Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1861-04-24

49, q : = 5l
Republican party, 1bt III talam Lincoi1
yet on this one quest there is no ldti-
tude for conttoversv.s ID IS this: the South
bad no fears that tkeit tSCbusututional
rights would be invaded d9ring his luin-
istratfon. They knew theS 61ld not be.
With Demoeisliic mai6titS in the House.
which could not be chaHks for two years
With a democratic Ind aipritfsfIu the Sen.
ate, Which could not be- apked for four
years a brahnm Lincoln sea pow erlcss.-
Aud5the poor excuse .'th6t t6e Southern
States are nltceting theit Constitutional
rights, !" is as false q pretsxt as ever was
Iessness.
Fcllow-citisens, war is Inevitable. If
you were to-day to Acknowledge the indie.
pendence of the South, still our dtFicul.
ties are OF such q nature that war must
inevitably result. We aFeiSo intimately
connected Rs d country thatwe cannot be
suddenly torn assundet without convuls.
ions.Rhd blb6dshed
The commerce of your lbng line Of sea
coast would lead 10 collision and conflirt.
Commescial jealousles and dyalries would
lead to conflicting laws AID hostile III.
!ianecs The;paSigation of pqr great ia.
lund bqys,Would not be sybl km akteally and
finally settled for century, The naviga-
lion Of the mighty MississiBp alone could
never be rclinqUished without a struggle,
Living, as we do, on its Head waters
sending annually over its sfrfnce hundreds
OF thousands of dollars Worth of COIL
we should never consent that our com
meree should be taxed by q foreign nation.
The long line of bordor Hetweea the free
aud slave States would lead 10 uumherless
commercial controversies; The question
involved In the distributiobbF our common
pr0perty-the partition of the territories,
the division of our navytbre questionsSso
nomentous that they can4ot be peaceably
adjusted. The fugitive Gave population
TINT would naturally seek refuge in our
borders would, if NIL Othet causes oF'sfrGEe
were removed, be, Ghibiy Sufficient to bring
US speedily into conflict. repeat, then,
war is inevitable. PcaceE cannot he pnr-
chased by submission.
You all know, fellows citizens, that on
the floor of Congress sWns the earnest
advocate of honorable terms of compro-
mise. believed then, and believe now,
that if some fair proPpsition had been
adopted the conservativesmsn of the South
would have rallied and soy 'whelmed the
disunion leaders. l voted, believe, for
every proposition Of cong tomise wblch
was voted upon, 0ndtIEfegte let that | had
ApA opportunity To NV VOte OH
some others which never came before tile
House for Its action, Isknow that there
were Thousands of our fellOW-citizens who
believed the passage Of the Grittenden
resolutions would haVe restored peace TO
the country. Whatever opinions may for
Inerly have been entertained OF that qucs.
GOn, permit me to assure you, fellow-riIi.
-Lens, that the day for compromise has
.gone-by. We have now hnt two Alternn-
tives; either we must snbmit 10: liNye the
Union dissolved, or we must defend it at
the bayonets pOintnnd thecannonsi mouth.
This sis the Isstte, aud the. only. .issur, and
the 5sooneti We ;llnde deEstan1f and appreciate
~ thesbgttte stse viii De jfepAfSd5 st6finCftV
it. know, fcllow-citizens, what your
response will be. You are for the glori-
GUS old Union forever.
But. fellow-citizens, If we are to submit
to disunion, and were to acknowledge the
independence ofathe South, and could set.
Tie all controversies likely to arise with
them, would that secure us peace? Not Mt
all. War would still be inevitable. Not
war with the South, not war Mt n distance,
but war at home, in our own midst, with
our own people. Permit the doctrine once
to he established and conceded, that any
State, 0tnny time, for such reasons as will
coutrOld mhjority ofOUr people, may secede
f ON the Union. and how long, permit me
to ask, will the Northern States remain
together. Already we havo been threat
ened TINT New York City will, if. this doc
ltrine is established, assert her indepund.
encc, and set up ns free city. If New
York should take TINT step, every other
commercial city of the East would be con-
strained IN self-defence. to follow her lead.
Tue work OF secession once begun would
l. . IL mt.
igatiOn of the Mississippi would tempt the
Western Suites TO leave us, and no earthly
power conld holdus together 1.-THE nav
igation of the Mississippi were relinquish-
.cdf ;'ndFif the Eastern cities were to se-
cede, we of the interior would be entirely
shut out from commercial intercourse with
other nations, and wemust submit either
to pay double tribute on our commerce
or conquer secession. Thus, fclIow-citi-
Zens, it is ubundnntly. clear that war is in
any event inevitable. Let US, thea, like
wise men, prepare to put down secession
III its conception. Let us fight the doc
trinc of secession where it originated, and
when peace comes VIC will treat on the
bNsis of the continued existence of the
Union, and the integrity of the great North
American Republic.
The President in. his wisdom has called
for. seventy FIVE thousand volunteers and
the call has been promptly responded to.
! have little hope that the opinion of one
so humble aud so far removed from the
present administration as myself will have
much Influence infdirpcting affairs, but
venture my advice to you, aud our united
influence may controll the conduct Of our
officials.
We ARE a peaceful aud industrious peo.
ple-"time with us Is mouey''-wc should