Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1861-01-24


| one side threaten, aud those who on the othe
rashly defy disunion. They con idered the con
tinuanee of the Union a. ii subject compreh .nd
ing nothing less than the safeiy aud welfare O
all the paris of which the country was composed
and the fate of an empire in many respects th
most interesting in the world. | enter upon th
subject of continuing the U ZION now deeply i'm
pressed with the same generous and loyal con
viction How could il be otherwise when, ,iustear
of only thirteen the country is now compO .et
of thirty three paris; and the empire embraces
instead of only tour millions, no lLss than thrt,
millions of inhabiabitants
The founders of the Constitution moreove
reg arded the Union as no mere national or Amer
tcan interest. On the Contrary they confesse1
with deep sensibilify that It seemed 10 them {,
have been reserved for the people Of his cuuutI ,
10 decide whether societies of men are reali,
capable of establishing good gnVernn nent upuI
reflection and choice, or wheIher they are fureve
destined to depend for thelr political con~tfru
tIons on accident and force, They feared, there
tore, that their failure continue and perfect IN,
Union would be misfortune TO he nations. -
How much more, sir, would Its overflow uow b,
calamity 10 mankind!
Some form of government is indispensable
here as elsewhere. Whatever form we have
every individual citizen aad every stare mus
cehe il some natural rig It;, 10 invest the Gov
ernment with the requisite power. The sim pie
question, therefore, for US nov to decide, whilt
laying aside all pique, passion and prrjud c. Is
whether IL conduces more ID the interests of fAt
people of this country To remain for the general
purposes of peace and war, commerce inland aua
foreign, postal com nnnicauons at home aud
broad, the care and disposition of the pubic
domain colonization, Organization aud admission
of new States, and generally, the enlargement u
empire, one nation under our present Cunstitu-
ron, than would De to DIVIDE themselves intl
separate Coniederacies or Stare.
Our country remains now as it was in 1897 -
composed not of detached and distant fdrruu
rle,, but of one whole weIl.counected AMI fertile
region lying within the temperate zone, with eli
mates and soils hardly uBTe various than those
of France or OF Italy. This slight diversity
quickeus aud ampifes manufac ure aud cum
,nerce. Our rivers and valleys. ~ improved bs
arr, furnish as system of highway, unequtlc'i
IN the world. The different forms OF labor II
slavery were not pervei ted to purposes of polsGi
cal amt iIion, need MT constitute au element o:
strife in the CorfederacY.
Notwithstanding recent vehement expreg sion
and manifestations of in'olerancs ia sJine q"ar
ters. "rodaced nv intense partisan excitement
sc are IN faef, & honD LeueUu, people, On rhy ui
cne stock, with accessious well asSlni aIed -
We have, practically. onY uns language, on
eligion one sys'e os GJ,ern men, AMI IN 49,
iers aud customs commou L. all Wy, then
''ialI we not remain heacetUrth a. hitherto, one
people
The first object of every human society f..
Sa'ety and security, for which It need b., thcy
will, and they must, sacllic" every other. TIM
-ecurity is of two kini>: one, exemption from
foreign aggression aud mh fence the other ex
nption from domestic tyranny AMI -edrttrn
Foreign " lrs cine from ei her violations OF
treaties or domestic violence. ihe Union ma,
thus far, proved It.elf an almost perfect shield
agan>t such wars The Unleed States coutil
rally enlargIns their Diplomatic acquaintance
q eat Britain, Sweden, Prus,ia, Spain, Rus,ia
Denmark, Mexico. Brazil, Austria, lurke} ,C4llr
~IIm, Mu>c4t. Venezuela. Peru. iIrrece >ar
lima. Ecuador Hanos~r. Portugal. M Gr4na
Ia Hesse "a sell Nurlemhurg, Chine, B tvarit.
SaxOny, y Issua, SwIze,laud Meek1enhurs
NcnWerIn, Gus rIn ia. tIe Ii ava al TI>lsa h.
san Salvador l5 pruc, Costa Ric4 Urru Bremen
he Ar-enune Confederation. loo t'ho', ia ,a'l
Bruns~trk. Persia, tien. 6el-Ium aui Part
may N,.,erth .l,-s 1he. L uteI >ta e. ,vs-hi..
