Year: 1860




The spirit Of Black Republicanism is aggressive.
It seeks to penetrate the territory of the South,
and revoutionize its institutions by an apostolic
invasion Of true light. 1t does not hesitate In lts
fanatical mpudence to cross Mason and Dixons
Line, and establish its outposts within slave terri
tory along the whole of our Northern line. The
John Brown inroad was but military effiorescence
of the jealous folly which has been at work for
years in a less sanguinary form.


1t is interesting to observe the varied success
which its efforts meet according to locality, and
to trace the causes of the different results. Mary
land, Virginia. Kentucky and Missouri are each
battle field for this fiery propagandism. In Ken
lucky and Virginia its presence is only sporadic
an nfatuation Of individuals. Maryland rejects il
with horror bordering on unseemly violence, and
in Missouri alone it seems to find anything OF
congenial soil. st. Louis is deeply imbued with
Black Republicanism.


AS to the City of Baltimore, the late scenes
enacted there in connection with the Republican
State Convention, published in todays issue leave
no doubt to popular feeling there on the subject
About thirty persons assemble for public session
with an audaeity only equaled by the complete
ness of its overthrow-the crowd grow Indignant
the Presidents table is upset - members are
knocked down, and Notwithstanding the interfer
ence of police officers, the assembly is dispersed
One prominent member was followed by an I'M
mense crowd, with demonstrations that induced
him to take refuge in bank building and throw
himself upon the protection Of the police. The
excitement was too spontaneous, too general and
too intense to be construed otherwise than as an
outbreak Of the popular sentiment.


What then is the cause of the different aspect of
the question in different localities having the same
latitude and climate? Why does the balefuI frenzy
become epidemic in one State and excite contempt
and loathing in another apparently in the same
situation? The solution of this question must be
sought not in considerations of climate, but of
races. Among the original European settlers those
peoplng the New England colonies and called Pur-
itans formed, from certain religious pecuarities,
almost race apart. With all the stern virtues of
the soldier, the indomitable energy of the hero,
they blended marked and intolerant fanaticism.
These characteristics have been but little modified
by the lapse of time. Courage of the most mascu-
line type, unconquerable energy, stern endurance,
are qualities that none but the prejudiced can
deny to New Enganders, of the present as well as
of past generations But we find still living in the
hearts Of the people, as though it were vital part
of their very nature, that fanatical devotion
| to what they consider right principle, the same


intolerance of honest dissent in others. They seize
upon plausible idea without being of its COR
rectness, defy it and prohibit all further nvestga.
| ton as profane. They cannot admit for moment
the possibility of their being wrong and others be-
ing right who differ with them. They are not salts
fed either with believing; they must act on their
belief and give it practical application every,
where. They are the Apostles Of Liberty and En-.
| lightenment in the world, and cannot rest until
everybody enjoys the inestimable blessings which
| they have invented.
Now, wherever we find colonies from the parent
stock, we find the same transcendental ideas in full
vigor, congenal to every plausible "ism" that is
presented, and especially ready to develop into
Aboldionisne as the crownng one of all, if it has
not done so already. This system of thought has
grown with their growth and strengthened with
their strength. They have imbibed it with theil
/ mothers milk, and habit has made it a second ma
/ ture. Thus we the progress of those doctrines
/ in st. Louis where the New England element is SC
strong.


The more Southern States, however, settled by
a race of men less enthusiastic questions of abb
stract principles, more practical in their views OF
social compromise, have never been subject to
the paroxysms of lofty folly which sweep like cpl
demic over the North. Hence we are not sur
prised to observe the little headway that Black
| Republicanism makes among those States; and
/ hence, too, we may draw cheering conclusion
that there is little prospect Of our border States
being ever converted to those doctrines, how little
interest so ever they may have in slavery.