Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1861-01-23

themselves up to the protection Of military
Indulge ne, sir IN in one 7gt or two 20 details
uuder this head. l..,.-.I
First it is only sixty days since this
disunion, movement begun; already those
who are engaged in it have canyassed with
pertentous freedom the possible Tecombina-
tion of the States when discovered, and
feasible alliances. of those reeombipations
with European relations, alliances as un-
natural, and which would prove ulti
mately as pestilental to society here. as
that of the Tlascaians with the Spaniards,
who promised them revenge upon their
sncient ancestors the Aztecs. =.
Secondly, The disunion movement aris-
es partly out Of a dispute over the common
domain of tie United States. Hitherto
the Union has confined this controversy
within the bounds of political debate, by
referring it, with all other national ones,
to the arbitrament of the ballot box Does
any one suppose that disunion would trans
fer the whole domain to either party, or
that any other empire than war would, af-
ter dissolution, be invoked? 7
Thirdly, This movement arises, in an
other view, out of the relations Of the Afri-
can slaves to the domestic population of
the country Freedom is to them, as to
all mankind, the chief object Of desire
Hitherto, under the operation ofthe Union,
they have practically remained ignorant of
the controversy, especially of its bearing
on themselves. Can we hope that fagrant
civil war shall rage among ourselves in
their very presence, and yet that they shall
remain stupid and idle spectators? Does
history furnish US any satisfactory instruc-
tons upon the horrors Of civil war among
a people so brave, SO skillful In arms, so
earnest in conviction, and so intent in pur-
pose, as we are2 Is it a mere chimera
which suggests an aggravatiOn of those
horrors beyond endurance, when on either
side, there shall occur the Intervention
of an uprising, ferocious, African slave
population of four or six, ten, perhaps
twenty millions? seir -.as
The opinions of mankind change, and
with them the politics of nations. One
hundred years ago all the commercial Eu-
ropeaR States were engaged in transferring
negro slaves from Africa to this hemis-
phere. To-day all those States are firmly
set in hostility to the extension, and even
to the practice of slavery. Opposition to
it takes two forms; one. European, which is
simple, direct abolition, effected, if need
be, by eomrulsiOn; the other American,
which seeks to arrest the African slave
trade, and resist the entrance of domestic
slavery into territories where it is yet un-
known, while it leaves the disposition of
existing slavery to the !eonsiderate aetien
of the States by which it is retained. 1t
is the Union that restricts the opposition
to slavery in this country within those
limits. If dissolution prevails, what guar
antee shall there be against the full devel-
opment here of the fearful and uneom-
promising hostility to slavery which else /
where peryades the world, and Of which
the recent invasion of Virginia is an illus
Iration?
Mr.. President, l have dcsignedly /
1welt so long on the probable effect
Of disunion upon the safety of the
American people, as to leave me lit
lie time to consider the other evils /
which must follow in its train. But
particularly, the loss of safety inyoly-l
IS every other form of public calami-
y. When once the guardian angc!
las taken flight, everything is lost.
Dissolution would not only arrest,
,ut extinguish the greatness of our
country. Even if separate confeder-
.cies could exist and endure, they
:ould seyerally y preserve no share o.
he common prestige of the Union.-tI
{ the constellation is to be broken
Ip, the stars, whether scattered wide
J or grouped in smaller clusters, viii
hcnceforth she'd feeble gIimmering
nd lurid lights. Nor will great
ehieyements be possible for the new
Dissolution would sig
allie its triumphs by acts of want
hness which would shock and as
onish the world. 1t would provin-
ialize Mount Vernon, and give this
'apitol over to desolation at the very
lOment when the dome was rising
yer our heads that was TO be crown
d with the statues of Liberty. AZ
er this there would remain for disun- !
IN no act Of stupendous infamy to be
ommitted. No petty confederation
hat shall follow the United States, !
an prOlong, or even renew, the ma
site drama ofnational progress. Per-
APPS it is to be arrested because its {
lblimity is incapable of continuance.
let it be so, if we have, indeed, be-
Omo degenerate After Washing
IN, and the infexible Adams, Hen Q
r, and the peerless Hamilton, JEFF
.rson, and the majestic Clay, Web :
.er, and the acute Calhoun, Jackson,
nd the modest Taylor and Scott, .
no rises in greatness under the bur- .
en- Of years, and Franklin, Fulton, I
hitney and Morse, have ali perform y
| their parts, let the curtain fail! +
While listening to these debates, / .
ave sometimes forgotten myself in =
arking their eOntrasted effects upon \
10 page who customarily stands on y
le daIs before me, and the venerable g
,eretary W no sits behind him. The =
outh exhibits intense but pleased u =
notion in the excitement, while at =
cry irreverent word that is uttered II
,airst the Union the eyes of the P
,ed man are sutiused with tears "
OF him weep no more. Rather re- u
ice, for yours has been a lot of raro 2
licity. You have seen and been y
lrt OF all the greatness of all the Z
orld. Weep only you, and weep 81
lth all tho bitterness of anguish, :, :,
ho are just, stepping on the thres- ~ y
I'D of life; for that greatness per- Il
hes prematurely and exists not for Il,
u, not for me, not for any that n.
all come after us.