Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1845-10-03
THE DTSUNION %pLEDGEo1

DASO1NlO1N
We row come TO the consideration of TIN
remlining objection which the Disunion
Pledge urges as a reason for the noKpsuppuft
of the Constitution, and which is expressc I
as follows" thai slave nsurreot:on a. X
be suppressed by the ccmbined military ans
naval power Of the country, if needed ir
any emergency" This refers to tco pro-
visions in thg Constitution, one for proteo-
ton against domestic violence, the other for
tho suppression of insurrections. The Her
aid by some strange oversight wholly neg
lects 10 notice the second clause, which rle
pledge would seem moro directly to refer to,
but attempts to build an argument upon that,
which would appear at first sight to be nDre
favorable to its position. The part which
the editor quotes is this:
"rhe United Stltes shall guaranty to ev-
cry State in this Union a republican form Of
government, and shall protect each of them
against Invasion, and on application Of the
Legislature, or of the Executive (whcn the
Legislature cannot be conyened) against de-
nestle violence
tc admits that this clause, although gen.
eral in its character, is applicable to s~ervile
Instructions, and that it is binding upon the
President, the members of Conrress, and
such U. ). officers az my be cllled into
service. He considers it ''highly benifcent.
and ono of the best parts of the U. S. Con-
s%titution. 1t makes the United Sites y
P~eGte-Haker." Yes! DR.. Bailey calls the
United States government a PEAcC-MAkKR.
though i'll rather strange for a p:lce-mlkor
to wear a warlike guisc, to come to mike
peace ''asined and equipped as the law d.
reefs" with lcgions Of blool thirsty follow
ers to enforce its p~eace-making commands.
BLESSED are the peace-makers, for they shall
be called the children of God" Captain
Stockton of the Princeton man-of-war, chris
tened his big gun "Peace Maker and its
terrible explosion blew to atoms those who
designed to use it to destroy others. DR..
Baiiy, with as total a disregard to tho Just
application of terms as Captain Stockton
ever manifested, has christened the father of
that big gun, the U. s.. government, Peace.
Mdker'
But to return to the Dr's argument, which
Instead of being wrought in the school of
strict construction in which he was educa-
ted, is as loose an Interpretation of the Con.
s%tltution, as any rogue could desire of the
criminal code. 1t is briefly this. The gener-
al government is bound t. protect the States
against domestic violence. A s~eryile insur-
%rection is domestic violence. The simple
duty of the government. is to command and
enforce the Peace; if the Shareholder then
attempt to reduce again to slavery the slave
who has risen 10 the state of a freeman. bis.
violence be upon his own head. It is not
bound to replace and rivet anew the broken
letters; therefore the Constitution is not in
this particular pro-slavcry. We shall reply
yer? briefly to his argument. The Consti-
tuition requires that every &aie shall be pro-
tect4d against domestic violence. What
constitutes a State! Not a certiin number
Of people, for if so, then is Iowa a State, al
though she has refused to adopt a Constitu-
ton. We would define a State to be, that
portion of the inhabitants If a territory who
support the Constitution which the people
constitutionally adopted, and act in accord
ance with the laws and regulations of such
government. Such is the sense in which
the word State is used in the Constitution.
IL the slaves Of South Carolina rise in re-
bellion against the authorities of the State.
they are not while in that attitude a portion
Of the State although they may be in a ma
jorlty. Suppose they adopted a Constitu-
ton and called themselves the State Of
+ South Carolina, which of the parties would
Congress be bound to recognize as a State,
and protect against domestic violencef-
Most certainly the minority; for the Consti.
tuition Of the majority grew out of a rebel
lous movement, is the fruit Of disobedisnce
to the constituted authorities. The slaves of
Carolina are held in conformity with tho
State laws; an attempt to gain their freedom
would be in opposition to those laws, and
Congress is bound to protect every State
against domestic violence, not by setting at
nought its laws, and ~encourageing others 10
trapple them under foot, but by maintaining
The supremacy Of IAN, which is the life and
soul Of every human government that hes
ye, been e%rssnized. 4 fw'yfaro sanS q,