Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1861-02-12
For the Standard.
.-.- For the Standard.
AN ANECDOTE OF THE REV. JOSEPH CALD-
WELL. LATE PRESIDENT OF THE UNIVER-

nv hNGODO1EO r LIE REV. JUSEPH CALD-
WELL, LATE PRESIDENT OF THE UNIVER-.
SlTY OF NORTH-CAROLINA.
1t was, 1 think in the winter of 1885, when resi-
ding in the county of Caswell that having business
In Raleigh, felt a desire to take my alma Mater
In my route. 1t was vacation when stopped at the
village hotel. was soon called upon by the Doctor
de looked badly; he was evidently near his final
account 1t was the last time ever saw him. He
said that he was lonely old man; alluded to his
being childless, and that he would be pleased if 1
would stay with him while remained in Chapel
Hill. / accepted his invitation. 1t was when as
now, South Carolina doctrines of notification and
secession divided the country. After tea he alluded
to them; went to his well stocked library and brought
out the Federalist-the joint composition of Madison
Jay and Hamilton. Standing on the floor, holding
the volume in his left hand, speaking in his slow,
deliberate way, and from time to time tapping it
with his right, he spoke nearly as follows:
"Mr. -, this book contains the true exposi-
ton of our Constitution, and had it never been de-
parted from, we never should have had our present
troubles The argument that State has q right to
nulfy or secede, proves too much. 1t can be re-
duced to logical absurdity physical impossibility.
If State may secede why may not county ? for
county, in many respects, bears the same relation
to State that the latter does to the General Govern
ment Where is this to end? If Orange county
can secede from North Carolina, why may not
Chapel Hill from Orange countyY' "And them"
with smile, why may not you and secede from
Chapel Hill? Don't you see that such doctrine
strikes at the foundation of all government disnte-
CRATES society, resolves it into its original elements,
exalts the dangerous right of selfdefence and self
decision the supreme law, the SaLus popul the
safety of the whole, inaugurates anarchy, makes
might right, and subjects everything to the strong
est arm and the strongest will"
Thus it will be perceived, that the venerable
Doctor was in favor of Union at that time; and
while freely admitting that disunon is preferable to
union with the bad, Though ancient sage says,
that time dissoveS the union of the wicked, for
union implies the virtue of faIthfulness,) we must
admit that he could not we'll over-rate its Importance
to national and individual happiness. Union is our
natural normal state; at least it original,
divinely intended state in Eden. True we partially
lost it. but Christ, who preached on earth peace and
goodwill, came to restore it. Always, everywhere,
in everything union is life and disunion is dissou
ton-death. Even our daily animal life is living
example of union-of all parts of the animal econ
omy organs, muscles, nerves. tissues, being in har
monous action. A departing father, wishing to
teach his children that in union strength handed
them a bundle of sticks, telling them, at the same
time, to break it 1t was passed around with fail
| ure. Now" says he, "untie It, and break them
| one at time" 1t easily done. The mo-
raj is obvious. The sequence of the phenomena
| of nature teaches the great lesson, for all
her laws intend and tend to produce harmony
They never conflict, they never disobey, they arc
| never repealed Yes, from the great central Sun,
around which universe universe with all their
! systems of stars planets and satellites march
| their silent round to the music of divine har-
mony, to the tiny globule of dew, unity of parts
and elements is the great law. Repeal this law,
destroy this unity and the stars would shoot madly
| from their spheres. Every globe would become
| Gods destroying bomb, from which would issue
missiles which would form cross-res throug hout all
| space. Break up the union of oxygen and hydrogen
| in water, and you get inhammab!e gas in which
Ill ol-t 10, nj
salts and you get deadly poison. Thus we find
that nature, fable, experience reason, and reveal
tion all teach that union is the principle fife and
its absence the antecedent the premontory symptom
of death of animals and destruction of inert matter
| Union is our great want. National union would
no doubt be the best, but if we cannot have that
form of it land there is danger that cannot) let
us have the next best, North Carolina union. If we
cannot have State union, let us have neighborhood
| union. If we cannot have either of these, we can
| at least have Christian union. We can, in imita
ton of the North Gas est dbhOSte dOc6r have union
prayer meetings concert of religious action at least
christian love and charity of heart. They can make
united effort to stem the torrent of vIce-to pre-
vent to mitigate the horrors of war; which is the
sum of all evils the Pandoras box without hope al
the bottom the prolific parent of ignorance of dis
sipation, OF want of crime of every hue At various
periods of the world the Church militant has shown
| herself as terrible army with banners. The
Israelites were saved at the ntercession of Moses
| Ten righteous would have saved Sodom Nj
neveh repented at the preaching of Jonah, and the
Lord stayed her threatened doom. Unless the
| Church arouses herself to meet demands upon her
God will have controversy with her. for it will ap
pear that she is longer the salt of the earh that
the salt has lost its SAVIOR. Is Christ divided? Shall
his children separately pursue his objects, wher
they can much more speedily, easily and fully attain
them by united action? If judgment begins at the
house of God, where shall the ungodly and sinner
appear? INQUIRER.
DEAR Sir: have become apprehensve that my quota
ton of Dr. Cadwels remarks may be misunderstood. My
object not much nculcate the obligation anc
utility of Federal Union, in that should be unhap
! PLY dissolved the necessity and importance of union
a. In the ABSTRACT (2 North Carolina uninn union
among ourselves in every emergency; o. fidelity tn what
union may form with the States the Dor
der States with all the slave States In union there j:
strength in dsunon feebleness subsection and ruin
UNITED stand divided fall" Indeed the times
so changed within the last thirty years, that think il
very doubtful whether if he alive now, he would ap
ply his remarks to the relation which South Carolina a
! present susains to the General Government.
|