Columbia Democrat and Bloomsburg general advertiser. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1850-1866, 1862-01-11
The Border States and the
Abolition Plot.

The States Of Kentucky and Missouri
contain majority Of men favorable to the
Union, and willing to fight for its preserva-
ton that is, for the Union under the
Constitution. Many Of these loyal persons
are slave owners, as they have an unques-
tionable right to be under the laws of their
States, and denounce any and every at
tempt to interfere with their privileges in
this respect. Congress assured them that
the war had but one purpose, and that
was the preservation Of the Union, with
the rights and institutions of the several
States unmpaired Accepting this pledge
10 good faith, they ranged themselves on
the side of the Government, and withstood
the temptations that sought to allure them
into the ranks Of rebellion, Their firm
and devoted loyalty is to be commended /;
but how is it regarded by the ultra faction
now urging the Government into the adop.
ton Of extreme measures These men, say
they, are slaye-owners Il the rebellion is a
Shareholders rebellion, and the loyal men
of the Border States are therefore little
better than open enemies so long as they
demand security and protection for their
slave property. We will treat slavery as
the great criminal, Notwithstanding some
professedly loyal man have an interest in
the institution, and require protection for
their rights. The rule with those who
argue in this way is, that STAKEHOLDER is
necessarily rebel, whether he is ghting
against the Union or maintains loyal
position. The aim of the radical politi-
clans is apparently to drive the loyal Bord-
er States into open rebellion, in order to
substantiate the theory that slavery is the
cause of the war, and to destroy tn at rem
nant of respect for constitutional obligat-
ions which still attaches to the people Of
the Northern States. This result accom- =
plished, and the extremists would be en-
abled to point to the detection of every
slave State in the Union as incontroverti-
BILE evidence that slavery is the caus of the
war, and demand with exultation that a
blow be struck at the great criminal. If
this is not the object of the Abolitionists,
why are they SO anxious to drive off the
Border States Why SO ready to inCre ase
the number of the enemies of the Govern
ment =.
Every lover of his country must feel the
deepest sympathy for the loyal men of
Kentucky, Virginia and Missouri, who
have accomplished more, ard endured
more for the Union than all the Abolition
lists put together. Instead of weakening
their moral or physical power, our efforts
should be directed to Strengthening both
and above all they should not be punish.
ed for their constitutional rights. But the
Abolitionists seem to be studying how they
can best disgust and degrade the loyal
Shareholders, and Furnish them with SUBJ
stantial reasons for rushing into the arms
of the rebel Confederacy.
IF the Union could be restored to-mor.
row, without the destruction of slavery,
the Abolitionists would interpose objections
No one can have observed their course
without seeing that their object is to des-
troy slavery by the use of the war power
or, failing in that, to divorce the No rthern
States from connection with the instution
by a dissolution of the Union Just al
this time their faith in the ability Of the
Government to crush rebellion is wavering;
and their policy is to increase the enemies
of the Union, and the power Of the Con
federacy, by driving off the Border States
then the next step will be to insist upon
universal emancipation and arming Of the
negroes as the last resort, and when that
fails, they will say "this contest is hope.
less We ''cannot sabjugate the South
Let us consent ''to dissolution, and thanh
Heaven tn at We are, Grid of the great sill
of slavery This is evidently the pro
gramme of the radical party, and the only
way of preventing the consummation Of
their disunion plotis to guard against thu
first step in it, by maintaining the Consti
tuition at all hazards.