The southern aegis, and Harford County intelligencer. (Bel Air, Md.) 1862-1864, 1862-08-23
BEL AIR, MD. SATURDAY MORNING.

aware Va buo VloidblUu, ~ aotS HI pdu kdlLu.
Or it may be illustrated by an example
drawn from private life. [ am an endors-
er for my friend on note discounted in
bank. He applies to me to endorse
another to renew it, which, Z do in blank.
i Now, this gives him power to make any
other use of my note which he pleases.-
But if, instead of applying it to the in
tended purpose, he goes to broker and
sells it, thereby doubling my responsible
ty for him, he commits breach of trust,
and violation Of the good faith implied
in the whole transaction.
Mr.. President, at the period of the for
nation of our Constitution, and after
wards, our patriotic ancestors apprehend-
ed danger to the Union from two causes.
One was, the Allegheny Mountains, d.
viding the waters which flow into the At
lantic Ocean from those which found their
outlet in the Gulf of Mexico. They SEEM
ed to present natural separation. That
danger has vanished before the noble
achievements of the spirit of internal i'm
provement, and the immortal genius of
Fulton. And now, nowhere is found a
more loyal attachment to the Union, than
among those very Western people, who
it was apprehended, would be the first to
burst its ties.
The other cause, domestic slavery, hap
| PLY the sole remaining cause which is
likely to disturb our harmony, continues
to exist. 1t was this which created the
greatest obstacle and the most anxious So
licitude in the deliberations of the Con-
vention that adopted the general Consti-
tuition. And it was this subject which
has ever been regarded with the deepest
anxiety by all who are sincerely DESTROYS
Of the permanency Of our Union. The
Father of his Country, in his last affect
ing and solemn appeal to his fellow citi-
zens, deprecated, as the calamitous event,
the geographical divisions which it might
produce. The Convention wisely left to
the several States the power not necessary
to the plan of Union which it devised,
and as one with which the General Gov.
eminent could not be invested without
planting the seeds Of destruction There
let it remain undisturbed By any unallow-
ed hand.
Sir, / am not in the habit Of speaking
lightly of the possibility of dissolving this
happy Union. The Senate knows that
have deprecated illusions, on ordinary oc-
casions, to that direful event. The coun-
try will testify, that if there be anything
in the history Of my public career wor-
thy of recollection, it is the truth and
sincerity Of my ardent devotion to its las
ting preservation. But we should be
false to our allegiance to it, if we did not
discriminate between the imaginary and
real danger by which we may be assailed.
Abolition should no longer be regarded as
an imaginary danger. The Abolitionists,
let me suppose, succeed in their present
aim, of uniting the inhabitants Of the free
States as one man, against the inhabitants
Of the slave States. Union on one side
will beget union on the other. And this
process of reciprocal consolidation will be
attended with all the violent prejudices,
embittered and implacable animosities,
which ever degraded or deformed human
nature. M
A oirtual dissolution Of the Union acfN
haze taken place, achilst the forms Of Its
existence remain. The most valuable ele-
ments of Union, mutual kindness, the feel.
lings of sympathy, and the fraternal bonds
which now happily unite US, will have
been cxtinguisheds forever. One section
will stand in menacing and hostile array
against the other. The collision of opin-