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

the slave States continuing in the Union ;
as they may share the madness OF the six
: seeding States, or as they may arrest the
pestilence at the cotton line, and by their
wisdom ana courage restore the Union
i. The conduct of the free States, and es>
peciaily those along the Save border; as
they shal, obstinately persist in foment-
ing opinions ana performing acts touch
ing the whole question of the black race,
which they can now clearly see must in.
volve the country in one common ruin,
or ms they, by a common consent, or by a
counter-revolution in their own bosom,
restore public opinion to a condition un.
der which slave States may safely live in
peace with them. Under such circum,
stances 1t is easy to see, how great and
difficult is the task laid on true states men,
everywhere, and how immense and how
dubious are the issues submitted to them.
3. The remaining nine slave States, of
which five are border States, and four are
mixed slave States, have in each of these
classes peculiarities as markell as those
which distinguish the cotton States; yet
rs the whole nine occupy similar posi-
ton at the present moment, with regard
to the revolution which has swept over
the cotton States, they may, for the sake
OF brevity, be thro rn together in develop
ing the great ideas we are endeavoring TO
disclose, What the exact issue will be
i'll these nine States-or whether it will
be similar in them all--or in which direc
tion the prevailing opinion will settle, if
different courses are taken-are ques-
tions which it is impossible to determine
at this time, But it is very obvious, that
II the whole nine-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 as to its avowed, and as to
any concealed object; counter.revolu
| 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 other and leading States i2-
stead of being able to force those far more
powerful than themselves, to follow
blindly aud serv.lely course disapproved
by them, and which rests Tor its ultimate
den caprice of South Carolina, or her
chronic hatred Of the National Union
There are immense considerations, alto.
gether independent of the real merits of
Of the great cause which is under trial
why the course dictated by South CAROLS
na and adopted ty the other cotton
States, should he sieadCasuy rejected
Amongst these are such as follow ].
This method by secession fnuibiates 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, and deprives liberty for
ever of the possibility of being either
stable or strong: ., The method of Sc
cession by separate State action, is found.
ed on illusions utterly fatal and absurd,
that the American are not a nation-the
Federal Constitution not a govern ment- -
the American people not bound to be
loyal except to local authorities, which
being assumed, condemns this continent
to be the everlasting habtation of every
thing feeble factions and eXtravagant {:
3. The adoption of ordinances Of seces-
sion, by conventions called by ordinary
Legislatures without allowing the peo-
pie to determine by previous sovereign
act whether or not the convention s all
exist, and 10y a subsequent sovereign act
whether OF not its proceedings shal. have
torce-destroys the very idea Of the SOW
ereignty of the people, makes constitu-
tional liberty and security impossible, and
invites factions, in proportion as they are
corrupt or incompetent, 10 usurp and to
abuse sovereign power: 4. The utter re-
fusal to consult with States all ot which
were united by the highest human obliga-
tions-and many of which were involved
in perils the very same ia kind and high
er in degrees a line of conduct reck-
less in itself, insulting to all others, ap.
parently adopted With the purpose ofreH.
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 momeut two most important
truths are perfectly distinct. The FIRST is,
that the action hitherto taken in the
States whose positions we are now con-
sidering,-ro matter what that action
may lead to-involyes q fundamental dis
sent from the conduct pursued by these
seeding States-auu contomplates re-
dress in different way, and upon oppo-
site principles. The second is, that very
great port'n of each of these States, prob-
ably the majority of the people in most of
them-possibly in al! of hem, are warns
ly attached to the Union, are resolutely
determined to maintain 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
citizens, and are far more inclined to
compose existing difficulties. than to
drive matters to extremity in any direc-
ton.
1. These facts and considerations, taken
in detail and taken altogether, are wor-
thy of the highest consideration and
whatever the issue of events may be, they
reveal to the people and to those they
trust, the grounds on which, and the
,nannpr in which tha couutrv may bp