Year: 1861

Alter the long ana not unpleasant inter-
course which We have had with the readers
f the NATIONAL Democrat, it IS with noI
snai! degree OF pain, that we demand thu
attention for a few moments, while we pro-
nounce few farewell words With the pres
en-. tissue ceases our connection, as editor, with
this paper. We leave the position volunta
rily and Of our own accord, although re-
luctanty, for we had learned to love the as
sociations by which we were surrounded in
this beautiful city, and the warm and true
friends with whom we have met. The ties
which bind us to the party. with which we
have so long co-operated, are strong and we
feel them in their full force and extent We
have no word to retract on the subject of the
Union Of these States and we are still proud
Of the banner under which we have fought.
When, in the summer of 1858. we first raised
that standard to the breeze, we did SO under
the deep consciousness that we were right,
and ever since that period we have contend
ed for the Constitution and the Union. We
believed that the doctrines of Stephen A.
Douglas were the only safe basis for the peace
Of the country and the preservation of the
Union of the States. Fanatics both North
and South, rejected the neutral ground which
he proposed, and we mourned the result,
with the feeling of one who secs the vessel
that bears an untold wealth of hope aud
happiness, dashing mady upon the wreckful
rocks. W regret no word that we have
uttered against secession, treason and rebel
lion. We have no patience with the rash
and precpitate action which plunged the
country into revolution, when there was yet
ample time TO redeem all the wrongs, which
might be complained of, uithin the Union
and under the shield and sanction of the le-
gtimate constitutional authority of the coun-
try. No one was reader than we for revo
luton, when it should become necessary TO
preserve the liberties of any section of the
nation, but we have never yet been able to
find any shadow of justification for those
movements in the South which have resulted
in the establishment of the existing Confede-
racy Of the Gulf States. We believe that
the consequences will be less fatal to the in
tercsts Of the Union at large than to the
Gulf States themselves. The beginning which |
they made was wrong, fatally wrong, and
the end cannot be prosperous Our hope is
in the frmness and patriotism Of the border
States. We rely upon them for the pre-
servation of so much of the Union as will |
leave a still strong and vigorous government,
deep-rooted in the affections of the people, |
able to maintain its authority at home, and
to command the respect of the world abroad
We believeit is the duty of every good and
true citizens to stand by the Administration
of the Government, so long as it exercises its
strictly legal and constitutional authority.
Whenever it transcends those limits, and op-
presses any section of the country then we
believe in the great ultimate right which is
the last resort against tyranny, outrage and


wrong-the Right Of Revolution


We reiterate these views Cor we have Of
ten expressed them before) that we may not
be misunderstood in the move which we
Hidhc III tdhInS lcuNC Vi tHlS papeT. ne
South is the land of our birth, but we love
the entire Union, and 1t is to that Union that
We owe our allegiance.


Neither must we be understood as being
dissatisfied with the profession to which


we have devoted no inconsiderable portion
of our life. We know it as one of the noblest
in all the rounds Of human pursuit, and,


should The future call us again to the task,


we shall by no means be ashamed to bestride
anew the editorial tripod.


So much of explanation, we think, is due
to our past and present readers and we now
bid them, in our capacity of editor of the
NATIONAL DEMOCRAT, "A final farewell, premis-
ing, however that we shall be succeeded by
one of the ablest journalists upon this coast.
His salutatory will appear, in the ensuing
issue. JonN r. RIDGE