Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1861-01-16
THE UNION.


The danger which overhangs the corn
Try at the present moment is at last uni
versally acknowledged. The day when i
could be treated as the imagination o
Union savers" as y" disunion bugaboo
: as "bullying,' OF in any similar manner
I've quote these expressiona from distin
!. gpished editors at the North, has passed
away. All acknowledge the imminent
danger.
But it is more imminent, and the
prOspe darker, because of the constant
detei mination of men to shut their eyes
to il. The leaders of the Republican
party, for some days past, have been in q
state of pitiable doubt. Ono day they
seem willing to do anything, and the
next day, when they imagine their peNc-
able Expressions of yesterday may be tax
en- a. yielding too much, they withdraw
their implied promises, and threaten
fiercely.
The public mind is misled b. the .eadr
ers, and the state of feeling in the mass Of
the popu'ation is changeable. This all
results from a misapprehension of the
state of affairs at the South. Men will
win not look the truth il the face. Re-
publicans, especially, shrink from it, bo>
cause the future is to them especially
dark and threatening.
Let us state the facts IN few words, and
look straight at them The American
Uuion will be dissolved unless the Repub
licars will agree to amend the Consiitu-
tion by allowing Southern men to take
their slaves into the common Territories
and hold them there as property. 1t may
be that the South would be satisfied wit
that portion Of the Territories south of
Missouri line. But unless the Republi-
cans at once agree to this, the Union is
gone.
We do not say that even this viii now
be in time to save it. But this is the
only chance. It is idle to stop Cor re-
examinations ; for settling who is to blame;
for disputing on old issues. The Union
is nov in danger, the country is
lost, unless the dominant party at olce
and forever sacrifice what they claim as a
principle under the Constitution. by MAX
ing the converse oftheir principle con-
stitutional right.
We have not heard the position of af.
fairs better discussed than in a conversa-
tion which we overheard between an ar
dent Democrat and Union saver" and
an equally ardent Republican. We con.
dense the conversation for the sake of lay
ing before cur readers succinct state.
ment of the necessities of the times.
The discussion began with the accusa-
tion that the Republicans had been mis-
represented at the South by the journal Of
C0mmerce and other Democratic papers,
and that the trouble arose from these mis-
reprensetations.
DEMOCRAT. If we had told the people at
the South that you Republicans were in
favor of enforcing or, not opposed to the
Fugitive Slave Law, and were not Abolit-
ionists, would they have believed us
REPUBLICAN. Yes, l think so. Why
not?
Dew. They woulk have laughed at us.
When the Abolitionists attacked the
American Tract Society and endeavored
TO use its engines to carry the anti,slav-
cry war into the South, did not every
Republican newspaper in New York ard
elsewhere, as far as you know, abuse and
villify the conservative men of the Tract
Society? When John Brown invaded
Virginia, did not the Republican newspa-
pers of New York call him /" brave old
hero" martyr :" and did they not evil
dently sympathise with him
REr. That does not show that the Re-
publicnn party, as a party, have any such
sympathies!
DEN 1t is hard to seperate party from
eneir leaders. But who passed the Perso,
mol Liberty bills ir Maine, Vermont
massachusetts,, and elsewhere?
REP, The Republican party undoubtedly
did that in each State. But the Personal
Liberty bills are null and void, for thev
are unconstitutional and they don't hurt
any one.
n DEN. l am not sure they are unconsti-
tntional. That in Connecticut certainlv
mot. But because a law is constitution.
~ it is not necessarily right You Re,
publicans are afflicted with an insane no.
tion that what is constitutional, is neces-
'arily right. You claim that electing a
president constitutionally is all right and
Mnot be found fault with. Suppose the
uouso of Representatives should refuse
pass any Supply Bill for his Admins
Jion' 1t would be constitutional, but
Ynid 1T be right There is no tyranny
HVUeartl n