Slavery has only sprung
upon us; and if slavery stands in the way of national unity and
political harmony, unity and harmony can only be secured by
subordinating the power of slavery.
* * * * *
As to the importance and full significance of the principle of political
unity, it is not proposed to enter into a detailed discussion here; the
theme is too vast. A few suggestions must suffice in this connection.
One of the consequences of the want of political unity is national
dissensions and frequent wars, by which the resources of nations are
drained, property destroyed, countries devastated, the arm of industry
weakened, commerce crippled, and progress in the means of civilization
generally retarded. Political unity would do away with national
quarrels, so disastrous to human well-being; while the emulation of
states and sections will furnish all the incentive that is necessary to
urge a people on to honorable achievements.
It does not promise well for the pacific character of unity, that we
have a great civil war; but wherefore? An antiquated and misplaced
institution--a relic of a more primitive and barbarous form of
society--has led to the development of antagonism between two local
divisions of our country. The war grew out of this antagonism: destroy
the cause of sectional misunderstanding, and this cause of war will
never more give us trouble.
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