Carroll free press. [volume] (Carrollton [Ohio]) 1834-1861, 1856-01-10

mont Of the restrictive provision 20 the present
day. o denounee and 70 condemn il: who have
constantly refused L by needful tuoplementa-
~ legislation who bave spared no exertion
\ 10 deprive Il Of moral force who have them
selves, again and again, attempted its repeal
| by the enactment Of incompatible proyisions3
and who, by the inevitable reaeuonary effect
Of their own violence on the subject awakened
the country TO perception Of the true consti-
tutionaI principle. Of Leaving The matter involv.
ed to the discretion Of the respective existing
or incipient States.
It is not pretended that this principle, or any
other, preeludss the possibility Of evils 10 prae-
tice, disturbed IS political action Is liable to
be, by human passions No form Of govern
ment is exempt from incOnvenienee; j; but in
this case they are the result Of the abuse, and
not Of the legitimate exercise. Of the powers
reserved or conferred in the organization Of
Territory. They are not to be charged to the
principal Of popular soveregnty-on The con-
trary, they disappear before the intelligence
and patriotism Of the people, exerting through
the ballOt-box their peaceful aud silent but IL
resistibls power. a1ofsa
II the friends Of the Constitution are 10 hare
another struggle, its enemies could not pteSenI
a more acceptable issue than that of a State
whose Constitution clearly embrace "a republ-
can form of government being excluded from
the Union, because its domestic institutions
may not in all respects compOrt with the idea
Of what is wise and expedient entertained il
i, some other State. Fresh from groupdless i'm
putations Of breach Of faith against others, ,mei
! will commence the agitation Of this new ques-
: ton, with ndubitable violation Of an express
Lotur al srIa fos
powers Of the United States and Of the repub-
!. lie of Texas, as well as of the older and equal
q ly solemn compacts which assure the equally
$ solemn compac:s which assure the equality Il
. all the States. w
POSSIBILITY OF DISSOLUTION.
Bat, deplorabIe as would be such violation
Of compact in itself, and in all its direct eons-
quences. that is the very least Of the evils IT.
. volyed, When sectional agtators shall haze
, succeeded'in forcing on this issue, can thsr
y y pretensions fail TO be met by counter pretel-
- sions? viii not different States be compeld
:" respectively to meet extremes with extremes?
= And, if either extreme carry its point, whit
is that so far forth but dissolution of the Un-
= on? If new State, formed from the territov
" " of the United States, be absolutely exclude
.. from admission therein, that fact itself consl
Of tutes the disruption Of union between it AID
lis the other States. But the process Of dssou-
n tion could not stop there. Would not Sc
We tional decision, producing such result by a
la majority of votes, either Northern or Southen,
in of necessity drive out the oppressed and g.
NJ grived minority, and place in presence of ea,h
~ other two ,irreconclably hostile eonteders-
nis tions
ng 1t is necessary TO speak thus plainly of po,
at jects, the offspring of that sectional agatbn
"a u now prevailing in some cf the States, which
,ce c are as impraccabe as they are unconsth.
Ar tional, and which, if they are persevered n,
es. must and will end calamitously. 1t is eitb,r
IL dlsunion and civil war, or it is mere angr
J ''g lille, aimless disturbance of public peace AID
ar. tranquility. Dlsunion for what? Ii the pis
sti sionae rage o fanaticsm and partisan spii
n did not force the fact upon our attention,
o. would be difficult to believe. that any consider
!" able portion Of the people of this enlightened
o' country could have so rendered themselves L
u OH fanatcal devotion to the supposed interest
L"e the relatively few Africans nthe United States
Jus as totally to abandon and disregard the inter
''S- ests of the twenty FIVE millions of American
to trample under foot the iniunctions
o' moral and constitutional obligation, and
wi engage in plans of yindictive hostility again
10 those who are as ociated with them in the e,
ier joyment Of the common heritage OF our ma
a'n onal institutions.
wo STRENGTH OF THE UNION.
and Nor is II hostility against their fellow cit
nh. zens Of one section of the Union alone! III
NON interests, the honor, the duty, the peace. an
of the prosperity of the people of all sections ar
equally involved and imperiled in this que
tion And are patriotic men in any part of Ii
Union prepared, on such an issue thus mad
10 to invite all the consequences of the forfeiu
an AN Of their constitutional engagement 1t is in
the possible. The storm of frenzy and fsclic
ana must inevitably dash itself in vain against q
RIM unshaken rock OF the Constitution | she
tab never doubt 1t. know that the Union
en- stronger thousand times than all the wi
nc and chimeriea schemes of social change, wh!t
tate are generated, one after another, To- the unst
BILE minds Of visionary sophsts and interest,
oil agitators. I rely confidently on the PATRIOTS
ing of the people, on the dignity and self-respe
TO of the States, on the wisdom OF Congress, an
usi- above all, on the continued gracious favor
the Almighty God, to maintain, against all en-
mics. whether at home or abroad, the saneti
hor- of the Constitution End the integrity of Il
ldi- Union. rI FRANKLIN PIERCE.
nts. WAsurNaToN Dee. Al t955. q IN. ,f,g..ff8