The Crisis of Eighteen Hundred and Sixty-One in the Government of the United States.: Its Cause, and How It Should Be Met — John Shaqi
The Crisis of Eighteen Hundred and Sixty-One in the Government of the United States.: Its Cause, and How It Should Be MetStreight, Abel D.
History
The Crisis of Eighteen Hundred and Sixty-One in the Government of the United States.: Its Cause, and How It Should Be Met
Streight, Abel D.
Secession; United States -- Politics and government -- 1857-1861
Although we have given at length what we believe to be the great primary
cause of our present crisis, yet there are other more immediate causes,
among which is the course that the Northern press have pursued since this
secession movement has assumed a more positive form. Many of the leading
papers have advocated the policy of allowing such States to secede as
choose to do so. And others have been loud with their demands for
concession and compromise upon any basis that would satisfy the traitors
and restore peace. While still another class have battled manfully for the
supremacy of the laws. This division of what is taken for the public
sentiment, has been a source of consolation and encouragement to the
traitors, while the government of the United States has stood silent with
folded arms and allowed itself to be robbed of millions of dollars worth
of property without raising a hand or uttering a solitary protest against
the theft. What more encouragement could those who have been engaged in
this treasonable scheme have asked for or desired? They have been told by
a portion of the Democratic press that they were perfectly justifiable in
dissolving the Union; and by a portion of the Republican press, that
although they were by no means justifiable in committing such an
outrageous act, yet, if they were really in earnest, and were determined
to do so or fight, then they could go ahead, for there would be no
fighting to maintain a Union with such unruly neighbors. Such seems to
have been the reckless and ill-timed course on the part of the press at
this present juncture, that it has encouraged the traitors by,
representing the friends of the Union as divided into fragments, thus
removing all opposition to their reckless course. Had the press of the
North presented an unbroken front in favor of the Union, and a
determination to stand by it regardless of threats or even of violence, we
have every reason to believe that the South would have hesitated and
considered the nature of the calamity they were bringing upon themselves
and their country. That the spirit of compromise heretofore exercised on
the part of our government toward those who have threatened violence, is
the great source of our political troubles, can hardly admit of a
doubt--why should we pursue the policy still further that has brought us
to the very verge of ruin? Since it is our wavering, compromising, and
undecided course that has brought our country to ruin, let us proceed to
adopt a more firm and decided course. Give the South all that is their
right, and boldly refuse to submit to any dictation beyond our
constitutional duty. This is not the time to amend constitutions nor to
change public opinion, but let every man rally to the support of his
country, and when peace is restored and traitors have laid down their arms
and signified a willingness to submit to the laws, we will have more
leisure to investigate the nature of the proposed constitutional
amendments.
THE CRISIS,
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