Cincinnati daily press. [volume] (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1860-1862, 1861-02-05
AFriendIy Defense of n Contemporary.

APriendIy Defense of n Contemporary.
When Secession began to receive the de-
cided support of the Border States, the
Pass took ground that their interest was
chiefly at stake; and that on their decided
support it would depend, whether the Gov
eminent would put down disunion. Some
time after, an article, January 6, on the
''Position of the Border States" after re-
viewing their attitude toward Secession, and
showing its consequences, came to the con-
clusions stated in the following extracts
iIf this is the case, the American Union.
is no longer a fact it ts contingency
and the question is not, Shall the Union be
dissolved for it is dissolved already-the
finishing touch being only an unessential
fermality.
.'The North can better do without the
South than submit to a state of things
which will make agitation perpetual. Let
us have peace, either through the enforce
ment of the laws in the Cotton States, OF
through an adhesion to the Constitution by
the border slave States, or let there be
severance of those discordant elements be-
tween whom all hope of harmony has de-
parted" e
Again, January IL, an article on the
"Union Meetings in Kentucky" showed
that the professed Union saving of Ken
lucky was drifting her into Secession; and
affirmed that if she maintained her attitude,
disunion was inevitable, and that the North
would never attempt to coerce an united
South. An article on the l4th, on pNew
Guarantees-The Position Of the Border
States" repeated these conclusions, as fol-
Iowsi
"But If the people of one-half of this ma
tion have got to be conquered to preserve
the Union, the Union is not worth the cost.
The question whether it shall be preserved
rests with the Northern slave States. s% .
Their present attitude is breaking
nm the Union as effectually as If they were
in arms in rebellion. AS they have taken
rebellion under their protection, and expect
to share the profits let them put it down, II
they want it put down. And let the North
assure them in unmistakable terms that 1t is
their interest which is at stake in Secession,
and that they have made it their own affair,
and that il must be put down by their cor
dial and firm support of the Government,
. if at all"
Again, an article, January 2s, showed that
by the attitude of the Border States, and o
a united South, the Union was dissolved
coercion out of the question, and peaceabl5
separation the only recourse.
We mention this because an article in the
Commercial Of the 3lst, stating the same
conclusions which the Press had shown 9
month before, seems by the statements Of
that journal and of its special dispatches, to
have caused it to be suspected that the ar
ticle was written or dictated by Senator
Chase; and the Commercial grayely informi
the public, through special dispatch from
its Springfield canarder, that Mr.. Ben Eg
gIestOn told Mr.. Lincoln that Mr.. Uhas
wrote the article of the slst also that it ha'
created a marked sensation.
By referring to these extracts and the ar
tieles from which they are taken, we ar
enabled to aid the Commercial in relieVin
itselfand Mr.. Chase from the paternity of tn
opinions expressed in the article referred tC
We trust that whatever business rivalr
there may be, we shall always be willing I
do neigbborly act Of this kind for cOtem
PoTary. Indeed it was hardly necessary fC
the Commercial TO 60 to the trouble of such
Vindication, in this sity where the Pass
read; but as the Commsreal is said TO circu
late largely where 1t Is not known, we ar
willing 10 give it a certificate Of the aboV
Iacta, which win exonerate both it and Nj
Chale from any responsibility for the idei
In It's article of the 3lst f.atls
We are pleased to learn that the ideas
that article created 'sensation." Tn
indicates 50 plainly an ample resource frol
which the Conmsreial may make itself il
tsresiiDg to the public, that SO shrewd
publisher as the head Of that concern, wi
hardly neglect it.