Glasgow weekly times. (Glasgow, Mo.) 1848-1861, 1861-01-24
4 Missouri Congressman on the Condi
ton of the Country.
NAsuIxcToN CRY, Jan. IA, lS6

would be- source Of satisfaction 10 roy
constituents 10 hear my views upon ma.
tIonal affairs at this junciure, is received
My silence up TO this time has hot been
from want Of interes, in the subject, bu,
rather because saw no practical good !
could accomplish by writing or speaking
upon ii. When you attribute to me, as You
DO in your letter, sentiments Of devotion tc
the union of these States, as also 10 the
South and her institutions, you do me no
more than justice. .
II is well known that do not concur in
This doctrine Of peaceabls secession, as it is
called; that / do not believe that the Con
stitu,ion' of the United States recognizes
the right Of individuals.o States 10 destroy
it at pleasure, with or without cause. Yet
IT is now too late 10 argue that question:
We have now 10 deal with facts, not alb
straetions. Secession now is no longer a
question. Revolution with its black, tenn
pestuous countenance and bloody hands.
stands before US. The extreme Southern
States have already cut loose from their
moorings. II is for the border States to
determine what part they will play in this
great tragedy, for such must call it. That
determination should net be reached by the
power Of passion. but by cool deliberatlon
and sober judgment. The dlsunion move.
ment in the South has hitherto been of ex-
IRENE excitement. Ii is not the result of
calm judgment, conscious of intolerabls
wrongs for which no redress is attainable.
Like all passionate movements, the means
Of success are left TO chance. No system
Of finance or regular military organization
have been devised. This fact, in the fury
Of the movement, they have been almost
forgotten. What must be the inevitable
result? I say disaster after disaster, until
we get rto e,utl strife among one another at
the South. The revolution, as now organ.
lied is failure 10 advance. A failure De.
cause its fruits turn 10 ashes on our lips.
We sees ss.ur,iy 0ni proteeiien. but we find
IN the uery morning Of our revolutionary
erisisnes, confscdt,on and destruction.
b. II Missouri and the other border States,
stimulated by like passion and excitement,
rush headlong, blindfold into this revolu.
tion, they increase the magnitude Of the ca.
lamfty, and close the door forever against
the last hope of preserving the Constitution
and the Union. And what is to follow the
revolution? The North canno, conquer us
ii she were 10 attempt IT. This is not the
danger ahead. Did you ever examine crit.
ically the material of which these reyolu-
tions were composed? If you have YOU
cannot have failed TO discover that thew have
been with single exception in the hands
of the turbulent and reckless; not the pru-
dent and wise. Men Of wisdom, men of
peace, men Of property are always back
ward in these revolutionary times. Those
uho haze nothing 10 lose are eper foremost
in the work of destruction. From this
cause the leadership o! the Southern dis
union movement will soon pass into the
hands OF reckless political and military ad-
vsnturers. They will require immense
snms Of money for the cause, and still great
er sums for themselves. Il system of erac.
ton upon the substantial mel of the coun-
try wiR begin. They wM lay Their hands
on money, negroes, lands, everything. Muir.
murs against these exactions will be fol-
lowed by confscation and-shall say it
DEATH!
' Aye, horrid as may be the idea, Isay,
dealh! Then will begin 10 60 up to heaven
as in the days of the "reign of terror" the
v ails of the window and the fatherIess.-
Then, when loo late, alas! too late, shall we
be able 10 estimate the blessing Of this gov.
eminent Of law and order, under whose
protecting influence none dare make u, a.
fraid. When we have reached the climax
Of horrors, torn to pieces by faction, in
volved in all the quarrels and strifes be-
tween military rivals, with no country, no
no peace, no safety, we will fIy
from the bloody scene Of an endless anarchy
10 an absolute despotism. Thus it will be
that this most wonderful government shall
die in the same century that give it birth.
Surely, ifthe border States hold the pow
er to avert these calamities, it should be
done. They do hold this power, in nv o.
pinion. What. then, should they do? NV
is, that they should act cautious
~, deliberately. Revolution we'll epared
for, is as practicable as if we rush into il
without proposition. II We can get time
all our wrongs Will be redressed. The
desperate politicians are working agains,
lime. They ere afraid of the sober second
thought, Of the people. Mark my predlc
lion, the disunion politicians of Missouri
will not allow the people to decide wheth.
er or not they are to have Convention
Oh, no it would give the people time TO
hink for themselves. 1--WE must do the
linking Tor Them. II we do moi the coun-
ny will be saved, and zoe shall be lost is
he idea now uppermosl in the minds of the
My own judgement is, that
he border States should make wise and
imely arrangements 10 promote their fnan-
'ial strength 10 project their military or.
.arizaiion and assume the altitude of peace
makers. with arms TO defend their rights
shen oil peaceful means have failed. If
Missouri Of last is forced to assent TO o dis
olu,ion Of the UnIop, she must have guar
ntees that her rights and interest will be-
ecure in Southern Confederacy. THr
IuLr sSrATEs ARE pIcrAToHIAL In THEIR
IsssER, AND ARIsTocRATIc IN THEIR TEN,
rscrEs. They will insist upon basirg
he light 10 vote on properfy. The ven