Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1867-11-06
~The Federal Union-It Must be
Preserved.o

The oft quoted, and more frequently mis-
quoted sentiment offered by Gen. JACKSON
at public dinner in Washington, in rela-
ton to the preservation OF the Union, is in the
words which form the head of this article
''I'he Federal Union-It mast be preserved"
And the men who would destroy the Fed
eral Union-who, during Gen. JACKsoN's
long and eventful career as far-seeing
statesman, second in ability alone to Mr..
JEFFERSON, the equal of WASHINGTON in
stern common sense and purity of motive,
opposed and denounced him as traitor
and tyrant, and who in New York City
proposed committees of tens of thousands,
with arms in hand, to march on Washing
ton and to hurl him from power, now mis-
quote the sentiment by marring its beauty
and its patriotism, and in giving it mean
| ing different from that intended and which
its words indicate, heap their hypocritical
praises on the dead Lion, that they feared
and hated while living. ..t',..,e
The union of the States, is a :" Federar'
Union-a "league or contract" as GREW,
quoted by WEBSTER, defines it, the word
being derived from an agreement or COW
enant between parties, particularly be-
tween nations" and as WEBSTER, himself,
defines it, consisting of a compact be-
tween parties, particularly and chiefly be-
tween States or nations; founded on alli
ance by contract or mutual agreement; as
a Federal government such as that of the
United States," and according to BARLOW,
Federalize'' is "to unite in compact, as
different States. to confederate for political
purposes"
These definitions, all of similar meaning,
show that the "Federal Union" which
JACKSON said ''naust be preserved" is a
Union of States or nations, confedera-
ton. compact for political purposes.
Each party, in such compact, is the equab
not in extent of territory, not in wealth,
but in political rights, and these were well
secured in the written instrument known
as the Constitution, which being adopted
by the original States to the compact, and
by the new partners, as new States were
admitted to the Federal Union, became
binding upon the whole. In the contract,
for the purposes of league, offensive
and defensive, the States parted with
certain powers, among them the right
, to Congress to declare war, to levy and coll
lect taxes and eXcises for the purpose of
paying the debts and providing for the
common defense and general welfare of all
the States. In a majority of the States, at
that time, slavery existed and the contract
bound, and the bargain between the States,
forming the compact, provided that "no
person held to service or labor in one State,
under the laws thereof, escaping into an.
other, shall, in consequence of any law or
regulation therein, be discharged from such
service or labor, but shall be delivered up
on claim of the party to whom such SER
vice or labor may be DUE" This clause,
with others, became, upon the adoption OF
, the Constitution, part and parcel of the
compact of the "Federal Union," which
Gen. JACKSON said, "nsust be preserved
And how was it preserved by the party
that during the war misquoted Cen
eral JACKSON and professed to be the
r defenders of the "Federal Union,
which they have rent in twain? Every
Northern State, where slavery had no
abiding place, and the States where slavery
had been abolished, because climate and
production made it Improbable, and where
Abolitionism had chance majority, enact
ed laws to nullify and to render void the
portion of the compact we have just quo
ted, and, in the very face of its plain letter
by laws and regulations, in Abolition States
to discharge the fugitive from service OF
labor to his master. This open, bold, cause
i less violation Of the contract, without 8
single justifiable reason, followed as it was
by political campaign, in which the
Northern States were engaged against those
Of the South, in purely sectional contest
the declaration yet fresh upon the lips
of the successful candidate that the Federal
Union could not exist if composed of States
part slave, part free, which declaration he
made true, by the acts of his own Ad-
ministration, and drenched the States in
fraternal blood. A. -----.---
! 1t was in anticipation of state of things
similar to this, that caused Gen. JACKSON
to say "The Federal Union-it must be
preserved; )" and had his own counsels pre-
vailed, it would have been preserved
through all time. But this was not to be-
The same party, under another name, that
plotted its destruction during the war OF
1912, as revealed in the JOHN HENRY cor
espondence-whosel leaders met in treason.
able conventions and sat with closed doors
at Hartford during the same war, and
whose chief apology for their treason
was that the Government was nurturins
the young and growing West, and build
ing up new States beyond the Allegheny
, mountains, has now accomplished its de
struction. They broke the compact, ant
thus destroyed the Federal Union, for on
portion OF the parties to a compact break
ing it, leaves it optional with the othe
parties to declare it annulled, and of NJ
-, more binding effect in law or in right
: Upon these leaders, and upon their alder
and abettors, will impartial history de
nounce as the men who sundered the Fed
J. eral Union, which, had the counsels @
WASHINGTON, JEFFERSON and JACKso!
prevailed, must have been preserved.
The war was professedly waged for tn
'. preservation of the Union, and, so far a
!, the force of arms could do it, the decisio
was in its favor. But the men who hal
looed ON the chase, who urged the wal
invited men to enlist and fight for tn
dear old Flag and the Union consecrate,
by the glories ofthe past, failed themselve
to take up arms and to do battle for il
when the war ceased. accomplishe
f that which years of war failed to do. The
, discovered, by acts of Congress the Fedora
Union-threw ten States of the Republi
out in the cold, and it is only by the asser
ton that they are not now States of tn
e Union, but conquered provinces, that tn