Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1863-04-08
From the Philadelphia Bulletin.
A RETROSPECT.


From the Philadelphia Bulletin.
A Retrospect.
In order to understand which part o
the Union has the fairest ground for al
appeal to be - let alone" we may briefly
review some leading points in the histor,
OF the country. Run back to the time
when the Northern States had the carry
ing trade of the world. While Europe
was fighting, Yankee ships were enrich
ing the maratime interests of the United
States, and the pursuits and industry OF
the country were directed and shaped to
the circumstances of the times. Mr.
Jefferson had done his best to cripple the
naval arm of the service with his gun
boat schemes but skill and enterprise
and courage supplied TO the commercial
marine the lack of government counten-
ance. But the South had no ships and
no commerce. King Cotton was as yet
hardly recognized as Prince Royal, and
nobody imagined how mighty for good,
and potent also for evil, the newly intro
duced exotic might become. The South
was intensely homespun and home-spirit-
ed, and national public Improvements
met more favor in the Southern States
than in the North. The Southern dispo-
sition was to isolate the Republic from all
the world, and the Northern Yankees
were scorned and repudiated as the
friends of foreigners. This was the Dem
ocratic doctrine in those days, and to
call any measure or any thing 8 British
was to give 1t such bad name as it was
hopeless to contend against.
. The South willed war. and the South
would have it; and, as a consequence,
Northern commercial interests went to
the'wall. A greater loss was inflicted up
on the Free States, and greater draw
back imposed upon their prosperity than
ever happened to the South in its whole
history until now. The precipitators ?"
have brought the present distress on
themselves. Henry Clay was one of the
young men" of that day who troubled
Mr.. Madison, as the young men of
this day annoyed Gov. Pickens. They
carried their point, and the war was de-
clared, against the protest of the North.
In New England the war was especially
unpopular, and was denounced in no
measured terms. The famous Hartford
Convention was held. What was done
there never transpired in any outward
demonstration of consequence. But the
Federal party died under the jealous 10y
atty of the Democrats, and there was no
thought in those days OF lack of power
in the Government to put down treason.
The treason was purely presumptive, be-
ing, as John Quincy Adams said, =. not
capable of proof in a court of law
Justly or unjustly taxed, the suspicion
was enough, and - Hartford Convention
was political bug-a-boo, until the South
ern patriots, who chiefly used it, were
prepared for ,treason on their own ac-
count. The hardy mariners of the Free
States gained almost naval victories
enough to compensate for the national
disgrace of the burning of Washington
and the Canada defeat After four wears
of experience in war, nobody was sorry
that peace was declared. Tie Southern
policy of domestic industry was fixed on
the nation; and the North, after the dis
asters from war, and the hardly less ruin,
GUS commercial consequences of peace.
settled itself in obedience TO the will of
the South.
So manufactures have taken root, grew
and thriVed. Driven from the sea, the
Yankees took to the loom and spinning
jenny. They followed Southern leading,
and began to grow rich under the South
ern doctrine of protection. The whole
country was in fair way to become uni
ted under the Southern doctrine of in
ternal improvements. Henry Clay rose
with the development of these ideas
He put them in shape and became their
exponent and advocate. 1t is common |
to say that he deserted the Democracy.-I
1t IS nearer the truth to say that the |
Democrats, or, to give the party its true |
name, the Southern party. deserted him. |
1t was now fully ascertained that the |
policy which the South had inaugurated. /
would suit the North equally as well, and |
that machinery and free labor could 4
more than rival slavery in profit, even on |
the land. So the decree went forth that
the government policy must be changed, 1
and changed it was. The struggle con-
tinued up to 1892, when the South AGAIN
triumphed, and the North was a second |
time checked. During all these wears,
certainly the South was "let alone by
the North. But was the North let
alone" by the South Were the wishes |
or the interests of the Free States consult
ed !! Were they not studiously injured 1
in every way?
About these days the erratic John Ran /
dolph figured. He belonged to the class
whom Mr.. Walter, the first editor of the |
Boston Transcript designated as ''imprac-
tlcable men," The term was happy
one, and has passed into the language
wherever English is spoken. 1t were
hard to say what Randolph liked, and
what he did not; but it was a favorite /
amusement of waggish members to an
swer him out of his own speeches. Ran
dolph declared he would - go a mile out
of his way to kick sheep" The sheep
has seemed in some Southern minds to |
form the symbol of the North, fit only TO !
be kicked But even a sheep, severely |
pushed, may show fight, and it begins to
be apparent that some slight martial spir- /
it exists at the North.
About this time-say thirty years ago
Jim Crow first came in fashion: and /
Dan Rice used to sing with immense ac-
ceptance,-Uncle Sam being the sub
ject-
Oh, he hab one saucy daughter
And her name be Caroline:
guess he hab to tie her up.
And glib her thirty-nine! -
But, of Caroline, more presently. Just
now. another song, the first successful
one for many years, is more to the pur-
pose,-Coal Black Rose. Some wicked
wag made parody on it when Mr.. Van
Buren was refused confirmation by the
Wing Senate. That was worse than Il
fault in the Wings. 1t was blunder,
md made Martin President