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

yasS. This is all. Were their argR-
mehts against him more satisfactory
70 his supporters2 OF course they
were not; they could not be. Docs
the Constitution, in letter or spirit,
require or imply thrt the arguments
OfoDe party shall be satisfactory TO
the otherf No; that is impossible.
What is the constitutional remedy
for this inevitable satisfaction. Re
neEed debates and ultimate rehearing
10 a subsequent election. Have the
now successful majority perverted
power to purposes of oppression ?
No: they have never before held pow-
~. Alas how prone We are to un-
dervRlue privileges and blessings
dow gladly, how proudly would the
people Of any nation in Europe &C
sept, on such terms IS We enjoy it,
the boon of electing a Chief Magis.
trste every four years by free, equal
and universal suffrage! How thankful
would they asst aside all their own
systems of government, and accept
this Republic of ours, with all Its
shortcomings and disappointments;
maintain it with their arms, and
cherish it in their hearts. Is it not
the very boon for which they suppli-
cate God without ceasing, and even
WACO war, with intermission only re-
snlting from exhaustion
How strange are the times in which
we live! The coming spring season.
on n side ofthe Atlantic, will open
on o general conflict, waged to obtain
through whatever ~indirection, inst
such a system as ours; and on this
side of the Atlantic, within the same
parallels of latitude, it viii open on
fraternal war, waged in a moment Of
frenzied discomfort to overthrow and
a~nnihilate the same institutions. Dc
men, indeed, live only for themselves,
10 revenge their own wrongs, or to
Eratify their own ambition! Rather
do not men live least of all for them.
selves, and chiefly for posterity and
for their fellow men? Have the Amer
Jean people, then, become all OF a sud.
den unnatural, as well as unpatriotic:
and will they disinherit their children
of the precious estate held only in
trust for them, and deprive the world
of the best hopes it has enjoyed since
the human race began its slow and
painful, yet needfnl and wisely ap-
pointed progress!
Here I might close my plea for the
american Union ; but it is necessary
II not to exhaust argument, at least
TO exhibit the whole case. The dis
.~unionists, consciously unable to stand
on their mere disappointments in the
recent election, have attemepted tc
enlarge their ground. More than
thirty years there has existed 4 con,
siderable-though not heretofore a
fromidable-mass of citizens in Ger.
tain States situate near or around
the delta of the Mississippi, who be.
llieye that the Union is less condu.
Give to the welfare and greatness o.
these States than . smaller confeder-
scy, embracing only slave States
would be. This class has availed it
self of the .discontents resulting from
the election TO put into operation the
machinery of dissolution long age
prepared and waiting only for occa.
sion. In other States there is a sore
ness because of the want of sympathy
in the free States with the efforts
of the shareholders for the recapturt
of fugitives from service. In all the
. slave States there is a restivenes:
resulting from the resistance which
has been SO determinedly made with.
in the last few years, in the free
.6taJes, 10 the extension of slavery II
.the common Terrietories Of the Uni
ted States.
The Republican party, which cas-
its votes for the successful Presiden
,tial candidate on the ground OF that pc
icy, has been allowed, practically, nc
representation, no u~tterance by speech
or through the press, in the slave
States; while its policy, principles and
sentiments, and even its temper, have
been so misrepresented as TO excite
apprehensions that it denies import.
ant constitutional obligations, and
aims even at interference with slavery
and its overthrow by State author.
ties or Intervention of the Federal
,~Goyornment. Considerable masses
even in the FREQ States, interested in
The success Of these ,misrepresenta.
tions rs 2 means of partisan strategy.
have lent their sympathy to the party
claiming to be aggricved. While the
result ofthe election brings the Repub.
iican party necessarily into the fore.
ground in resisting disunIon, the pre-.
jadices against them which | have dc.
scribed have deprived them Of tho CO.
operation ofmany good and patriotic
citizens. On 3 complex issue between
the Republican party and the disun-
~ionists, although it involves the direst
national cnlamities, the result might
DO doubtful; for the Republican party
is weak IN large part ofthe Union
But on a direct issue, with all who
cherish the union on one side, and all
who desire its dissolution by force on
the other, the verdict would be
prompt and almost unanimous. | de.
sire thus to simplify the issue, and
for that purpose to separate from it
all collateral questions, and relieve it
of all partisan passions ard prejudi-
,ees.
I consider the idea of the withdraw.
al of the Gulf States, and their perma-
nent reorganization with or without
others IN q distinct Confcderacy as a
means of advantage to themselves, SO
certainly unwise andso obviously i'm
possible Of execution, when the pur-
pose is understood, that l dismiss it
with the discussion l have already in
,cidentaily bestowed upon it.
The case is different, however, in
regard to the other subjects which l
have brought in this connection be-
fore the Senate.
Do~o- HI