The mountain Democrat., 1864-10-15
The ROsPOnSibility for the War-At
whose DOor D0es Gt LiOI

tuo I1uu WIN OIOOu. IL lS q OraZen H0ph-
istry, which insults common sense, TO date
the cause of the war from the breaking
up Of the Charleston Convention, and TO
attribute the secession of the South to
the unhallowed ambition Of its public
men. Long before that Convention, the
sectional fanatics had rudely snapped, one
after another, many Of the most powerful
cords that held the North and the South
together in fraternal unity. The great
Methodist Church, the most consider able
by Zeal and numbers Of our Christian de.
nominations, was rent asunder BY the ab.
olitiOnists for long, long period before
the political controversy eliminated. The
great Baptist Church and the great Pres
byterian Church were also rent asunder
by the same diab0lical influence even be-
fore the political crisis which the country
was tided over by the Compromise Of
1850. Our ecclesiastical bodies were or.
ganixed on the model Of our political In.
stitutions, holding precisely similar reIa.
tions to the map Of the country. They
had each their general assembly, confer.
ence, or other national association, com.
posed Of delegates from similar subordi-
nate bodies in the several States. II is
fair to presume that the churches, thus
organized, embodied q large share Of the
uDambitiOus moral worth of the country.
1t was not lawless and unrestrained polit-
ical ambition that broke them up; it was
the misguided zeal, the otficious informed.
ding, the arrogant spirit of sectional die.
tation that sought to convert the central
associations Of these respective denomina-
tions into an instrument for waging .
spiritual crusade against southern institu.
tiOns. That the great religious denomi-
nations we're cleft asunder by the inter.
meddling and dietatorial spirit Of northern
abOlitionism, is beyond all question and
it is equally true that this religious alien.
alton Of the two sections, which was the
precursor of their political disruption, was
the earlier and first ripened fruit Of the
same identical tree.
No explanation of the political separa-
ton Of the two sections is adequate which
does not also account for the division of
the great ecclesiastical denominations. -
Till it can be shown that these were divi,
ded by personal ambition, southern ag-
gression, and pro.slavery propagandism,
it is vain to say that these were the causes
that gave the FIRST Impetus to secession.
and brought on the war The Union was
dissolved in the hearts Of the people be.
fore politicians could find q prop whereon
to rest their lever for prying asunder the
parts whose cords had been snapped and
lOoSened. The unity Of the great volun.
tary political associations outlived that o
the great ecclesiastical associations, be
cause successful politics deal with larger
masses Of men, and politicians aiming tc
get control Of the government opeIa ate BY
turning actual public sentiment to theiI
advantage. The alienation had made great
progress in feeling before it became effec.
tive in politics, and its most prophetic
manifestations were exhibited in the rcnd.
ing Of the churches. But it is notorious
that il was the aggressiveness Of abolition
fanaticism by which this dire work was
accomplished.
When. something like thirty years ago,
the abolition crusade was commenced
every statesman of any sagacity foresaw
whither-it tended and predicted its fell
consequences. If skillful physician, OF
a college Of such physicians, should pre-
dict in advance The symptoms, course and
fatal termination of disease which, in
their opinion, would result from persisting
in some new regimen, and facts should
subsequently bear out their predictions,
it would be the height Of folly to doubt
that that disease was the consequence OF
that regimen. We have a parallel case in
the present terrible malady Of the body
polite. 1t was foretold, thirty years ago
by every eminent statesman who then en-
joyed the public confidence. Genera
Jackson, who was then President and ir
the flood tide of great popularity, anC
Henry Clay, the idol Of the opposition and
the pride of bis country. differing as they
did on other topics, both conceived the
most lively alarm for the consequences Of
abolition agitation. We have not space
to quote from Jackson's seventh annual
message and his solemn farewell address,
but we ask attention to the passage we
here insert from Clay's eloquent speech
on abolition petitions:
"SIR: am not in the habit of speak
ing lightly Of the possibility Of dissolving
this happy Union. The Senate knows
that have deprecated illusions, on ordi
nary occasions, to that dlreful event. The
country will testify that, if there be any
thing in the history Of my public career
worthy OF recollection, it Is the truth and
sincerity of my ardent devotion to its last
ing preservation. But We should be false
in our allegiance to it, if We did not dis
criminate between the imaginary and real
dangers by which it may be assailed.-
Abolition should no longer be regarded as
an imaginary danger. The abolitiOnists,
let me suppose, succeed in their present
aim Of uniting the inhabitants Of the free
states as one man against the inhabitants
of the slave states. Union on the one
side will beget union on the other. And
this process Of reciprocal consolidation
will be attended with oil the violent pre-.
JUDGES, embittered passions, and implaca-
bic animoSities which ever degraded or
deformed human nature. A virtual disso.
luton of the Union will have taken place,
while the forms Of its existence remain.
The most valuable element of union. mu.
tual kindness, the feeling Of sympathy,
the fraternal bonds, which now happily
unite us, will have been extihguiShed for
ever. One section will stand in menacing
and hostile array against the other. The
collision Of opinion will be quickly follow
ed by the clash of arms. will not at.
tempt to describe scenes which now hap
PLY lie concealed from our view. Adolf.
tionists themselves would shrink back in
dismay and horror at the contemplation
Of desolated fields, COnHagrated cities,
murdered inhabitants. and the overthrow
of the fairest fabric Of human government
that ever rose TO animate the hopes oI
civilized man. Nor should these 'abofi
tloniSts Gatter themselves tAat, IL they car