Year: 1860

this discourse. And what is still more to the point
there seems to be sufficient evidence that the man
who has just been chosen to be the head of this
tion, is among the more conservative and Bible
loving men of his party. We have no fears that
1t the new administration could be quietly in
augurated, it would or could abotionize the gov
ernment. There are honest people enough in the
Northern States to prevent such a result. But,
then, while this is admitted as a simple matter of
ull ana justice, 1t cannot be denied, on the other
hdhu, mat aboitionism did enter, with all its char
acterisuc bitterness INTO the recent contest that
the result never could have been ACCOMPLISHED with
out Its assistance, and that now appropriates the
victory in words of ridicule and scorn that stino
like serpent. Let me give you, as a single speci.
of the spirit in which abOlitionism has carried
on its political warfare, extract from journal
which claims to have larger circulation than any
other religious paper in the land. | quote from
the New Y ork Independent, of September 1856:


''The people will not levy inaugurate a revolu
ton even to relieve Kansas until they have first tried
what they do by voting. If this peaceful remedy
count the cost wisely and decide for themselves boldly
and firmly which is the better way in and
throw of a government than that of old King
George, or endure it another folr years and then vote
again.


Such is the sprit-such the love to the Constitu-
tion and Union of these States with which reli-
gious element has entered into and seeks control
our party politics.


But we deceive ourselves if we suppose that our
present dangers of birth recent as 1856. As
the questions now before the country rise in their
magnitude above all party interests, and ought at
once to blot out all party lines, so their origin is
found far back of all party organizations as they
now exist.


An article published twenty years ago in the
Princeton Rcrie,g, contains this remarkable Ian
guage:


crate oduce the disunon of the States and the division
this opinion operates it will lead
it. to submit to any sacrifices to it and give it
effect We shall become two nations in feeling which
| must soon render us two nations in fact"


! These words wonderfully prophetic, and
they who read the signs of the times must see that
the period of their fulflment draws near. In re-
gard to ecclesiastical societies the division oretold
is already in a great measure accomplished
Three of our great religious denominations have
been rent in twain by the simple question, "Is
slaveholding a sin?''


1t yet remains to be seen whether the American
| Tract Society and the American Board of Foreign
Missions, will be revoutionized and dismembered
bya contest which, we told, is to be annually
| renewed. In regard to the Union of these States
there is too much reason to fear that eve al
| ready two nations in feeling" and to anticipate
the near approach of the calamity which shall blot
| out some of the stars in our ensign and make us
| two nations in fact


And what has brought us to the verge of this
! great precipice? What evil spirit has put enmty
| between the seed of those whom God by his bless
ing on the wisdom and sacrifices of our fathers made
one flesh? What has created and fostered this
alienation between the North and South until dis
union-that used to be whispered in corners
| stalks forth in open daylight and is recOg-
nized a necessity by multitudes of thinking
men in all sections of the land? | believe before
God, that this division of feeling, of which actual
| dlsunion will be but the expression and embodi-
ment was begotten of abolitohism, has been rocked
in its cradle and fed with its poisoned milk, and in
struced by its ministers until grded with a strength
| which comes not altogether of this upper world,
it is taking hold upon the pillars of the Constitu-
| ton, and shattering the noble fabric to its base.
There was a time when the constitutional ques-
| tions between the North and South-the conflict of
material interests growing out of their differences
in soil and production, discussed in the spirit
| of craftsmanship and Christian courtesy. Then
such men Daniel Webster on the one side, and
Calhoun the other, stood up face to face and de-
Tended the rights of their respective constituency in
words which will be quoted as long as the English
tongue shall endure as model of eoquence and
| pattern of manly debate But abolitonism began
to creep in. 1t came first as purely moral ques-
ton; but very soon its doctrines embraced by
"a sufficient number to hold the balance of power


between contending parties in many districts and


States. Aspirants for the Presidency seized upon


it a weapon for gratifying their ambition


or avenging their disappontments. Under the


shadow of their patronage, sincere abolitonists


became more bold and abusive in advocating their
principles. The unlawful and wicked business of
enticing slaves from their masters pushed for
ward with increasing zeal. Men who in the better
days of the republic could not have obtained the
smallest office, elected to Congress upon this
single issue; and ministers the Gospel descended
from the pulpit to mingle religious animosty with
the boiling caudrOn of political strife. Nor was
this process confined to one side in the contest
Abuse always pTOVOReS recrlmlnatl0n. 30 long as


