The Buchanan County guardian. (Independence, Buchanan County, Iowa) 1858-1864, 1861-06-04

And there are not wanting statements {
later politicians in that region. amour,
ing to virtual confession that the ide
of secession is no new thing among them
but. that, on the contrary, their peopl
had been carefully trained to it, on th
occurrence Of such an event.
lis no recommendation Of this move
ment for the subversion of our govern
ment that the government proposed t
be founded upon its ruins is professedly
based upon slavery as its corner stone
The Vice President of "the Southern
Confederacy," one of the very ablest
and at the same time most conservativ.
OF their Statesmen, avows this to be the
fact and frankly acknowledges that in
this regard they have departed essential
ly in sentiment from the founders of ou,
American Union. "The prevailing
ideas entertained by him jefferson and
most Of the leading statesmen at the
time of the formation Of the old Consti
tuition were that the enslavement of the
African was in violation of the laws o
nature that it was wrong in principle,
socially, morally. and politically. 1t was
an evil they knew not we'll how to dea
with but the general opinion of the
men Of that day, was that somehow OF
other, in the order of Providence the ia
stitation would be evanescent, and would
pass away. This idea, though not in.
corporated in the Constitution, was thu
prevailing idea at the time. The Con
stitution, it Is true, secured every essen
tial guarantee to the institution while il
should last, and hence no argument car
be justly used against the Constitutional
guarantees thus secured, because of the
common sentiment of the day. Those
ideas, however were fundamentally wrong
they rested upon the assumption of the
equality OF races. It was sandy foun.
dation. and the idea of government bull,
upon it. when the storm came and the
wind blew it fell. Our new govern
ment is founded upon exactly the oppo.
site ideas its foundations are laid, its
CORNERSTONE rests, upor the great truth
that the negro is not equal to the white
man that slavery, subordination to the
superior race, is his natural and moral con
dition. This. our ne~ government. is the
first in the history of the world BASED up.
on this great physical, philosophical. and
moral truth. The stone
which was REJECTED by thefrst builders,
lis become the CHIEF STONE of the cor.
ner" in our new edifice."*
This is certainly very frank. Aud
am not disposed to call in question the
truth of the assertion that for the fl rst
time in the history Of our world-how-
ever tyranical and oppressive men may
have been in practice, and however So
phistical in their attempts to justify such
the first time in the history
of the world Government is apowediy
based upon human slavery as its corner
stone !-and that profsssedly Free Gov
srnment 1t remains to be seen whether
. government based upon such founda-
ton will prove to be more permanent
than the one which it is intended to sub
vert. "If thou seest," says the wise
man, as he meditated so profoundly upon
the manifestations of human vanity, aud
and crime, " If thou seest the
oppression of the poor, and violent per-
verting Of judgment and justice in
province, marvel not at the matter, for
He that is higher than the highest re-
,ardeth and there is one that is higher
han they."t
Nor is 1t any recommendation Of this
destruction Of our Union, that
is leaders proposed, if necessary to the
Of their ends, to involve
Ill the Free States in the terrors of civil
war, while they should step in and de-
tide the conflict. and dictate the terms of
'eace. l shall again refer to the emphat-
c language Of the distinguished states
nan. who bore the standard Of the Dem.
'cratic party at the late Presidential can
fas
The conspiracy is now known. Armies
AVE been raised. War is levied to accomplish
I. There are only two sides to this question.
Every man must be for the United States or
'gainst it There can be no neutrality in this
var, only patriots or traitors. know
hey expected an united South against divid.
d North. They hoped in the Northern States
'arty quest ions would bring civil war between
Democrats and Republicans, when the South
vould step in with her cohorts, aid one party
o conquer the other. and thus make an easy
'rey Of the victors. Their scheme scas earnsgr
md ciUl scaY at the North.".
That such was the design OF the lead.
ng conspirators, l do not think can now
dmit Of rational doubt. They estima.
ed the standard Of patriotism in the
Border and Northern States by the low
nd traitorious standard that prevailed
mong themselves. They meant, it ne
essary to the accomplishment Of their
reasonable purposes. that our fields
hould be laid waste-our cities burned
-our homes dssolated-and our rivers
made to run down crimsoned with blood
'oured out in fratricidal war. But,
hank God. they have been disappointed.
We can agree to differ on minor points.
When the foundations are attacked, all
thor issues are swallowed in the over
shelming sentiment Of devotion TO our
ountry.
Now l have not desired to discuss any
.uestions Of party politics-nor any
oints that may be considered at issue
etween different portions OF our COM
ion country. Nor have i wished to