Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1863-07-31
5tuli- 4HtRkl4. 5tauaara,

R, EDITOR:-1leT6
war to be met with in history entirely analogous
the one now raging between the North and the South
That produced by an attempt on the part OF thre
of the Swiss Cantons to separate themselves 1ron
the Confederation few years since, IN some re
spects resembles it most nearly. That attempt, !
will be remembered was arrested, and the rebel
lions Cantons speedily reduced to submission bI
the arms of the Confederacy. 1t is frequently com
pared to our old revolutionary struggle with thu
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. Ihey
possessed no sovereign power Whatever. 1ney
were not we were, entitled to representation IN
the common Parliament Of the British Union, Dut
were mere Colonies-mere dependencies upon the
mother country. In an evil hour the adminstra-
ton of George Granville, and afterwards that oil
Lord North attempted to impose an unjust tax up
on the Colonies. This oppression was resisted, ana
the resistance was made the pretext Tor other OPP
pressions more unjust still. The Colonies continued
their resistance in constitutional way for near ten
years, by representations, remonstrances, and Pc
titons for the redress of grievances; but all IN Vai
At length they took up arms, with the aVowed ob-
iect of enforcing such redress. They solemnly dis
claimed all intention of separation from the parent
State for they as loyal in their feelings OF at
tachment to the British Constitution as were the
inhabitants of Surry or Cornwall. This resolute
-
desired redress: blt the advice Of al the shlest
statesmen at hat age-of Chatham, of Camden, Of
Burke, of Fox, of Rockingham and Others were
thrown away upon the narrow minded monarch
and the bgoted ministry which then swayed the des-
TIMES of the British Empire Still in hope, they con-
tinued the struggle for one whole year. At length
the British Parliament declared the colonies out OF
the protection 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 Ifes blood The battle of Lexington was
fought on the 10th of April 1775, and on the 18th
of April 1916, the Provincial Congress OF North
Carolina empowered their delegates IN Congress
to concur with the delegates of the other Colonies
in declaring independence and forming foreign al
iances," and on the 18th of the following month
Virginia, through her Convention, instructed her
delegates in the Continental Congress "to propose
to that body to declare the United Colonies 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 memorable Declaration was made.
But how different has been the course of the Sc
cessionists. They seem to have resolved years ago
that the Union should be destroyed and then to
have set themselves to work to forge such grieVan
ces as would seem to give them decent pretext
for the accomplishment of their premcditated
schemes. The first effort was made in the days OF
notification by the secesSonists of South Carolina
The grievance then complained of was the tariff, al
though the State of South Carolina herself had
been from the foundation of the government nearly
up to that period, strong an advocate of high
tariff as any State in New England. That question
was compromised-South-Ca Carolina obtained all that
she ostensi5ly demanded. A revenue tariff, with
incidental protection, became the settled policy of
the government, and, except for short period I'M
der the tariff of 1912, was never departed from
But still they were not satisfied Immediately az
ter the passage of Mr.. Clays compromise bill, the
newspaper organ of the secessionists at Washing
ton, declared "that the South could neVsr be uni
ted the tariff question: and that the sLare cues
ton was the only one that could unite them
And Mr.. Calhoun, if l mistake not, said the same
thing in speech at Abbegille in South Carolina,
about the same time; and OF course was followed
by all the lesser lights among his adherents Then
commenced that violent agitation of the slavery
question which had nearly eliminated upon the ad-
mission of California, in 1850. Again, by the ef-
forts of those immortal statesmen of the last age,
Messsrs. Webster, Clay, and others, was the mat
ter compromised The whole country at first ap-
peared to be satisfied with the settlement, but it
sooE appeared that there were number of restless
spirits among the extremists of the South, that
would be satisfied with nothing short of dissolu-
ton of the Union. Of this class of politicians, W.
L. Yaneey may be fifty selected as representative
man. He Immediately began to agitate the ques-
ton again. He went to the Democratic National
Convention at Baltimore, in 1852, as a delegate
from the State of Alabama, and there proposed as
the uttimGtuna 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 doctrine of nonntervention
by Congress in regard to slavery in the territories
should be incorporated into the democratic plat
form. In this he failed and therefore did not sup
port the nominee of the Convention, Mr.. Pierce
He could not however, at that time succeed in Gre
ating great schism in the democratic party, so
great had been the calm which the compromise
measures of 1850 had produced. In 1856 he again
went as delegate from the State of Alabama to
the Cincinnati Convention, with his old ultimatum
in his pocket. Contrary to his wishes and expec-
tations, it was incorporated into the Cincinnati
platform, and being thus left without an excuse
he supported Mr.. Buchanan for the Presidency in
the fall OF that year. In the mean time, however
that fatal measure, the repeal of the Missouri COM
promise, had been consummated. 1t was brought
about by the extremists of the South, aided by
few partizan democrats at the North. The avowed
object of its authors to open to slavery the ter
rtorles north OF the Missouri compromise line not
Wlthstanding the agreement of 1920 that said line
should tore0er 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 purpose? 1t was most solemn COM
pact between the two sections of the country made
lor tne settlement OF most perplexing question,
and without any reference to its consttutionality
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 contemplated. The re-
suit was the formation of great party at the North
opposed to the further extension of slavery, and
which party very nearly succeeded in electing their
candidate for the Presidency, Mr. Fremont, in 1856.
After the election, this party seemed to be on the
wane, until the anti-slayery spirit of the whole
North was aroused to madness, by an attempt on
the part of Mr.. Buchanans administration to force
the Lecompton Constitution with slavery upon the
people OF Kansas, in opposition to the knoaOn and
expressed wish of three fourths of them. But for
this most unjuStifable measure the Republican par.
ty would undoubtedly have dwindled down to mod
crate proportions and even after this, it is doubt
full if they could have succeeded in tie Presidential
election of 1850, if the secessoniss with Yancey at
their head, had not determined that they should
succeed. After Mr.. Yancey and his party had,