Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1863-01-25
The Voice Of washington.

at Ia of infinite moment" Gays WAsHIEo
TON In his farewell address TO the people OF the
United States-'ft is Of infinite moment that
you should properly estimate the lmmense VAL
10 of your National Union to your collective
and individual happiness; that you should
cherish a cordial, habitual and immovable at
tachment TO IL; sccustoming yourselves to
think and speak Of is as the palladium OF yonr
political safety and prosperity; watching for
its preservation with jealous anxiety; dlscoun'
tenancing whoever may sugges. suspicion
that Il cln, in any event, be abandoned; and
Indignantly frowning upon the frat da"n'ng
Of every attempt to ALLEVIATE any portion OF
our country from the rest, Or to enteebie the
sacred ties which now bind together the sew
eral parts."4
These words we're addressed to the people Of
tho United States in 1876, when the National
Union consisted Of sixteen States, which were
all, with two or three exceptions, slaveholding
The author of the address was himself slaye-
holder. But lei this be noted, that the Union
Of which WAsHiNoroN speaks as of such i'm
mense value TO our collective and individual
happiness, consisted at the time he penned bis
addreas, as ithss since, Of free and slave StsteR
|. was to this Union that he bade Us, as bic lAat
farewell injunction, to cherish cordial, habit
nal and immovable attachment. IL is this
attachment that has hitherto kept us united
ss one people. 1t is this that has called forth
million OF our sons to brave danger and dea!h
in camp and field; 1t Is this that hss made our
people passive and patient under burdens and
exactious that would have caused revolt
against the Government in almoat any othes
civilized country. Woe to the men who have
done, or shall do, violence 10 this attachment oi
the people to the Union as 1t was when WASH
INoros wrote, and has been since, or who have
attempted, or shall hereafter attempt, to sever
that Union in twain by detaching any part
however insignificant, from the rest.
The people, as WAsHIEeroE epjoined, have
accustomed themselves to think and speak Of
the Union-the whole Union-not Union Of
free or Of slave States alone, but Of free and
slave States-as the palladium of their safety
and prosperity 1t is for this Union that they
have watched with jealous anxiety, and have
expended blood and treasure in profusion for
iss preservation. The bare suspicion now be-
ginning to gain ground, that men in authority
are shaping their course and devising achemes
for the abandonment Of that Union and sub.
stituting another mora agreeable to their no.
tions Of liberty and right, is creating deer
under of popular feeling that will soor
rise to the surface, If that suspicion gaini
strength and confirmation, and hurl from
power those upon whom il is directed.
Indignantly frown upon the frst dawning o.
every attempt to ALLEVIATE any portion of oul
country from the reat, was the last solemn warn
ing of the Father Of his Country TO his Amer
loan children. Some Of them-many We ma,
ssy-in all portions OF our land, have no. prop
erly needed this warning; but they have seer
and tasted the bitter and deadly fruits Of theil
neglect. Now, many Of them are repentiDg o
their madness and folly, as 1t were, 10 sack.
cloth and ashes, and are ready to join heart and
hand with those who have stood by the old
Union amid peril and persecution, and help
them to renew and streDgthsn ;'the sacred ties
which, In Wsshinzton's day, bound, and have
since bound together the several parts,sf ouI
Union, whether free or slave, whether Northern
or Southern, Eastern or Western. This union
|of hearts and hands will yet save the Union o
States. a Al lFF N ~ VI