Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1861-04-24

NaclllRuuB ana umld: 3. The conduct OF
the slave Stotes continuing in the Union
as they may share the madness OF the six
seeding States, or rs they may arrest the
pestilence at the cotton line, and by their
wisdom and courage restore the Union
d l. The conduct Of the free States, and csN
pcciaily those along the slave border; rs
4 they shal, obstinattly persist in foment-
ing opinions ana performing acts touch
/ ing the whole question Of the black race,
which they can now cleorly see must in
volve the country in one common ruin,
or rs they, 10y n common consent or by a
counter-reyoution in their own bosom,
restore public opinion TO a condition un.
der which slave States may safely live in
peace with them. Under such crcum,
stances it is easy to see, how great and
difficult is the task laid on true Statesmen,
everywhere, and how immense and how
dubious are the issues submitted to them.
>. The remaining nine slave States, OF
which five are border States, and four are
mixed slave States, have in each of these
classes peculiarities rs marked rs those
which distinguish the cotton States; yet
rs the whole nine occupy a similar pOsi-
ton at the present moment, with regard
to the revolution which has swept over
the cotton States, tGcy may, for tine sake
Of brevlty, be thro Tn together in develops
ing the great ideas we are eudeavoring to
disclose, What The exact issue will be
in these nine States-or whether it will
be similar in them aii-or in which direc
tion the prevailing opinion will settle, if
different courses are taken-arc queS-
tions which it. is impossible to determine
at this time, But it is very obvious, that
if the whole ninc-or even the greater
part Of them, embracing the leading and
powerful States, refuse to unite in the
movement taken by the six cotton States,
that movement must necessarily prove
failure, both Us to its ayOTed, and as ID
any concealed object c0unter.revoIu.
tiOn in the cotton States becomes pres"
emily inevitable and those cotton States
must ultimately accommodate themselves
to the policy, whatever it may be. adopt
ed by the'Othcr and leading States IL
stead of being able to force those far more
powerful than themselves to follow
blindly and serv.lely course dlsapproyed
by them, and which rests ior its ultimate
reason. upon nothing better than the sud-
den caprice of South Carolina, or her
chronic hatred Of the National Union
There are immense considerations, alto
gelher independent of the real merits Of
Of the great cause which is under trial
why the course dictated 10y South CAROLS
ma, and adopted 10y the other cotton
States, should e steadtastly rejected. -
Amongst these arc sUch as ioNOw !.
This method by secession 1nnibilateS the
very idea Of all force in permanent consti.
tuuOnal union, or common government
over sovereign States, and establishes as
inherent in ali possible future unions, the
idea of anarchy, aud deprivcs liberty for
ever Of the possibility Of being either
stable or strong: ., The method Of Sc
cessjon 10y separate State action, is found.
ed on illusions utterly fatal and absurd,
that the American are not n naton-the
Federal Constitution not govern ment--
the American people not bound to be
loyal except to local authorities, which
being assumed condemns this continent
to be the everlasting habitatiOn Of every
thing feeble factions and eXtravagant:
3. The adoption Of ordinances Of scccs-
sion, bv conventions called by ordinary
legislatures without allowing the peo-
pie to determine by a previous sovereign
act whether or not the convention 5 all
exist, and by a subsequent sovereign act
whether OF not its proceedings shal. have
force-des'roy the very idea Of the soy
ereignty of the people, makes constitu-
tional liberty and security impossible, and
invites factions, in proportion as they are
corrupt or inc0mpetent to usurp and to
abuse sOvercigp power: I. The utter re
tusal to consult with States, all OF which
were united 10y the highest human obliga-
tions-and many of which were involved
in pcrils the very same III kiud and high
er in degrce-is line of conduct reck-
less in itself, insulting to all others, APP
porently adopted with the purpose ofren-
dering all peaceful, considerate, or even
decorous arrangements impossible, and
necessarily jeopards, in the result reached,
the profitable continuance Of slavery, if
not its very existence, in the greater part
of the slave States, and amongst them the
most powerful the most loyal, and the
most enlightened of them all. At the
present moment two most important
truths are perfectly distinct The first is,
that the action hitherto taken IN The
States whose positions we are now con-
sidaring, g,-ro matter what that action
may lead to-inyolyes fundamental dis
sent from the conduct pursued by these
seeding States-aru conlemplatcs re-
dress in u different way, and upon oppo-
site principles. The second is, that a very
Great port'n of each ofthese Q States prob~
ably the majority Of the people in most Of
in al, of hem, are warm,
" attached to the Union. are resolutely
to mountain their loyalty to
that nation as their nation, at the same
time that they maintain their loyalty to
the particular States of which they are
ano arc far more inclined to
compose existing difficulties. than to
drive matters to extremity in any direc-
ton.
I. These facts and considerations, taken
in detail and taken altogether, are wor-
thy Of the highest consideration and
the issue Of events may be- they
reveal to the people and to those they
trust, the grounds on which, and the
manner in which, the country may be
saved and the, disclose to posteritv the