The Cass County Republican. [volume] (Dowagiac, Mich.) 18??-1880, 1861-01-31
Timelv Warning.

We owe 1T to the people OF the North,
ss as public journalists, to warn them that
they are about to be betrayed and sold
out. The course pursued by the South
Is slowly bat surely doing its intended
work. The enactment of secession orr
dinances by two or three more States
the seizure of few more forts, arsen-
ais and munitions of war, the confisca-
ton of additional cargoes of powder
aud provisions belonging to private
citizens the maltreating and murder
ing of yet other men of Northern
origin; of some m re who voted for
Lincoln, or who, not doing so, believe
his election is not a sufficient cause for
secession; the firing few times more
upon our national flag, and the utter
ance of few more reasonable speech
ss in the Senate of the United States
and the funkies and the doughfaces
and the towards Of the North will be
upon their knees, begging for terms.
1t is impossible to be mistaken in this
matter. On all sides the indications
thieken of an ignominious- surrender.
The Northern Democracy are every
where caving in. In their County and
State Conventions they express a will
lingness to give up every one of their
heretofore cherished principles, to sub
NIT to every possible outrage that trail
tors may choose to inf1ict; and they
more than intimate, unless the whole
North surrenders, they will turn their
guns upon those who object. In these
positions they are joined by the timid,
conservative men of all parties-by
men of capital aud by men intent upon
the profits of trade-by men who own
ships and manufactures and merchan-
dise-by men who put market price
upon principles, and who. count ease
and personal safety of more value than
honor and patriotism. While the form
err are holding their conventions for
the undisguised purpose of giving aid
and comfort to men who are at arms
against their own country, the latter
are equally active in getting up and cir
culating petitions to their representa-
tives in Congress, imploring them to
dishonor their country, their section,
their principles, and their manhood, by
voting for some ignomInous compro-
mise. There was time when both
classes had only brave aud defiant
words for traitors and rebels. When
Douglas, in his Norfork speech, de-
clared that treason must be put down
and the laws of the country enforced
by the whole power of the Nation, if
necessary, the Democracy of the North
with one voice echoed and applauded
his words. But that was before the
traitors bad shown their teeth-before
they had fred upon the national flag,
seized the national property within
their respective States, and defed the
Federal Government. 1t would seem
that the threats were intended only for
small traitors or traitors in posse-not
to treason on a large scale, or to traitors
in esse For the former an avenging
arm and a terrible retributicn-fo the
latter, words of kindness and conc;lia-
ton and measures of concession only.
Bias all manhood gone clean out OF
the North? Are all the steadfastness
of purpose and all courage of the coun.
try in possession of those who are in
arms against the government? Have
we sunk so low that we hasten to swal.
low every brave word we may have
uttered, the moment danger appears in
view ? If so, then it matters not what
may come, we cannot be dishonored.
And now, if there is not enough OF
manliness and of principle left ut the
North to meet this crisis, let the conse-
quences be what they may, without
surrender, then let us beg of the South
not to be modest in their terms. II
whenever demand is made in behalf
Of Slavery, Freedom is to be betrayed
by its professed adherents, in Gods
name let every remaining vestige oflib.
erty be:given up at once. Whystop with
recognizing property in man-with in
cooperating Slave code into the Fed
eral Constitution-with paying the
South in money for all its fugacious
ehattles? Such an adjustment would
give but brief satisfaction to a section
that never fails to get what it demands
and ina few years the country would
be called upon to pass through another
crisis, to be settled by the humiliation
of the North and triumph of traitors
No: Let the South demand now all il
may want for the next century, OF, al
least, until better breed of men shall
mhabit the North. Let us sound the
loudest possible depths of degradation
at once. A speedy descent to the low
est possible point may perchance be
followed by an upward movement, blu,
we should never recover from degra.
dation that is the work of generations
and so becomes ingrained in our very
souls. In pity then, let the South com
plete the work now. Let her add 10
the other demands the re-opening OF
the African slave-trade-that our ont
ward bound ships shall go freighted
with cotton, and no vessel shall enter
our ports that does not bring full car.
go of slaves-that capital, everywhere,
shall own its labor. that no distinction
of free and slave States shall be forev.
err abolished, and that slavery shall be
alike lawful in every State, and the
Shareholders rights of property be pro-
tected in every land and on every sea.
Let the Soutl, increase her demands
TO this extent while she is about it