human nature is passionate, hard words will be re-


spOnded to by harder blows And now behold the


result In the halls where Webster and Calhoun,
Adams end MeDutlie, rendered the very name of
American craftsmanship illustriOus and revived the
memory Of classic eoquence, have heard the
outpOurng of both Northern and Southern violence
from men who must be nameless in this sacred


place; and in the land where such Shareholders


Washington and Madison united with Hamil-


ton and Hancock in cementing the Union
which they iondly hoped would be perpetual, com
merce and manufactures, and all our great indus
t trial and governmental interests are trembling


the verge of dissolution; and as abolitionsm is the


great mschicEmaker between North and South,


so it is the great stumbling block in the way of a
peaceful settlement oF difficulties. Its voice is


still for The spirit of Cancellation and com


promise it utterly abhors; and mingling a horrid


nirth with its madness puts into the hands of the


advocates of secession the very fans with which to


blow the embers of strife into Il flame. One
man threw torch into the great temple of the


Ephesians and kindled a confagratiOn which


hundred thousand brave could not extinguish


One man hdded and sang, and made his cOurtiers


laugh, amid the burning of ROme-and the abOli-
tion preacher " feels good" and overfows with
riment, when he sees our merchants and laboring
men running after their chests and the bread of


their families, " as if all creation was after them,"


and snutis on the Southern breeze the scent of


vile and civil war.


Oh, shame, shame that it should come to this, and


the name of our holy religion be blasphemed!


Let us hope in Christian charity that such men do


not comprehend the danger that stares them in the


face Indeed, who of us does fully comprehend it?


In the eloquent words of Daniel Webster, "While


the Union lasts, we have high, exciting, gratifying


prospects spread out before u.s. for and for
children. Beyond that seek not to penetrate the
veil. God grant that il my day at least, that cur


tain may not rise" A kind and wonderful Provl-
dence has so tempered the body of these States to-
gether, so bound and interlaced them with com


merca and social ties, to say nothing of legal OBJ
legations, that member be severed and es-


pecially contest can be waged among the mem
$ bers without a quiVering and anguish in every
nerve and stagnaton in the vital currents of all.
Let one star be blotted out from our ensign, and
the moral gravitatiOn which holds all in their
bits will be paralyZed, if not utterly destroyed.


The living example of Successful secession for one


cause will suggest the same course for another;


and unless God gives our public men wisdom and


forbearance of which the past few years have af


torded too little evidence the dissolution of this
: Union will be the signal for the disintegraton OF
, its elements In such a chaos let us not fatter


selves that shall be in entire peace and safety.


The contest on whose perllOus edge seem to


stand cannot be merely a sectional one-all the
North on the side, and all the South on the
other. 1t is a conflict that will run the plough


share of division through every State and neigh
borhood in the land. Abolition orators may talk


about what owe of the North will do and will


not do, as though all the people had bowed down


to worship the image they had set up; but other


men besides them will claim the right to speak


other interests will need to be conserved besides


the cause upon which they arrogantly assume that
victory perches and the smile of heaven rests.
, "Let not him who rutteth on his armor boast as
he that pulleth it off"


When the thousands of workingmen whose sub


sistence depends upon trade with the South,
many of whom have been deluded by abolition
demagogues shall camor in our streets for bread,


free labor may present some problems which polltl-
e cal economy has not solved. And when the COM
merce of this cosmopolitan city is parayZed, and
all her benevolent and industrial institutions are


whitening in the heat of this unnatural contest, It
: : NAV become a question-nay, is it not already
n whispered in your counting -houses-whether this
: great metropolis be separated from the people
with whom her interest and her heart is bound up


and continue to be controlled by legislative policy
against which she is continually protesting? or


whether following the great lights of history, she
+ will at all hazards set up for herself and unboltlng
! the gateway of her magnificent harbor, invite the


free trade of the world to pour its riches into her
bosom2


: Such are a few of the problems which bring the
. question of a dissolution of the Union home to US.


If we were sure of peaceful solution, at whatever
q pecuniary or social sacrifice, would not feel so
a deeply speak earnestly But who knows


that it will be PEACEFUL Where is the surgeon ho


can sever even member from this body polite
, without the shedding of blood? Where is the
statesman political economist who will under


take to control the parties, direct the industrial


interests of any one State, amid the confusion and
! alarm of dissolution? Let not deceive our
: selves. The chasm before is yawn-


ing abyss, into whose depths no eye but Gods


can penetrate. Other men may cry "who's


afraid?" and whistle to keep their courage. up;


but confess my fears. Through the curtain that is


Oh. -, aeba or yub f,ab bor