The Continental Monthly , Vol. 2 No. 5, November 1862: Devoted to Literature and National PolicyVarious
History
The Continental Monthly , Vol. 2 No. 5, November 1862: Devoted to Literature and National Policy
Various
Literature, Modern -- 19th century -- Periodicals; United States -- Politics and government -- 19th century -- Periodicals
That single-hearted patriot, in his boundless devotion to the Union,
seemed to be gifted with almost preternatural foresight; nor did he
exhibit greater sagacity in penetrating the motives and purposes of men,
than in comprehending the nature and influence of great social causes,
then in operation, and destined, as he clearly foresaw, to be wielded by
wicked men as instruments of stupendous mischief to the country. His
extraordinary prevision of the present attempt to overthrow the Union,
signalizes the evident affiliation of this rebellion with that which he
so wisely and energetically destroyed in embryo, by means of the
celebrated proclamation and force bill.
It was, however, only in the real motive and ultimate object of the
conspirators of 1832, that the attempt of South Carolina at that time
was the lineal progenitor of the rebellion of the present day. The
purpose was the same in both cases, but the means chosen at the two
epochs were altogether different. In the first attempt, the purpose was,
indeed, to break up the Union and to establish a separate confederacy;
but this was to be done upon the ground of alleged inequality and
oppression, as well as unconstitutionality, in the mode of levying
duties upon foreign importations. The attempt, however, proved to be
altogether premature. The question involved, being neither geographical
nor sectional in character, was not then, if it could ever be,
susceptible of being made the instrument of concentrating and
intensifying hostile opinion against the federal power. Louisiana, with
her great sugar interest, was a tariff State, and advocated protection
as ardently as it was opposed in the greater part of the North-West, and
in extensive districts of the North. She was not even invited to join
the proposed confederacy. Kentucky, Maryland, and Delaware were decided
in their support of the protective policy, while Tennessee, Missouri,
and North Carolina were divided on the question. Mr. Calhoun himself,
the very prophet of nullification, could not obliterate the memory of
his own former opinions, and it was difficult to induce the people to
cooeperate in overthrowing the Federal Government, simply for adopting a
policy which the very authors of this movement had themselves so
recently thoroughly approved.
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