St. Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1845-1863, 1861-06-27

The Voice Of Henry Clay in 1883.
Abolition should no longer be regarded
As - imaginary danger. The abolisioa-
lists. let ne suppose, succeed in their pre-
sent aim Of uniting the inhabitants Of tie
free States As one man against tn inhabi-
tailts 1t the dave Sts1n6. Vn5on = III
Iwap ioienssI lIs ~.
And this process Of reciprocal cons0lida-
ton will he attended with all the violent
prjudices, embittcred passions. and Inn
placable animosities, which ever degraded
Or deicrned human nature. A virtual
dissolution Of the Univn will have taken
place. while the forms of its existence re-
main. The most valuable element Of un-
ion, mutual kindness, the feelings Of SYM
pathy, the fraternai bonds which now hap
PLY unite us, will have been cxtinguised
forever. One section will stand in mem
acing and hostile array against the other
The collision of opinion will be quickly
followed by the clash Of arms.
will not attempt to describe scenes
which now happily lie concealed from our
view. Abo!itionists themselves would
shrink back in dismay anG horror at the
contemplation of desoiatc fields, conAagrat-
ed cities, murdered Inhabitants, and the
overthrow Of the fairest fabric Of human
government that ever rose to animate the
hopes Of civilized men.
Nor should the .Abolitiouists flatter
themselves that. if they can succeed in
their object of uniting the people of the
free States, they will enter the contest
with numerical superiority that must en-
sure victory. All history and experience
prove the hazard aud uncertainty Of war.
And We are admonished by Holy Writ.
that the race is not ia the swift, nor the
battle to the strong
But if they were to conquer, whom
would they conquer? y foreign foe, one
who had insultcd our flag, invaded our
shores and laid orr country waste. No,
sir, no. 1t would be conquest without
laurel=, without glory-a self, a suicidal
conquest Of brothers over brothers,
achieved BY one over another portion Of
the descendants of common ancestors.
who, robly pledging their lives. their
fortunes a,yl their sacred honors, had
fought and BLEED, side by side. in many a
hard battle, on land and ocean, severed
our country from the British crown,
and established onr national inucpcn-
dence.
The inhabitants of the slave States are
sometimes accused by their Northern
brethren with displaying too much rash
ness and sensibility to the operations and
proceedings Of abolitionists But before
they can be rightly judged, there should
be reversal Ut conditions. Let me sup
pose that the people Of the slave States
were to form SO, icsics, sub<idize pres
IS, make large pccuniary contributions,
send forth numerous missionaries through
out their own borders, and enter into ma
chinations to burn the beautiful capitals,
destroy the productive manufactures, and
sink in the ocean the gallant ships of the
northern States. Would these iucendia-
~ proceedings be regarded as ncighbor-
ly and friendly, and consistent with the
fraternal sentiments which should ever
be cherished BY one portion Of the Union
towards another! Would thy excite
no emotion! Occasion no manifestations
Of dissatisfaction, nor lead to any acts of
re!aliatory violence? But the supposed
case falls far short of the actual one, in
most essential circumstance. In no
contingency could these capitals. m-nn-
factories and >l.ips. rise in the rebellion,
and massaerc the inhabitants uf the
northern S:at>s.