Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1861-01-04
-I-I nc oLTIloutII NJ --I--IH-
NORTHERN APATHY 10
nISTNION.

Anagent Of one Of those Southern States
| which IS now talking about f0rslking the
| Union, who was in this vicinity recently to
/ purchase arms, expressed the utmost aston
| ishment at the Indifference Of the people
| here 10 the crisis that Is upon the country
! lie SAID they did not seem to know that the
| JuIOn Is falling TO pieces, or TO care whether
this is the fact or not. lie left the people of
his own State in a frightiul excitement and
turmoil, and expected To fad some cores
| ponding feeling at the North lie was not
even certain that it would be quite safe t.
| let his errand be known, and was very eau
tious and s;ealthy in making his inquiries at
first, and very careful TO whom he introduced
the subject But when he found Northern
men perfectly cool. and as ready to sell guns
and powder as anything else, and that
nobody seemed alarmed or apprehensiye of
war or any other great calamity, he was
completely taken aback He was not LONG
in finding out that the state of Northern
feeling had been wholly misunderstood in bis
section, and that neither malice nor fear to-
wards the South had any place in the hearts
Of the Northern people.
There is an apathy ut the North in refer
ence to the threatened diSunion, which is
remarkably in contrast with the buster and
ferment prevailing in the slave States. This
is not because our people undervalue the
Union, or axe indifferent to its advantages
1t is in part because they do not believe in
disunion. They have heard the cry raised
50 often when slavery had some new demand
to make, and have so often found it a pre-
tense, that now, when il is more nearly real
than ever before, they DO not halt believe in
it, and arc not likely to until it happens
Partly this apathy comes from the Northern
people having made up their minds TO see
once how much the threat actually means
tired Of being forever bullied into compi
ance. they feel like letting tho blusterers
show exactly what they dare 20 undertake.
1t is also difficult to believe in the reality of
disuniou because there Is no sufficient provo
cation to it.
The people Of the free States are a practi
cal people. and it is nearly impossible for
them to believe that the South can act up0n
any such underlined and unreal causes as are
now urged. They are perfectly conscious
that they intend TO respect the rights of eve
ry State and TO manifest a traternal spirit
towards all, and they know that the South
has no good reason to suppose otherwise ;
hence they find it difficult to conceive that
the defeated and reckless politicians, who
lead dlsuni9n and make it, can have such
influence as to induce any State to 90 out OF
the Union without single valid reason for
1t. They cIn believe in South Cardinals
tantrums, because she has behaved so before.
and everybody understands exactly what it
means in her case. But as 10 any other State !
going out Of the Union with her, there is a /
Incredulitv nj thN North
Nevertheless there is undoubtedly some /
reason for apprehension-not SO much of the |
destruction of the Union, perhaps, as Of vex- /
atious and dlsagreeable attempts at rebel /
hon and instruction in the Union and .
the North can Justly do to eniighten !
the South as to their real intentions, or t.
promote more friendly spirit among them.
should be done. But they must not expect
us to 90 into paroxysms of alarm, to stop
work and take up the improbable business
Ut bowling over the Union, or to deny the
truth OF the multiplication table, the Chris
-lan Scriptures, or any other accepted au-
.horities on any subject. Neither shall we 20
Town on our marrow bones before iancev,
TOombs, and such veteran conspirators
against the Union, who are bent on its des-
ruction whether or no, and offer TO take
Jack our votes for Lincoln and give the fire.
atcrs lien on the national goverpme tent from
his time, henceforth and forever, if they
7Ill but stay in the Union. On that point
here is something besides apathy-there is
lost fixed andimpregnable determination.