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PAPERS OF MIRABEAU BUONAPARTE LAMAR
of the United States, controlled and administered by those acting upon this fanatical sentiment has become; in their hands, an instrument for the furtherance and final achievement of this unhallowed end.- Cer- tainly this leaves the south no possible escape from the ruin that menaces her, escept through the door of secession. This is her only hope, "In native swords, and native ranks, Her only hope of safety dwells." No true friend of the south can any longer doubt the fact, that the extirpation of slavery is not only resolved upon the northern States, but that they regard its accomplishment as a matter of C:ertainty. 'l'he only question with them is the best manner of effecting it. One por• tion of the anti-slavery party, impatient of delay, are disposed to at- tempt it at once, without any regard to consequences; while the .more temperate and calculating portion, equally bent upon the purpose, are laboring to achieve it by less precipitate and perilous action. The one is unwilling to resort to force; the other, however, desirous to avoid a conflict which might endanger success, and in which they could not hope to escape from their full share of heavy blows, prefer to work by slow and sure degress, and to throw their toils around ·us so art- fully as not to exci[te 88 } they hav[e] us fully bound for E 88 ] and then, (I fear not until then) w[hen] the final blow is about to descend upon us, we shall see the folly and madness of our present suicidal conduct, anq. shall perish as all other supine and foolish communities have perished, who lie down to sleep, whilst the enemy is battering at their gates. Foreseeing the catastrophe, it is crime not to provide against it. The designs of the enemy are no longer masked - we now fully com- prehend them, and seeing that all things are tending to their accom- plishment, I would put the question to the born-southern man, whether. he does not think it high time that something should be done to avert the approaching calamity, and to place his country and her in- stitutions in a state of greater security? He cannot hesitate to an- ~wer yes. Then what is the remedy? If he can devise a better one than that of secession, let him name it. -In my opinion, this is the only measure adequate to the occasion ; and so fully satisfied are our enemies of this truth - so confident are they that separation is the only means of salvation to us, and defeat to them - that they have not scrupled to indicate their intention of detaining us to the confed- eracy by military force - an intimation which fully confirms the danger of our. situation, and increases the necessity of our withdrawal. I am not wanting in due respect to the American Union, nor a just appreciation of its value; but no .one will pretend to say that the present is a union of the constitution - the union established by the sages of the revolution - the union that was to ensure "domestic peace and tranquility;" but another great dynasty erected upon ite ruins - a Russian empire which makes a Hungary of the south. - Such a Union cannot be desired : it is a curse instead of a blessing; we never entered into nor should we any longer endure it; it should be dissolved immediately if the north do not pause at· once in their ag- 11Illegillle.
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