Smyrna times., 1863-05-28
Written for the "Smyrna Times"
The Crisis Mo. v.
THE CNON.

their cries for the constitution and the rights of the
States, whilst they utter not word of commenda.
ton in favour of the Union which is older than ihe
: Constitution, and is the foundation which underes
our whole governmental structure. The confedera,
ton of the States the first compact formed, and
the preservation of the Union its sole object, Elk
perlence soon proved that this compact was insof f.
clent to obtain the end sought in its adoption. 1t
did not protect the interests of its citizens simply
because it gave the states too much power and did
not sufficiently protect the individual citizens. The
object of all forms of Government is, or ought
to be, the promotion of the general welfare and the
equal protection of all its individual members. This
the articles Of confederation sgnally failed to do.-
For example, under the old confederation, each in
dvidua State had the right to enact her own reve.
nue. laws. The New England States were CONNER.
cial ii was their policy t. foster their shipping or
marine interest. To effect this, they laid very light
tariff on foreign Imports these imports OF cheap for
eign labour conhicted with the home productions
in country where capital and labour were high
The effect was TO paralize trade and industry, to
such degree that it was oppressive to the labour Of
the producing classes. Conventions of man ufactures
traders and producers generally were held through.
out the country, commencing at the city of Boston
which was the first to feel the oppression.
Out ofthis action of the working classes grew
the movement which naugerated, and adopted the
Federal Constitution which, with its amendments is
now the fundamental law of the United States The
preamble to the Constitution fully sets forth its OBJ.
ject, ITO form more perfect union thus admitting
that the old confederated Union was not perfect and
10 "prOnOte the general welfare" another admission
that the old Union did not meet the wants ofthe peo
pie. The reader will also notice that this Union Of
the States, not made by convention of the
States, hut by the individual people. M,rke the
Phraseoogy, 1--WE the people of the United States,
&c" hence it is cleaIy union of States, as
such but Union individually ofthe States 1t man
ifcs to every rejecting unbiased mind that the Union
we now live under, and which has made this coun.
try the most prosperous in history is Union of the
people, and not of State Rights, technically so cal
led. The people made, and they alone can destroy
it. defy the most astuC lawyer or cunning poll.
tican to show me single power any where in the
compact under which has the right to ccccdo
The Union established BY the "pecplc" and they
alone can dissolve it.
Under this view of the question, how can any man
justify the cesession and rebellion Of the Southern
Sates-the attempt To destroy the Union is the most
foul and wicked conspiracy ever recorded in
history. The conspiracy Of fCatuline is virtue com.
pared with this of the States Rights party of the
South. Even A H. Stephens, of Georgia, in the
State convention which voted Georgia out of the
Union, asks the question ''what reasons can you
give to yonr fellow sufferers in the calamity that it
| (cecession) will bring upon US What reasons can
you give to the nations of the earth to Justify it
| They will be the calm and deliberate Judges in the
cise, and to what cause or one overt act can you
ma ne or point, which To rest the plea of utlca.
ton? What right has the tho North assaed WI al
interest Of the South has been invaded What Us.
tice has been denied? and what claim founded in
justice and right has been withheld? Ca ethcr OF
you to day one governmental act of ,crOng de-
libcratcly and purposey done by the government at
Washington ofwhlch the South hes a right TO com.
plain? challenge the Gnspar! While on the other
hand let me show the facts, Of which wish YOU To
judge, and will only stte facts which are clear
aid undeniiblc, and which now stand as r, cerds
authentic in the history Of our country.
"Do you reply that in many instances they uhe
Norh) viOl tied tiis compact and have not been
faithful to their engagement! As individuals and
local communities they may have done ST.; but not by
the sanction OF governmen for that has been always
true t. South IN interests. Again gentlemen look
at another fact; when we have asked that more ter
| rItory should be added, that might spread the
institution OF slavery, have they not yielded 10 our
demands in giving Louisiana, Florida, aud Texas
out of which tour States have been carved and ample
territory for four to he added in due t.ine if
tv,tt h,,t len a,1 i,,, l,e; L
this hope, and, perhaps by loose all and have your
last slave wrenched IRON you by stern military rule;
| as South America and Mexico were; or by the vim
dicatIve decree of universal emancipation (how
ProPhctic) which may reasonably be expected to
follow.
"But again, gentlemen, what have we to gain BIZ
this propose cI nye Of relations TO the general
government We have always had the control of
II, and can yet If we remain in it and are as united
as we have been We have had majority of :
Presidents chosen from the South as well as the
control and management of most of those chosen
from the North. We have had sixty years of South
ern Presidents to their twenty Jour- thus controlling
the Executive department. So of the Judges of the
Supreme Court we have had eighteen from the South
and but eleven freW the North, although nearly four
fifths of the Judicial business has arisen in the Free
States, YET majority Of the Court has always been
from the South. =
"Again look at another item, and one be assured
IN VIII ch VIC have great and via interest; is that
OF rcveHuc, or means Of supporting the GOV rnncni
F:Om official documents, VIC learn that Il fraction
over three fourhs Of the COLL ctcd for the
support OF the government has unilcfm iy been rails
ed from the North.
"Pause now while You can, gentlemen and con.
template carefully and cIndidly these important
items. Look at anothe necessary branch of glv-
ernment, aud learn from stern statistic facts how
matters stind in that department. mean the mail
and Post Ofhcc privileges that we now enjoy under
the general government has been for Years Dast
The esp, nSes for the transportation of the maI in
the Free Staes by the report OF the Postmaster
General for the year 1860 hte over Sl3,0OO 900
while the income was Sl9090,OO0. But in the slave
States the transportation The mail was 100 600
Y while the revenue from the ssme was S8OOO0
leaving deficit Of SO, l1j,735 to be supplied by the
: North for our accommodation, and without which
VIC must have been entirely cut off from this nosl
essential branch Of government.
n "Lcayng out opinion, fcr the present, the count
Less millions of dollars you mu,t expend in wa,
with the North; with the thousands and tens of thou