Lheir entire eXi~tenre unj r ;1e r .trr4l CDn>el
tuti1n, h ,ye had ht-r4ut wars with osty f5ur
states. twu Of whIrh were insignificant Psscr>
ou the coast Of Btb4rY. All have hti dir...
no,tiiueS, annunfiH5 o. repr',ti,. ~ u>t o'.>
t"o or three more, and Thy are n,S At o4s Pre-
wi'h the whole world If tae Un,on s4oul1 b
divided into only t~o Conteivra les, 80 "a % th-m
Sould need TO make many ire ties is we have
aOw; and, at course, wOuii b. Hahie 10 g've -
many Causes Tor war as We no@ do. But "
know, from the ID experience Of otrrr nttions.
IA. disInt grafton, once began, inevitably con
unues uAtll even thu greatest empire cram te~
IN msnY parts K ach Corte,trraJIuu thai shat
Iitimtiely arise out Ut th3 ruin Of the Uulpn wlt
have necessity for as many lrea.es as nO~
nave, al viii incur Ii, btiitIes tor wAr often
aS We hss~ do, by bretkiu. them |. i, tn, maj
tplIcation Of trraI Ir-, an the want of cOue lerd
ton that makes war III. normal con- ilt'on 81 %
clety IN Western Euro. e AM ~ spanish An:r
ict. lis union that, Notwithstanding our ,Forii
WIDE intercourse, makes peace the habl Of tac
American people.
will not descend 10 low as to ask wheiher
new Confederaces wOul be able Or willing +"
e tr the grievou, rxgsa-s OF nuItua'1L tn
diplomatic relations which cannot hu dIs,,sn ,cb
with except by win lrawigs from f. ersn con
merce
Our federal govern neut :, b.tfar anle 10 Avoi4
givIn. Just causes of war than seyers cOuteier
scies, because ii can cOuE rm the ,c'ion OF 4
the states to compact Ii eau have only one
and only rrIb mai 10 proa ounce
that construction vi every treaty. Lo:t al
interests aud passions, or persona
cup dty aud ambition, can drive sna C 'nted
eraGies Or stlte, more ea,ity tltn Z eat re tub
lie into indscreet violations of treaties
The United States being great and tormm
able over can alwAv~ secure favorable AMI sIt
isfactory treaties Inde d. every treaty We
have was voluntarily made SIN al c. I. 'ieri
cIes or states must take such eatteS a they C n
get, and give Whatever treaties ar eX ct i
Illuminating. or ev, an unsatislsc ory treaty
Il chronic cause Ot foreign wa.
The chapter of wars resulting fl ON unjlsui
able causes would, in case Of DIVISION, AInp'Iit
itself in proportion to the number OF new con
federacies. aud the irrtshllIty. Our d'-pute'
with Great Britain about Oregon, the bnuHd n
of Maine, the patrioE insnrrrcuOn in CaEada ami
the Island of San rau; The border str'tes he
tween Texas and Mexico, the incurslnn rs ot the
late William Walker into Mexico, ana Genital
America all these were cl>es in which war W =
g[eysnI'52o %qy By the OF the
This G 1vern nent nor oily gives fever causes
of war whether just r an nrt. than smaller Con
frdcracies would; hut it always has n greater
ability to accom,n 1date them by the exercise OF
more GOODNESS and Cou age, the use OF more Va
rious and more liberal me ms than the display
if need be, of greater force. Every one know>
how piacable We ourselves are m controversies
with CT eat Britain, France ant Span ami yer
how exacring We have been in our intercourse
with New Granada, Paraguay, AMI San Juan
de Nicaragua.
Mr.. President, no one will dispute our tore
fathers maxim, that the common st"'y OF all -
the safey of each OF the States. What they re
main united the Federal q 'vernnent combines
all the materials and all the forces OF the several
states organizes their defenses on one general
principle harmnn,zes and assimiiates them with
nnna system watches for them with single eye,
which il turns in all direct onsr and moves an
agents under the control OF one executive head
A nation so constituted is safe against assault
or even insult.
War produces always speedy exhaustion OF
money and a severe strain upon credit; The
treasures and credits of small contederacieS
would often prove inadequate. Those OF the
Union are always ample.
have thus far kept out of view the relations
which must arise between the "ontederaces
themselves. They would be small and 'ncon
siderable nations bordering on each ether, and
therefore, according TO all pol ,ticai philosophy,
natural enemies. In addition 10 the many tfea
ties which each must m...,e with foreign powers
and the causes of war which they would give by
violating them. each of the confederacie' must
also maintain treaties with all the Others ara SO