Year: 1863




Mr.. EDITOR There is so far as remember, no war
to be with history entirely anaogouso the one now
raging between the North and the South That produced
by attempt the part of three OF the Swiss Cantons
to separate themselves from the Confederation few Years
since in some respects, resembles it most nearly mat
attempt it will be remembered arrested and the re-
belous Canons speedily reduced to submission py e
arms of the Confederacy 1t is frequently eomPaea "
our old Revolutionary struggle with the mother country
but there is scarcely any analogy between ths tWo o


The thirteen Colonies not like the southern ou'
equal political rights with the other States OF Tue r
tsh Empire. They possessed no sovereign power Wnas
ever. They not we were, entitled 10 TePeeseh
ation in the Parliament OF the BRUSH Uhion out
Colonies-mere dependencies upon the mother
country La an evil hour the administration OF George
Grenvie and afterwards that of Lord North attempted
TO impose unjust tax upon the Colonies ms oppres


sion was resisted and the resistance made the pre-
text for other expressions more unjust still The Colonies
continued their resistance IN constitutional way Ior near
ten circumstances and petitions
for the redress of grievances but all in vain AT length
they took up arms with the avowed object OF enforcing
such redress They soemnly disciamtd all intention OF
separation from the parent State for they We're as loyal 10
their feelings Of attachment to the British Constitution as
were the inhabitants of Surry Cornwall This resoute
step they confidently expected would procure the desired
but the advice of all the abest statesmen at that
ageof Chatham, Of Camden, of Burke of Fox OF Rock
ngham and ohers-Were thrown away upon the narrow
minded Monarch and the blgOted Ministry which Then
swayed the desnies of the British Empire S IN nope
they continued the struggle for one whole year. Az
the British Parliament declared the Colonies out OF the
protection of the parent State And then at last other
left them but to proclaim their independence
and defend it, If need be- with their fes blood Inc pat
tie Of Lexington fought the 18th o April lI'o,
and on the 18th April l776 the Provincial Congress OF
North Carolina empowered their delegates 10 Congress
to concur with the delegates of the other Colonies IN de-
carng independence and forming foreign Alliances and
on the 18th of the following month Virginia. through her
Convention instructed her delegates IN the Continental
Congress propose to that body to declare the United
Colonies free and independent States absoved from all al
epiance to dependence the Crown Parliament of
Great Britain, and the 4h of July following the ever
memorable Declaration was made.


But how different has been the Of the secession
They to have resolved years ago that the Union
should be destroyed and then to have set themselves to
work TO Vh grievances as would secm to give them


decent pree1 Tor the accomplishment Of their premed
lated schemes The first effort made in the days of
nullGc ,cn by the secessionsts of South Carolina The
grievance then complained of the tariff although the
state of South Carolina herself had been from the f0un
daton of the Government nearly to that period strong
advocate of high tariff any State in New England.
That question compromised South Carolina obtained
all that che ostsnsbiy demauded tariff, with
Incidental protection became the settled policy of the
Government and except for short period under the Ia.
riff Of l542 departed from But still they
satisfied. Immediately after the passage of Mr. Clays
compo bill the newspaper organ of the secessonsts
Mt Washington declared " that The South could be
united e tariff question aud that the Stare question
the opy that could unite them And Mr.. Calhoun,
if mistake not said the thrg n speech at Abbe-
vile, in South Carolina about the same time; and of
followed by all the lesser lights among his ad-
herents. Then commenced that violent agitation of the
slavery question which had nearly eliminated upon the
admission of California in 1850 Again by the Efforts of
those immortal statesmen of the last age Messrs Web
ser, Cl4y, and others, was the matter compromised


The whole country at first appeared to be satisfied with
the settlement but it appeared that there
ber restless spirits among the extremists of the South
that would be satisfied with nothing short of dissolution
of the Union OF this class of politicians w. l.. Yancey
may be fy selected representative man. He immedi-
atey began agtate the question again He went to the
Democratic National Convention at Baltimore, in 1882 as


delegate from the State of Alabama and there proposed
as the utinalun which he could continue to with
the Democratic party and upon which n hs opinion, the
Slave States could consent to remss in the Union that the
doctrine Of by Congress regard slavery
in the Territories should be incorporated into the Demo
cratic platform In this be failed and therefore did not
support the nominee Of the Convention, Mr. Pierce He
could not however at that time, succeed in creating
great schism the Democratic party great had been
the calm which the compromise measures of 1850 had
produced La 1856 he agan went as delegate from the
State OF Alabama to the Cincinnati Convention with his
old utmatR in his pocket Contrary TO his wishes aud
expectations it incorporated into the Cincinnati plat
form and being thus left without he supported
Mr. Buchanan tor the Presidency IN the fall OF that year
In the mean time however that fatal measure the
Of the Missouri compromise had been contaminated 1t
was brought about by the extremists OF the South aided
by few partisan Democrats at the North. The avowed
object Of its author to open to slavery the Territories
| north Of the Missouri compromise ne Notwithstanding
the agreement of 1920 that said line should orcuer divide
the Territories between the Slave and FIRE. States 1t
said however that the compromise Of 1920 was uncons


tutona but what is that to the purpose lt most
solemn compact between the two sections of the country
tIe OF most perprxlng question,
and, without any reference to ITS consutonsy uld
have been regarded organic law, and observed as
sacredy rs the Constitution itself


The effect Of this measure great and rapid, and
there cau be but little doubt that it was such as
Of its authors contemplated The result the forma


ton Of great party the North opposed to the further
extension 0f slavery, and which party very nearly suc
ceeded in electng their candidate for the Presidency Mr.
Fremont in 1856. After the election, this party seemed
TO be the wane until the slavery spirit If the whole
NJ rh roused 10 madness by attempt the
f Mr. Buchanans Administration to force the ecompton
Constitution with slavery upon the people of Kansas
opposition to the kn0n and expressed wIsh Of three
fourths of them But for this most unjustifabe
the Republican party would undoubtedly have dwindled
down TO moderate proportons aud after this it il
doubtful IL they could have ded in the Presidential
election Of 1860 il the secessonss with Yancfy their
head had determined that they should succeed After
Mr. Yancey and his party bad, sgans their wishes sue
ceeded in getting their mmaum of noninterventon n-
corporaed into the Cincinnati PLATFORM they went TO work
to up another to present to the Charleston Con.
yenton Abandoning their doctrine OF non-interveniion


they went 10 the opposite extreme aud demanded the
intervention Of Congress for the protection Of slavery in
the Territories should constitute part OF the
platform This demand they we'll knew would not be com.
piled with did they desire that it should be. Their
Cotton States from the Convention and thus defeating
the nomination Of Mr. Douglas aud rending arunder the
Democratic party 10 insure the election Of Mr. Lincoln
and thereby foTg for themselves grievance which would
tn justify them n the execution Of their long medi-
tated designs Of destroying the Union


All Of this they accomplished and the election Of Mr.
Lincoln perhaps hailed with greater Joy ut Charleston
than at New York. will do them the Justice 10 state
that they also claimed to have other grievances
among them, that Of the Northern States by their
statutes Obsructed the execution Of the fugitive
but the only States that could complain much that