The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1864-02-05

Lincoln ; eiectlon was the signal for its seces-
sion. The Union it thus acknowledged had be-
come anti-slayery, and must, therefore, be de-
stroyed. 10 the Northern anti-savery motive
II added new motve-devotion TO the Union.
But not content with secession, it proceeded to
armed aggression. 1t thus gave the Northern
motive Its last and strongest elements--self-re-
spect and the preservation of its own endan-
gered liberties and life.
These are the essential elements of the
Northern motive. 1t is anti-slavery, but not
alone To that are added the preservation of
the Union, and the national liberty and integrity.
Here leave the general case. Thesconclusons
from il are obvious.
| Objection is made to the national cause that il
Is not primarily against Slavery, but for the
union But who is responsible for thisg The
party which began the war, the Slave Power
WITH admirable cunning masking the real issue
slavery. which would excite the reprobation and
| alarm OF the civilised world, the Slave Power
appealed to the sympathy of all who wished
Americas destruction by raising the false issue
| OF secession or dissolution of the Union. The
false issue, | say, because / believe that the
Slave Powers design is far deeper and more
dangerous. 1t knows too well the perils of dis
| union to.nake this anything more than a step-
ping-stonc = and those nations whose aid and
countenance can be secured to is aught but cats
| paws-to more daring ambition The Slave
Power means, if possible, to revolutionise
America, and rule the Continent-instead of the
present benetcent Union to establish another
Union whose cornerstone shall be Slavery, its
| civilization, barbarism, its attitude enmity to
mankind. This sounds incredible, admit-but
| who could have believed five years ago. that
such words could have been uttered as those of
.ice.president Stephens, announcing the new
civillzation." Strange and awful though it
seem, believe, notwithstanding, that it is the
fact.
The North, less cunning than the Slave
Power, accepted the issue made for it, in spite
OF its disadvantages, and straightway proceeded
to defend her capital. Why did she accept II
Partly because she did not thoroughly under
stand the true character of the assault made
upon her, partly because she loved the Union.
Had she fully understood the true character of
the assault the world would have seen an up
rising such as even that which greeted the
Presidents first appeal to her patriotism could
not compare with And what is the Union
whose name has 30 magical sound to human
ears? Believe me, sir, it is no such paltry, stu
pid, and sordid thing as writer's on this side of
the ocean are too ready to represent it. Could
your critic see it from our standpoint think he
would confess something grand in it, Little
enough of grandeur in any of the Unions that
he sketches. But his assertion to the contrary
notwithstanding, the Union that these United
States defend and desire is not one of those II
is totally untrue that t" Northern America il
thirstng for the sort of union which takes place
between two wild beasts, when, having torn
each others eyes out in mortal combat, one of
them drops exhausted, and theother eats him.
The North does not hate the South--neyer has.
trust never will. She believes, Justly, that her
cause is as truly that of the South's well-being
as OF her own. She knows, what here seems for
gotten or overlooked, that the shareholders are
not the South, are but small part of the South,
and are the South's worst enemies; that four
million blacks form part of the South, whose
interests, sympathies and prayers are with her,
and whose friend their oppressors themselves
e.. H.. I7..... L.. -
whites are there, scarcely less degraded, ignorant
and oppressed than the slaves, ii not more SO.
whose interests are not those Of slavery, and
whose eyes bat little enlightenment will open
to the fact; and that yet others dwell there to
whom the old traditions of the Union are still
tinction. She knows that her battle is theirs as
well, and that it were baseness and cowariice to
desert them while power to uphold the common
cause remains The Union she defends is no
mere fbignessn What u 1t II is that which,
combining many locally independent and self
governing States into one, shall form a whole
strong enough 10 secure each from external az
gression, relieve all from the enormous curse and
burden of vast standing armies and expensive
governments, do away with the intrigues, jeal-
ousies, enmties and fears which distract and di-
vide continents separated into petty States and.
making the interest of each the interest of all.
and that of all the concern of each, secure the
blessings of peace, liberty, happiness, and the
largest possibility OF development and prosper-
ty to all. This gives hint of the idea of union
cherished by the American mind Its ideas are
peace and freedom. 1t is not a menace to man
kind. Is this idea so bad that Northern Ameri-
ca is TO be reproached for adhering to it with in
flexible tenacity? Can Englishmen see no "prap-
deur' in the idea! Assailed, is it not worth
fighting for 2 Or shall it be abandoned the in
slant an armed foe appears against ity Aban-
doned, then, for what7 For
''The oppressor's wrongs the proud mans con-
tumelyw
That were change indeed! Yet was il the al |
tentative set before America.
Your critic and yourself seem to think that |
nothing would have been easier or more manly |
than to have let the Union go. To us, on the |
contrary, that course seemed so full of formida-
BILE dangers as, decency and honor apart, to be |
impossible; but, indeed, there was no choice for
manly men. So far from plunging into civil |
war, as your critic says, with the avowed in |
tention of making irreyocable'' the Union. the
nation was assailed, and had no alternative but
resistance or subjugation. That the Union 'sfor |
any purposes but those of national vanity had
become a satire on the name," is precisely the
reverse of the truth. For the first time in its
history it had become thoroughly worthy of hon |
or as is shown by the fact that for the first time
in its history the Slave Power could not live un-
der It, You have pretty vision Of the seeded |
States as friendly nation" by the side of the
North. A friendly nation, indeed A slave ma |
tion friendly to free by its side! nation that
had separated itself because it hated the liberty
of its neiglbor friendly to that neighbor! You |
may see the possibility Of it.; we, who know |
something of the bitterness of slavery, can see |
rone-rather mutual jealousies, irritations and |
intrigues, sure soon or late to break into open |
strife. To 60 no further, what would be done |
with fugitive slaves7 The North could not be |
expected to give them up-the South would not |
consent TO lose them. This, a long irritation /
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