Holmes County farmer. [volume] (Millersburg, Ohio) 1857-1926, 1861-01-31


conservative element Of the non slaycho.diig
states, tmc to rally, to organize and to act. AS
have lust said above, had strong hopes, that 1t
would be able to do the South justice and give
such guarantees of future security, as would save
the Union. ] advise delay in the second place in
order to obtain cooperation among the slnvchold'
ing States, both in making the appeal to that con-
scryatism and devsing the best line of action, III
the event, the appeal should be unavailing. But
Sir, have but little hopes of any such delay, for
any purpose. There is settled resolve, by ina.
jory--a large majority Of the people of the cotton
growing States, never to recognize Lincoln as
their Prcsidcnt-ucver to be an integral part of u
confcdcracy over which he may rulc-nevcr to
toetNtc for an hour, allceiancc to Union, of
which hc is Chief. This is the truth in all sober.
ness and sadness DisuniOn might possibly have
been averted, if, two months ago, immediately af.
ter the election, the Republicans, had indicated
any disposition to abandon their hostile policy and
give full force to the Constitutional provisions for
the extraditon of fugitive slaves. But instead of
this, they taunted, insulcd, iecrcd and abused the
South; gloried in their own shame, because their
treason was triumphant; hectored because they
were maddcned by power; threatened, because
they were intoxicated by the bright prospects of
public plundcr and the spoils OF Offices. But the
Rubicon is passed, and do not believe any power
on earth can save the Union. Indeed the Union
Is dissolved already What is to be done2 What
can be dono7 What ought to be doncl In my
judgment nothing but for patriots, North and
South, to exercise the greatest prudence and for
bcarancc, III order to avert the calamity of civil
war and bloodshed Let secession be peaceable IL
possible
know that many good men, North, and few,
South, advocate the policy Of coercion. But | ap.
prehcnd they have not considered all the consc
quenccs Of such policy. They al awful to con.
template. When men are exasperated and feel,
that great calamities about TO he brought up.
on them, they are apt to consider that some body
ought to be punished and that therefore, govern
ment is clothed with power to nfict it. The
South on the one hand are 80 enraged at Lincolns
election and the prospect of an enforcement of the
Republican policy, that they will not even make
an effort, nor give time to obtain reconciliation.
They precptately secede from the Union. The
North on the other hand, regarding this as rash
and ruinous, are aroused to a spirit of revenge
and are, in considerable numbers, for coercion -
This will not do. 1t is fraught with woe and
nothing ese--pregnant with unnixed evil. Look
ut 1t dlslhssionately.
Would coercion save the Unon7 No man can
beleveit for one moment. The first blow strick-
en-, for such purpose, would kindle blaze which
would never be cxtingushcd, but by the last drop
of life blood from the heart of every Southern
man. A Drawer or more desperate people never
lived on the face of the earth. The Southern
! CldttS may pOSSlDIN De cu DUCh anu tnc union
reconstructed, by the manifestation of friendship
and an unrcserrcd return to constitutional obliga-
tons by the Republican nlaorities Of the North.
| But they will suffer determination, sooner than to
be forbcd to abide political association with
those who use the Union as an instrument of in.
justice and oppression.
But suppose the non.slaveholding States were
to succeed in conqutling the Southern States, what
sort of Union would it be7 A Union of force; is
:, Truinn nf ~ in fraa1nn, 10
ernment is annihilatcd. Would the conquered
States he the equals of the conquering States2-
Then, State equality is destroyed. All these are
of the essence of that liberty which our form OF
government was intended to peri etuate--they arc
its constituent elements. What becomes of liber.
ty, if those elements crushed by military pow
er? You may punish individuals Who, on their ouu
responsibility rolate ta,o; but to compel States to
adhere to political association against their will
is TO abolish freedom. Hence, You perceive, that
coercion is adverse to the very genius and spirit
of our federal system.
There are a thousand considerations, more easy
to be imagined than described, which render the
very idea Of coercion revolving to all the better
and nober sentiments of the heart. How strong
and tender the ties of marriage relations be.
tween the sections. Fathers and mothers, in the
North, have sons and daughters and grandchil-
dren in the South; and pice uersa; how could they
consent to take up arms against their own flesh
and blOod1 There are thousands of men in the
South who honestly dcprecate secession; but they
would be base recrean,s, if they refused to share
the fortunes of their respective States. How
could the true Democracy Of the North, ever get
their own consent to attempt to put them to the
sword, or hang them upon the gibbets? These
are home questions; but they must be answered
where coercion is urged, and they are questions
that will breed strife, North of Mason and Dixon's
line. There are thousands there, who would nev.
er consent to take up against their Southern
brethren. II fight they must, they will rather
give their energy and courage to drive back the
invading forces offcderal power.
However deplorable secession Is, the true
Democracy of the North understand full well
that the South is not animated by any desire
to strike a blow at them. They have stood by
us faithfully through too many hard fought
political campaigns; they have sacrificed too
much, in vindratng the Constitution; they
have been too true to all their engagements
TO bemade the objects OF Southern vengeance
, No, no; let me assure you. that the great mass
of the people, in this section of the Union
| cherish sentiments OF the livcliest gratitud,
I to their well tried allies of he North. Blu
0 it is the conviction that those allies have los
, the power to save even themselves, much los,
their Southern brethren, from the corrupt, re
/ lentless and loathsome oppression of the
0 they are permanently in the majority in al
) the non -slaveholdng States and that hence
:, forward, the federal government is to be al
4 minstered in accordance with their avowed
y policy; it is this conviction that is driving th
d South out of the Union. Ny own Judgment
! is, that the conservative element Of the Nortl
would rise in its majesty and put down Blacl
Rcpublicanism; and that firmly united witt
l. the South, as in other days, upon the princi
l. plo Of non-intcrvention, they would rescue
!, the Constitution from the hands of the Goth
and Vandals and put our old ship of Stat
upon tie same track on which she has so lonl
sailed, under Democratic colors. But the
great mass or our people think differently
: they believe that there is no hope ior South
y ern safety in the Union; that our great prop
/, erty institution OF slavery is in immincn
peril that the government will be used 70
- its destruction; that domestic insurrectiol
# and scrvile evoltwill be encouraged that tn
!. right to recover their tugitye property, il
:. the non. .slaycholding States, is already ire
q vocably nullfed and abolished; that the par
y amount law Of self preservation demands tn
/ immediate resumption Of State soyercignt
= and seperate independence. II you will con
j.. template tho position Of the South, from tn
e stand point which she occupies, the men o
| the North will understand and apprc ciate
r though they may regret, deplore and dsap
II prove. They cannot fail to discover, that
II people thus situated and thus viewing tn
d future before them, could not be deterrc,
u from any course, which their Judgment 0
" :heir safety might indicate, by the threat @
}. coercion. Why sir. such a threat will driv,
a Al = 4.