The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1861-06-20
Richmond, Wayne County, Indians,

qave created we could not ourselves with
out self immolation. destroy, nor can we per
NIT it 10 be destroyed by others.
Equally vain is it for them TO declare tha
they only wish "to be let alone." and that
in establishing the independence OF the sece
ted States. they do those which remain il
the old Confederacy no harm. The Free
States. If allowed the opportunity Of doing
SO. will undoubtedly concede every guaran
tee needed to afford complete protection te
the institutions Of the South, and to furnish
assurances Of her perfect equality in tht
Union. but all such guarantees and assur
ances are now openly spurned, and the only
Southern right now insisted on is that Of
|dismembering the republic. 1t is perfectly
certain that in the attempted exercise Of this
right neither States and statesmen will be
"let alone" Should a rufian meet me in
the streets. and seek with his AZ to hew an
arm and leg from my body. would NOT
the less resist him because. a. a dishon ored
and helpless trunk, l might perchance sur
vive the mutilaton. 1t is easy to perceive
what fatal results to the old Confederacy
would follow should the blow now struck at
its integrity ultimately triumph. We can
well understand what degradation it would
bring to j. abroad and what weakness at
home: what exhaustion from incessant war
and standing armies. and from the erection
OF Notifications along the thousands Of miles
OF new frontier; what embarrassments to
commerce from having its natural channels
encountered or cut off; what elements of
disintegration and revolution would be intro
duced from the pernicious example; and,
above all. what humiliation would cover the
whole American people for having failed in
their great mission to demonstrate before
the world the capacity of our race for self
government.
While far more fearful responsibility has
fallen upon President Lincoln than upon
any of his predecessors. it must be admit
ted that he has met it with promptitude and
fearlessness. Cicero. in one of his orations
agains. Cailine, speaking Of the credit due
himself for having suppressed the conspiracy
Of that archtraitor. said. eff the glory OF
him who founded Rome was great. how
much greater should be that of him who
had saved it from overthrow after it had
grown TO be mistress OF the world?" So it /
may be said Of the glory Of that statesman
or chieftain who shall snatch this republic
from the vortex of revolution. now that it /
has expanded from ocean 10 ocean, has be- !
come the admiration Of the world, and has /
rendered the fountains Of the lives of thirty
millions of people fountains of happiness.
The vigorous measures adopted for the /
safety OF Washington and the Government
Itself may seem open to criticism. in some
Of their details. to those who have yet to
learn that not only has war. like peace, its
laws. but that it has also its privileges and
duties. Whatever of severity. or even of
may have arisen, will find its
Justification in the Rssss.s Or the terrible
has been called to act. When a man feels
The poignard of the destroyer at his bosom.
he is not likely to consult the law books as
10 the mode or measure of his rights of self
defense. What is true of individuals is in
this respect true Of Governments. The
man who thinks he has become disoyal be-
cause Of what the Administration has done,
viii probably discover. after a close self
that he was disloysl before. But
for what has been done. Washington might
ere this have been q smouldering heap OF
ruins.
They have noted the course OF public
affairs to little advantage who suppose that
the election Of Lincoln was the real ground
Of the revolutionary outbreak that has oc-
Cured. The roots of the revolution may be
traced back for more than a quarter OF a
century, and an unholy lust for power is the
soil out of which it sprung. A prominent
member of the band Of agitators declared
in one Of his speeches at Charleston las,
November or December, that they had been
occupied for thirty years in the work of
severng South Carolina from the Union.
When General Jackson crushed nullifica'
ton he ssid i. would revive again under the
form Of Slavery agitation. and we have
lived to see his prediction verified. Indeed.
that agitation during the last fifteen or
twenty years, has been almost the entire
stock in trade of Southern politicians. The
Southern people. known to be as generous in
their impulses as they are chivalric. were
not wrought into frenzy of passion by the
! sin,emperate words of few fsnatical Aboli-
tionists: for these words. if left to them
selves, would have fallen 10 the ground as
pebbles into the sea. and would have been
heard Of no more. But il was the echo OF
those words. repeated with exaggeration for
the thousandsh time by Southern politicians
F.. 10 the halls of Congress and in the deiib-
erative and popular assemblies. and through
the press Of the South, that produced the
exasperssion which has proved so potent a
lever in the hands Of the conspira,ors. The
cloud was fully charged. and the Juggling
,revolutionists who held the wires and could
at will direct its ligh,nings appeared a
Charleston. broke up the Democratic
Convention assembled to nominate csndi
date for the Presidency. and thus secured th'
election OF Mr.. Lincoln. Having thus ren
dered this certain. they At once set to worl
to bring the popular mind Of the South Il
the point of determining in advance tha
the election Of Republican President woui'
be per Sc cause for a dissolution OF tn
Union. They were but too successful. an
TO this result the euaction aud indecisiou @
the Border States deplorably contributed
When the election of Mr.. Lincoln was ~
nounced, there was rejoicing in the streets 6
Charleston, aud doubtless at other points !
the South; for it was believed by the cor
spirators that this had brought tide In ii
current of their machinations which woul
bear them on to victory. The drama
secession was now open, and State afte
State rapidly rushed on: Of the Union, N