic objects in the midst of brutalizing civil cor
tlct: What guarantees will capital invested for
such purposes have that will outweigh the pre-
MUM offered by political and military ambition?
W hat leisure will the citizens find for study, or
invention, or art, under the reign of conscrip-
ton? Nay, what interest in them will society
feel when fear and hate shall have taken posses
sion of the national mind! Let the miner in
California take heed, for it's golden wealth will
become the prize of the nation who can COM
mand the most iron. Let the borderer take
care, for the Indian will again lurx around his
dwelling. Let the pioneer come back into our
denser settlements, for the railroad, the post
road. the telegraph, advance not one furlong
further into the wilderness.
With standing armies, consuming the sub.
stance of our people on the land, and our naval
and our postal steamers withdrawn from the
ocean, who will protect or respect, or who will
even know by name our petty coniederacies.
OUR NAVY A BARBINGER OF THE WORLDS FREE
The American man of-war is a noble spectacle.
have seen it enter an ancient port in the Medit-
erranean. All the world wondered at it, and
talked Of it. Salutes Of artillery saluted its flag
Princes and orncesses, merchants paid it