Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1863-08-19


to which they nave brought the COun-
try-The Remedy, etc.
Mr. Editor There is, so far as remem-
Der, no war to be met with in history entirely
analogous to the one now raging between the
north and south. That produced by an at
tempt on the part of three of the Swiss Can
tons to separate themselves from the confed.
Grafton few years since, in some respects,
resembles it most nearly. That attempt, it
Will be remembered, was arrested, and the
rebelliouS Cantons speedily reduced to sub
mission by the arms of the confederacy. 1t
is frequently compared to our old revolution
airy struggle with the mother country, but
there is scarcely any analogy between the two
cases. The thirteen colonies were not like
the southern states, equal in political rights
with the other states Of the British empire
They possessed no sovereign power whatever.
They were not, as we are, entitled to repre-
sentation in the common parliament OF the
British Union, but were mere colonies-mere
dependencies upon the mother country. In
an evil hour the administration of George
Granville, and afterwards that of Lord North,
attempted to impose an UNJUST tax upon the
colonies. This oppression was resisted and
the resistance was made the preteXt for other
expressions more unjust still. The colonies
continued their resistance in constitutional
way for near ten years, by representations,
circumstances, and petitions for the redress
of grievances; but all in vain AT length
they took up arms with the avowed object of
enforcing such redress. They solemnly dis
Claimed all intention of separation from the
parent state, tor they were as loyal in their
feelings OF attachment to the British constitu-
ton as were the inhabitants of Surry or Corn
wall This resolute step they confidently ex-
4,l 81, 4
but the advice of all the abest statesmen at
that age-of Chatham, of Camden, of Burke,
of Fox, Of Rockingham, and others, were
thrown away upon the narrow minded mon
arch and the bigoted ministry which then
swayed the destnes of the British empire.
Still in hope, they continued the struggle for
one whole year. At length the British par
Lament declared the colonies out of the pro-
lection of the parent state. And then at last,
no other course was left them but to proclaim
their independence, and defend it if need be
with their lifes blood The battle of Lexing-
ton was fought on the 18th of April, 1875,
and on the 18th of April, l776, the provincial
congress of North Carolina ''empowered their
delegates in congress to concur with the del
egateS of the other colonies in declaring indie
pendence and forming foreign allegiances,"
and on the 10th OF the following month, Vir-
ginia, through her convention, instructed her
delegates IN the continental congress ''to pro-
pose to that body to declare the United Colo
MES free and independent states, absolved
from all allegiance to, or dependence on, the
crown or parliament of Great Britain" and
on the 4th Of July following, the ever memo
rable declaration was made.
Duu lIUu I:n---.,+ hos haan tho course OF
the secessonsts. They seem to have resoN-
pa wears ago that the Union should be des'roy-
cd and then to have set themselves 10 WIN
ia forqe such grievances as wohid seem u
rive them decent preteXt for the accom-
Dlishment of their premeataled sciieilieS,
fTL, Grst etfort was inside in the days OF
qualification by the secessionlsts OF South Car
nIina Tie grievance then complained OF was
tb, tariff although the state OF South Carroll
~, herself. had been from the foundation OF
tbe Government nearly up to that period %
Strong an advocate of high tariff as any st,so
in New England. That question was en-
,,romised-South Carolina obtained alb 80
pstonsjbl,, demanded. a revenue tsnhi win VIII
;nn;5ent3I protection, became the Ss''ieu pun
-, ~ tbn governments and, excpt Ior snort
~ - ,,oIor the tiff of 1879 was never de-
F0't0I go. u. still thev"ere not SallSned.
parIeu NON, Ter the passage of Mr.. Clay
lmmediale'3ill the newspaper organ of the
comproilittS at Washington declared shat
seceSsloe 0uld nere9 be united on the tariff
me soy, and that the Stare question was the
q"t3ne that could unite them" And Mr..
ohoun, if | mistake not, said the same thing
y speech at Abbeyille, in South Carolina,
Jout the same time; and of course was fol-
lowed by all the lesser lights among his adj
herents. Then commenced that violent agi-
talon of the slavery question which had near
" eliminated upon the admission of Califor-
MIA in 1850. Again, by the efforts Of those
immortal statesmen of the last age, Messrs.
Webster, Clay, and others, was the matter
compromised. The whole country at first
appeared to be satisfied with the settlement,
but it soon appeared that there were num-
Der of restless spirits among the extremists Of
the south that would be satisfied with nothing
short of a dissolution of the Union. Of this
class of politicians, W. l.. Yancey may be
fity selected as a representative man. He I'M
mediately began to agtate the question again.
He went to the democratic national cOnVen-
tion at Baltimore, III 1852, as a delegate ON
the state of Alabama, and there proposed as
the ulfiU,atum on which he could continue to
act with the democratic party, and upon
which. in his opinion, the slave states could
consent to remain in the Union, that the doc
trine Of non-nterventiOn by congress IN re-
gard to slavery in the territories should be m
corporated into the, democratic platform. In
tins he tailed, ana lueISioIc uiu hot suPPOlS
the nominee of the convention, Mr.. Pierce.
He could not, however, at that time, succeed
in creating great schism i'll the democratic
marty, so great lad been the calm which the
rompromise measures of 1850 had produced.
In 1856 he again went as delegate from the
state of Alabama to the Cincinnati convention,
with his old uttln1GfHn1 III his pocket Con-
trary to his wishes and expectations it was
Incorporated into the Cincinnati platform,
and being thus left without an excuse, he sup
ported Mr. Buchanan for the presidency IN
the fall of that year. In the meantime, how
ever, that fatal measure, the repeal of the
Missouri compromise, had been cOnsum-
mated. 1t was brought about by the ex-
tremists of the south, aided by few parti-
zan democrats at the north The avOwed
object of its author was to open 10 slavery
the territories north of the Missouri comprO-
mise line, Notwithstanding the agreement OF
1920 that said line should fOreUsi divide the
territories between the slave and free states.
1t is said however, that the compromise of
1920 was unconstitutional, but What is that to
the purpose2 1t was most solemn compact
between the two sections of the country, made
for the settlement Of a most perpleXing ques-
ton, and without any reference to lis cOnsti-
tutionality, should have been regarded as an
organic law, and observed as sacredly as the
constitution itself.
The effect of this measure was great and
rapid, and there can be but little doubt that it
was such as majority Of its authors contem-
plated. The result was the formation Of u
great partV at the north OnOOsed to the farther