LAD #13

 

Photo1: slave vs. free states, neither side will give which forces the split

 

The agitation about slavery is threatening to destroy the Union.  How can this be prevented ?  It is important to first understand the cause which threatens the Union.  The immediate cause is the discontent which pervades the Southern states, which was caused by the agitation about slavery.  The Southern States now believe that they cannot stay in the Union with honor and safety.  There has been a long agitation of the slave question on the part of the North, but another cause is that the equilibrium between the Northern and Southern States has been destroyed.  The result is that the Northern States now control every department of the government.  With the growth of the Country, the North has more representatives in the House, the Senate, and the Electoral College.  Legislation has caused the South to be excluded from the territory belonging to the United States, and adopting a tax system which burdens the South, and uses the proceeds in the North.  This has also enabled the North to grow in population due to the number of immigrants and their descendants. 

The North is hostile to the Southern relationship of the two races.  Those most opposed view it as a sin, those less opposed view it as a crime, and those least opposed regard it as a ‘blot’ or ‘stain’ on our ‘nation’.  The South regards the relation as one which can not be destroyed without subjecting the two races to calamity, and feel bound to defend it.

If something is not done, the South will be forced to choose between abolition and secession.  Dis-union will take time to undo all the cords that bind the States together.

The only way to save the Union is to adopt measures that will satisfy the Southern States.  The South has already surrendered much, and cannot surrender more.  The North must stop the agitation of the slave question, and to amend the Constitution to restore the equilibrium between the North and South.   The responsibility for saving the Union is with the North ... the North can save the Union with no sacrifice whatsoever.  

Action is needed now.  California will be the test case ... this will tell the South if the North intends to exclude the South from the whole of the acquired Territories and completely destroy the equilibrium. 

Photo2: Abortion just like slavery was, is an issue that drives the nation into two. Neither side will concede and so it continues to be an issue.