Columbia Democrat and Bloomsburg general advertiser. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1850-1866, 1862-02-08
The Aeoliiioniss Preparing 10 Aban-
don the UniOu.

lhe Following opening paragraph OF
letter from "Occasioual' published in the
Philadclphia Press Of the 2ist. is sigui6-
caut
"somo Of our public men do nos hcsi-
tate to say, that rather then bring back
the seeded slave States into the Uuion,
they would agree 10 peaceful and prompt
separation. they contend that in the
event Of reunion the slave despotism
will rule By its unity, and with the aid Of
sheBreekinridge Democrats of the free
States, and by means of the divisions OF
the Republicans, the destiuies OF the fut-
ture of our country will be completely
controlled bv traitors to the Federal Con-
stituAion. Although no open demonstra.
sion in favor of this theory has yet been
made, it is undoubtedly sincerely enter
iaiued 10 certain influential quarters
The public men who do not hesitate to
prefer separation to the restoration of the
Union as it was, with the rights aud in.
stutions Of the several States unimpaired,
do not belong to the Democrats party
We believe that this is not alleged
They are to be found among the bitterest
.haters Of Constitutional Democracy
among the class Of men who have profess
sed an uncompromising devotion to the
Union ever since the fall of Sumter, and
displayed their patriotism by suspecting
and depouOcing the majority of Northern
Democrats as traitors to their country.
When the antecedents of the extreme
antislavery men are considered, their
sudden conversion to ardent Unonism is
somewhat suspicious. Their fidelity to the
Coustitutioff~and the Union was not con-
ssicuous before the commencement Of the
war. On the contrary, they were unwil.
ling to make the slightest concessions for
the sake of the Union. ''Perish hum
dred Uuions rather than abate one iota Of
our principles was the emphatic language
of o newspaper that above all others was
and lis their mouthpicce. The New York
Tribune Of November 26th. 1861, said (:
''any attempt to compel them [the Cotton
States] by force to remain would be con.
trary to the principles enunciated in the
immortal Declaration of Independence,
contrary to the fundamental ideas on which
human liberty is based" When this
opinion was uttered, the Tribune and its
followers suppo.ed the issue to be between
The Union peWetua.ed By compromise, and
separation aud hry openly preferred sep
araten. But the moment the war was
inaugurated these men thought they saw
anotter way open for the attainment Of the
same purpose they had iu view VIXEN they
advocated separation and that way was
to use the war as a pretext for the tota
and fual destruction Of the Institutions oi
the Southern States and the annihilatior
of slave owners. 7 his was the secret o
their apparent zcal-thi' and the impossi
bility OF any longer advocating disuniol
with safe5y, Experience has convinced
&hem that they niscalculatcd. The peo
pie have proved more con.ervative anc
more attached to the Constitution than wa
anticipated; and above all, the PTesdeu
of the United States, who was calculate.
upon as tool in the hand. OF the ALo
itonists, has dashed all their hopes BY
giving unmistakable evidence Of his deter
minatiop to respect and obey the Cousti
ton which he has sworn to protect an,
defend.
With all these disagreeable facts starin.
them in the face-vith the President firm.
ly planted on the Constituton--with tn
war conducted for the preservation Of tn
Union, aud not for the destruction of sla
very, and with the conviction tina: success
upon this platform must diminish their in
fuence and leave them as far from tn
realization Of their plans as ever, the rad
ical Republicans are cooling off amazing
ly in the desire for the restoration of til
Union, and are again longing for perma
ncnt separation. Why Occasional
lets us into the secret, perhaps unconciou:
ly, when he says substantially that the
fear the formation Of great Union part,
as the result Of restoration Of the Unio
composed of Southern Union men, Nortl
ern Democrats and conservative Republ
cans which shall control the destinies
the nation, and hurl these Abolition fana
les into everlasting oblivion. And this
the heighth and the depth of their love f
the Union The Union with Abolitionis
as the governing power, has great attra
tions for them--but the Union without tn
condition is gall and -wormwood The
will have none Of it. Separation is pr
ferable to them, because in a Northel