Ashtabula weekly telegraph. [volume] (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1853-1873, 1861-02-02

p. . ------
\ II, In the late Presidential Election, the
Pro'Slayery interest had triumpbed the
north bad thereupon proposed or threaten
ed to break up the Union unless some CON-
promise we're made whereby the yictors
shoOld consent TO surrender at least part
Of the legitimate fruits Of their triumph,
who believes that the successful party would
have given a moments heed to the exac-
toni Who does not know that they would
have said "Messrs. Republicans IL mat
ters Dot whether you demand much or little
as the price Of your peaceful submission to
the popular verdict, since we do not pro-
pose to buy such assent at any price. Iou
may acquiesce or you msy rebel, as to you
shall seem good-tbe choice Is far more inn
portsnt to you than to us---but we shall
not bribe you into loyalty, even st the price
Of one peppereorn" And in taking this
position, the victors would have been To.
disputably and wholly right a
Disguise and sugar as we may, every di.
vision Of the anti republican forces is now
hard at work to wiring from the republic
ans the largest possible measure Of renun'
citation or assertion of their vital principle,
as payment for the coudescension Of said
an,i-republicans IN forbearing to break up
the Union and plunge its fragments into
bloody civil war. Though you paint II an
inch thick, 10 this the whole disuuion and
semi-disunion conspiracy must come ct last
The straighi-out, downright disunioDists
like Rhett aud Pickens, Toou1bs and Cobb.
do not really mean that they will ln no case
remain in the Union. but that they will not
remain unless the Republican party shall
either cease TO be republican or cease to be
a power. Let this party renounce and re,
pndiate It's essential purposes Of restricting
slavery 10 the present slave states. or let
the people abandon this party so that II
shall be no longer formidable, and most OF
the present outright disunionists would with
more or less reluctsnce, consent to abide in
the union. Some Of item hate the union
on independent grounds but most OF
them would consent to endure 1t If they
could but be assured that the Rnti-slavery
element contained therein would henceforth
be completely gagged and fettered. These
people are not particularly lovely; bnt they
have at least the merit Of being easily and
fully understood. ~ae .a a.ta 81. .sa7s
The UMi0M men, par srOsllenos Of the south,
with the northern shadows. present far
more complex problem. Their uuionism,
closely scrntinized, appears to consist IN a
disposition to give the republicans one
more chance to repudiate their cardinal
principle. The secessiouists, believing Us
steadfast, propose to cast as OF without
further effort or trial; the proslavery union.
lists, deeming as ready TO renounce or deny
our principle rather than lose the sdyauta-
ges Of the Union. propose to present that
issue distinctly, and give US time to decide
It II this is not the sun total Of pro.
slavery Unionism, would like to see that
sum pointed out. And, as between that
outspoken secessionism which says to the
republicans, "We will not remain in the
Union because you have power In 1t and
are inAexibly Anti-Slavery,p and that
Vauuted Unionism which says, eve q0a
stay in the Uuion little longer because
we are sure you will give up your hostility
to slavery extension, rather than have the
Union broken up but, If we shall prove
mistaken ou this point, We shall then be
ready to dissolve" who can perceive any
essential difference 10 principle? Who will
maintain that the position Of the latter is
one that republicans may contemplate with
the greater satifaction ts g..,.,4 Il
Of course, there are citiEens---we trust
many thousands voted the ticket Of
the last Fusion party, yet who do not Join
in making repudiation of rspublicanism
by the republicans the indispensable condi
tiou of their continued loyalty to the union.
To such, these structures have no applica.
| ton. But the fact remains, nevertheless,
that the attitude of the party--of the en-.
| tire Fusion array, whether openly disuniou
or nominally Union, lis In essence disloyal
The open secessiouists propose to repudiste
and evade the national judgmeat 10 the
election of Lincoln, by destroying or at
least dividing the republic. The professed
| Unionists propose to attain the same end
by forcing or frightening the republicans
Into an abandonment of their principles
through apprehension that the Union will
otherwise be broken up. OF these two ways
of attaining the same end, that Of S. Caro-.
lima seems decidedly more outright and
manly than that of Kentucky ar'
But II is morally impossible that either
should really succeed. s. Carolina may
break mp the Union; hut she viii not there.
by obtain that free scope for slavery sxteu.
sion she eovets on the contrary. she will
only increase the obstacles to that consum.
nation. Kentucky may possibly bully q
few weakened Republican Members of Con
gress into asserting to compromise con
demned alike by their Judgements and tbeir
consciences but the republican masses
will have no part nor lot in this ignoble
surrender of principle. The concession en-
forced by terror will be retraeted when the
terror shall have passed away.
The Free North fearlessly commits bel
cause TO the tribunal of Reason and Con
science. What she proposes to do anc
why she proposes TO do il are known to anC
emphatieally approved BY the Christian
world. If the sonth persists Ia rebelllnp
and breaking up the Union because d
northern repugnance Ia the extension o
slavery, she win have not one hsafy ALI
this SIDE Of the King Of Dahomey. rhosI
who want her cotton will bay Il at ths
market price but they win pay for 1t il
cash. not 10 consent to what their sonls ab
hor They do not nicely consider by wba