Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1861-01-15


detenees on one general principle harmonizes
and assimilates them with one System; /
watches for them with single eye, which it
turns in all directions, and moves ali agents |
under the control OF one executive head. A
nation so constituted is safe against assaults
or even insult.
War produces always a speedy exhaustion
Of money and a severe strain upon credit
The treasures and credits Of small Confedsra-
cies would often prove inadequate. Those
ofthe Union sre always ample.
have thus far kept out OF view the rela-
tions which must arise between the Confedera-
cies themselves. They would be small and
ineonsiderable nations bordering on each
other, and therefore, according TO all political
philosophy, natural enemies. In addition to
the many treaties which each must make
with foreign Powers, and the causes Of war
which they would give by violating them,
each of these Conlederacies must also main
tain treaties with all the others, and so be
liable to give them frequent offence They
would necessarily have different interests
resulting from their establishment of different
policies Of revenue, of mining manufactures
and navigation, Of immigration, and perhaps
the slave trade. Each would stipulate with
foreign nations for advantages peculiar to it
self and injurious to its rivals.
II, indeed, it were necessary that the Union
should be broken up, it would be in the last
degree important that the new Confederacies
to be formed should be as nearly as possible
equal in strength and power that mutual fear
and mutual respect might inspire them with
caution against mutual offence. But such
equality could not long be maintained one
Confederacy would rise in the scale otpoliti-
cal Importance, and the others would view it
thenceforward with envy and apprehension.
Jealousies would bring on frequent and
retaliatory wars, and all these wars, from the
peculiar circumstances OF the Confederacies,
would have the nature and character Of civil
war. Dissolution, therefore, is, for the peo-
| pc of this country, perpetual civil war. To
mitigate it and obtain occasional rest what
e Sc could they accept but the system Of adj
justing the balance of power which has OBJ
tanned in Europe, in which the few strong
nations dictate the very terms on which all
the others shall be content TO live. When
| this hateful system should fail at last, foreign
nations would intervene, now in favor OF one
| and then in aid ofauOtheT, and thus our country
having expelled ali European Powers from
the continent would relapse into an aggre-
gated form of its colonial experience, and, like
Italy, Turkey, IndiA and China, become the
theatre of transatlantic intervention and
rapacity.
If, however, we grant to the new confede-
races an exemption from complications
among each other, and with foreign States,
still there is TOO much reason to believe that
not one of them could long maintain re-
publican form of government Universal
suffrage and the absence of a standing army
are essential to a republican system. The
world has yet to see a single self-sustaining
State of that kind, or even any confederation
of such States, except our own Canada
leans on Great Britain not unwillingly, and
Switzerland is guaranteed by interested me-
narchial States. Our own experience has
thus far been successful, because, by the con-
tinual addition of new States, the influence
of each of the members of the Union is con-
stantly restrained and reduced. No one, of
course, can foretelI the way and manner of
travel; but history indicates with unerring
certainty, the end which the several cOnfede-
racies would reach Licentiousness would
render life intolerable; and they would sooner
or later purchase tranquility and domestic
safety by the surrender Of liberty, and yield
themselves up to the protection OF military
despotism.
Indulge me, sir, in one or two details un-
der this head.
First, 1t is only sixty days since this dis
union movement began; already those who
are engaged in it have canvassed with Por-
tsntous freedom the possible recombinatiOn
ct the States when discovered, and the feasi-
| Ole dl4lduC0s VI w. -.aaauahi atiODg with
European relations, alliances as ti
and which would prove ultimately as pestl-
lential to society here, as that OF the Tlasca-
ians with the Spaniards, who promised them
revenge upon their ancient ancestors, the
Aztecs.
Secondly The disuniOn movement arises
partly out of a dispute over the common do
main of the United States. Hitherto the
Union has confined this controversy within
the bounds of political debate, by referring 1t
with all other national ones, to the arbftra-
nent of the ballot box. Dues any one sup
pose that disunion would transfer the whole
: domain to either party, or that any othel
umpire than war would, after dissolution, bt
: invoked?
> Thirdly, This movement arises, in another
: view. out of the relations Of the African
slaves to the domestic population OF the coun
, try. Freedom is to them, as to all mankind
the chief object of desire. Hitherto, unde
, the operation of the Union, they have prac
+ tically remained ignorant of the controversy
especially of its bearing on themselves
: Can we hope that fragrant civil war shal
) rage among ourselves in their very presence
0 and vet that they shall remain stupid and idl
) spectators? Does history furnish US any sat
isfactory instructions upon the horrors Of ciVi
war among a people so brave, so skllful Il
o arms. so earnest in conviction, and so lnten
! in purpose, as we are2 Is 1t mere chImer
J which suggests an aggravation OF those nor
:, rors beyond endurance, when, on either side
J, there shall occur the Intervention of a.
J uprising ferocious, African slave popula
e ton of four or six, ten, perhaps twenty mil
lions
. The opinions of mankind change, and wit
/; them the politics of nations. One hundre
wears AGO all the commercial European State
y were engaged in transferring negro slave
:. from Africa to this hemisphere. To-day a
- those States are firmly set in hostility to tn
> extension, and even to the practice OF slav
, ery. Opposition to it takes two forms; on'
e European, which is simple, direct abolition
u effected, if need be, by compulsion; the othe
American, which seeks to arrest the Africa
% - slave trade, and resist the entrance of domei
. tic slavery into territories where it is yet VI
IL IL known, while it leaves the disposition
- existing slavery to the considerate action
y the States by which it is retained. 1t is th
- Union that restricts the opposition to SLAYER
" " in this country within those limits. If diss'
" q luton prevails, what guarantee shall there
= against the full development here OF the tea
- - full and uncompromising hostility to SLAYER
&c &c which elsewhere pervades the world, and
~ =, which the recent invasion of Virginia IS
= illustration
es Mr.. President, have designedly dWelt
n long on the probable effect of disunion upc
the safety of the American people, as to lea1
ID me little time to consider the other evi
r. which must follow in its train. But pa