Year: 1860

solution of .he Union has been talked Of, and We


have on this ono subject both slultiGed ourselves


and the South. There was a time-just time


and only one, when the Union was of grea: value


but that period has long since gone by, to return


no more. When we we've only thirteen small colo
nies, and had ;he most powerful nation on the


globe to battle with, then tho Union was VITAL


1t is all nonsense, however, to hug the Union as


though it were still great life-preserving nstitu.


ton. Union has had its day, it is thing of the
| past, and we need not mourn for it. 1t is pity


we did not understand it better, and that our


readiness to connvo at southern villany, and take


upon us the guilt of slavery rather than allow the
precious idol to be marrcd has spoiled those slave
growing members of the confederacy. The mean


y ezuc;ing spirit of the testy Southron is strictly
northern product; il comos from the debasing
culture we have bestowed upon him.


5. Finally, secession grows out Of the fitness
Of things, and is in some sort both physical and
moral necessity on the part of the South. Two
men of vastly unequal gate-one walking two
miles and the other ten miles an hour-would
hardly be agreed to walk together for any great
length OF time. In the lace of improvement, the
slave States cannot keep pace with the free States
Virginia, once the most powerful State in the
Union, is now scarcely fourth rate in population
or wealth. Slavery keeps all the States where it
exists the back ground and will forever pre-
vent their competing in any other respect with
the other members Of the Union. This is mortfy-
ing, and Of itself might reasonably induce desire
70. separation, but this is by no means the worst
feature of the case, the slave States in addition
to tagging behind are constantly engaged in rever-
sing what is done at the North. AT the South
here is persistent effort to degrade all the labor
ing population, while in the North there is an
equally persistent effort to elevate all the laboring
population. These contrary efforts in the two de-
partments of the coniodoracy are constantly neu-
tralizing ench other, and making it disagreeable
for the South TO remain in political relations with
lhe North. Dissimila7ity of pursuits make secos-
sion extremely desirable, especially where all i'm
provcment is considered dangerous; the slave-hOl-
der's work is perpetually undone by proximity to
the different and oyershadowing policy of the nom
slave holder.


We have thus pointed out what we believe to be
all the real causes of secession. That other eau
ses arc alledged, we are aware, hut they do not
seem to us to have much force. 1t is said the
South is ambitious-that they wish to reopen the
foreign slave-trade--that they are afraid Mr.. Lin
Joln will mp peril their interests-that personal
liberty la gro offensive to ihem-that they wish
to draw out new concessions and acquire for sla-
very greater secUrity-but in our opinion none of
these things have much weight. The causes Of
secession arc unprecedented and inevitable to
slavery they have not the nature of deep laid
scheme; like the vices Of the drunkard, they
pring from the besotted condition of the indiv-
lual.