Eastern times. [volume] (Bath, Me.) 1846-1857, 1850-12-19

WASHINGTON, Dec. 6, 1850.
GENTLEMEN Ii would be exceedingly graft
flying to me to avail myself of your polite lnvi
tation TO be present and address the proposed
meeting OF the citizens of Bath aud vicinity,
in favor of the Union, and Of sustaining the
Constitution and laws passed IN pursuance of
it" if my public duties did not require my
presence here.
| need not say to you. gentlemen, that am
for the Union as is-a Union that has secured
an aggregate of prosperity and happiness such
as no other government has ever conterred-a
Union that rescued us from our hopeless ccndl-
ton under the coniederacy, when this rich
country laid Tor years wreck upon the waters,
with lis energies paralized, lis vast resources
dormant. and the fruits of the Revolution vel
nigh lost, Tor the war an adequate govern
ment 1t required all the wisdom of that day,
in the exercise of the post enlarged patriotism,
to agree upon the Constitution, and establish
this Union between independent, rival States,
destined from their position and character, 10 be-
come ardent friends united in peace, or bitter
foes engaged in perpetual strife. OF necessity.
the Constitution was founded in Compromise :;
each section yielding something 10 secure its
adoption as a whole and the Union under it
can only be preserved by adherng TO that in
strument as il is We cannot claim 10 enforce
lis provisions upon others, unless we can obey
them ourselves We cannot hold other States
to the terms of the compact, if we repudiate
them on our part Vermont has no more right
to set the laws of the Union at defiance, than
South Carolina.
1t was found necessary by the trainers of the
Constitution, who were as good and as phian-
thropic men as we of this age can claim to be,
10 enter into a stipulation for the surrender of
fupilves from labor. They did not leave this
to implication, like MANY OF the duties assumed
upon becoming one people, such as the exercise
OF national and iraternal feeling, but incorpora-
ted it into the Constitution, In clear and une-
qnivocal terms. That instrument expressly de-
cares that" No mau held 10 labor in the
" State, under the laws thereof, escaping into
9 another, shall, in consequence of any law or
" regulation therein, be discharged from such
service or labor, bm shall be dehrered up, on
"cam of the party 10 wnom such service or la
A" Dor may be DUE" Although this provision
may be repulsive 10 the feelings of the nom
saveholdlng States, and we may wish there was
''no slave To flee. and no master to pursue" yet
while we clam the benefits of the Union, our
duty Is plain; and he is recreant to the govern
ment, who refuses to stand by the Constitution.
The States interested in this provision, are en-
titled TO such law, as, while it shall not en-
danger the rights of the freeman, shall etfectu-
ally secure the return of the slave-a law that
will carry out the provisions of the Constitu-
ton, fairly and honestly; and not one devised
to evade, while protesting to enforce it. Let
US deal manfully with our sister States and as
We adhere 10 the Union, let us live up to the
Constitution. This, believe, is the true feel
ing Of the great body of the people of our State
There is no part of the country where sound
sentiments more generally prevail. They are
the friends of law, and order, and good govern.
ment. do not know an aro,ced disunionist,
amongst US; and few, if any, of those practical
disunionists, who claim the right to nullify the
Constitution and laws, under the assumed sane
ton of "a higher law" Where each man
makes his conscience (or practically his willy
the only law which he will obey, there is an end
of government, and civil society is dissolved
No law Could he made, to which some one S
conscience would not take exception and his
tory is full of The religious prosecutions, and
other enormities, that have been perpetrated un-
der the pretended promptings of conscience.
1t is fortunate circumstance that the various
questions growing out Of the subject of slavery