The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1863-02-04
THE ASHLAND UNION, WEDNESDAY MORNING FEBRUARY l.

Development of faDatlcism spranS up IN rank
and most lu1urating growth, till abohtionism
the chief fungus of al, oyerspread tho whole
of New England first. and then the middle
States, and finally every State in the North
west.
Certainly, sir, the more liberal or non-Puri-
tan element was mainly, though not altogcth-
err, from the old Puritan stock, or largely
crossed with it. But even within the first ten
years after the landing ofthe Pilgrims, a more
enlarged and tolerating civilization was intro
duced. Roger Williams, not of the Mayfow-
er, though a Puritan himself, and thourough-
ly' imbucd with all its pcculiarities of can't
and creed and form of worship, seems yet to
have had naturally a more liberal spirit and
first re haps of all men, some three or mere
years before tho Ark and the Dove touched
The shores of st Mary'S, in Maryland, taught
the sublime doctrine Of freedom of opinion
and practice ..in religion. Threatened first
with bar ishment 10 England, SO as to .remove
as far as possible the infection of his princi-
pies )" and Afterwards actually banished be-
yond fhe jurisdiction of Massachusetts,, be-
cause, in the language of the sentence of the
General Court, she preached and divulged III
'. rs new and sti aaeo DOCTRINES against tho an
thority of magistrates over the religious opin
ions ofmcn, thereby disturbing tho peace of
TIE colony. he became the founder Of Rhode
Island, aud, indeed, of a large part of New
England society. And, whether. from his
teaching and example, and in the persons Of
| his decendants and those of his associates, or
from other cruises and another stock, there has
always been a large infusion throuehnn4Aew
England of what may be called the Roger
HiHfdna's clement, as distinguished from the
extreme Puritan or dfuyfforcr and Plymouth
Rock type of the New Highlander; and its in
fuence, till late years, has always been power
full.
The SPEAKER. The gentleman's hour
has expired.
Mr.. VALLANDIGHAM. ask for a short
time longer.
Mr.. IOTTER. / hope there will be no OBJ
lection from this side of Horser
The SPEAKER. II there be no objec tion
the gentleman will be allowed more time.
Tn re was no objection and it was orlcred
accordingly.
Mr.. VALLAND-GHAM. Sir, I would
not deny or disparnge the austere virtues Of
the old Puritans of England or America. But
/ do believe that, in the very nature of things
no community could exist long in peace, and
no Government endure long alone, or become
i great, where that element in its earliest or its
more recent form holds supreme control. And
it is my solemn conviction that there can be
70 possible or durabfesreunion of these States
until it shall have been again subordinsted tc
other and moro liberal and conservative Gle
ments, and, above all, until its worst and most
mischieyous developments, abolitionism, has
been utterly ~extinguished. Sir, the peace Of
the Union aud of this continent demands it
But, fortunately, those very elements exis
abundantly in New England herself; and t.
her l look with confidence to secure to then
the mastery within her limits. In fact, sir
the true voice of New England has fer some
years past been but rarely heard here-or else
where in the public affairs Men now con
troll her politics and are in high places, State
end Federal, who, twenty years ago, could no
have been chosen seiectmen In old Massachu
sets. But let her remember at last her an
cient renown ; let her turn from vain-glorious
admiration of the stone monuments of her he
roos and patriots of a former age, to generous
4 termination of the noble AID manly virtue
which they were designed to commemorate
Let us hear less from her of the Pilgrim Fa
theirs and the Mayhower and of the Plymouth
Rock, and mere of Roger Williams and his
compatriots, and his toleration. Let her ban
ish now and forever her drcamers and hel
1 sophists and her fanatics, and call back agaiE
into her State administration and into the ma
tionalc6unc Is "her men of might, her Crane
in soul9-some of them still live-and shs
will yet escape the dangers which now threat
en- her with isolation.
Then. sir, while / I'M inexorably hostile Il
Puritan domination in religion or morals Of
literature or politics, / I'm not in favor of thC
proposed exclusion of New England. 1 would
have the Union as it was and first, New Eng
land as she was But if New England viii
have no union with shareholders if she is no
content with Union as it was" then
upon her own head be the responsibility fol
secession. And there will be no more coer
cion now. /, at least, will be exactly consis
tent.
And now, sir, can the central States, New
York, New jersey, and Pennsylvania, con
sent to separation ? Can New York city
Sir, the trade of the South made her largely
what she is. She was the factor and banker
Of the South-cotton filed her harbor Will
shipping and her banks with gold. But in ar
evil hour the foolish, L will not say bad, inner
of Gotham" persuaded her merchant princes
-against their first lesson in business-tha al
she could retain or force back the southern
trade by war. War, in iced, has given her
just now, q new business and trade greater anC
more profitable than the old. But with dis
union that, too, must perish. And let no
Wall street or any other great interest, mer
camille, manufacturing, or commercial, inag
inc that it shall have power enough or wealth
enoughte stand in the way of reunion through
peace. Let them learn, one and all, that
public man who has the people at his support
is stronger than they, though he may not b,
worth q million, nor even enc dollar. a lit
tie while ago the banks said that they wcr,
king, but President Jackson speedily laugh
them their mistake. Next, railroads assumed
to be king and cotton once vaulted largel.
his kingship. Sir, these are only of the roya
, family-princ-s Of the blood. There is blu
one king on earth. Politics is king.
But to return: New Jersey, too, Is bound
! closely to the South, and the South to her; ant
more and longer than any other State, she re
membered both her duty to the Constitution
and her interest In tho Union. And Penn
sylvania a sort of middle ground, just between
the North and the South, ana extending, also
to the west, is united by nearer, if not. strong
er ties, to every section, than any other on
. State, unless it be Ohio. She was-she is We
the Keystone in the great but now crumbIinI
arch of the Union. She is aborder State
and, more than that, she has less within her 0
! the ~fanatical or disturbing clement than an.