Richmond daily Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1842-1861, 1856-09-24

ihe collision OF the different estates of ths ,.r,.E.
winch has just taken place the United Se.t-. ..cb
political and moral lesson The polite. al lesson ia thu,
"o IN the original framing Of Constitution can
against undue aets Of po-er part OF the Exc
enu'e, or against what may be called ie-potic act. B
ever JeAousy you may curb your Executive and vb,t.v
- e"eek the Constitution put apon it, an Execu,i,.
nus. have power II il ~ TO be Of any nae and ~
power, that power may be abused You cannot with the
most fePue Intentions, tie up your Executive 90 strict,
at ~' oniy bc able 10 its powers exactly a Won
want " something must be lett its discretion. ard
you give" discretion, you must take the chance
Shether IL uses it well III. In the r,i,.d Stat.
have republic Cautiously and je.lou.Iy framed ;
any despotic acts Of the Ek-cuv. a. il could h. c.;
tenty With its general effectiveness Tn, rs.n, :.
''oNe'e'' tha' Al this moment half tn. population
" "'e O"i'eo states are up IN against IN.
iespotism OF their Executive and are speaking of
ral Pierce much orefathers spoke of Jane. m y
Let Freedom, says New York contemporary -.,,.
men ~ho love the freedom FOR which Washington Iouyb
which Jefferson proclaimed, and which JAY tsuybt con-
template the scene On the hand rlsveocr.cy TO,
content with its sectional institution OF slavery within
BOUNDS guaranteed IL by the Constitution i.u,.pdny
that it sectional institution shall b.. extended ov. ,b
Tree SOL OF the national territories and that the power of
TIE United States army shall be turned against
10 force the extension On the other hand STANDING Il,
The same has national freedom true To itself .s9ng
nriniy put calmly that saveocrscy shall have the ar
ny o the United states force slavery Oh fr-.m.n
Here Is an appeal then TO every OF liberty 70 re-
-l.t the act OF Taqun; President Pierce receive. b
CLASSICAL diploma, and the United States are az lat poer
al enough to have Tyrant We begin to think of H.r
nodis and Anstogeiton, and TO congratulate G-n.,I
'hat tyrant are more gently dealt with now
'hAh tney once were Nor Is the char ge wholly whout
ground For what is the faets Has not the Pie-ident of
The United States simply used American army 10 mt
ru 1 nis political Opponents and his political
rieid.' The Territory of Kansas has nj first
legislature but il is invaded BY the border State. who
pun uoNh ts Legislature erect another and put the ter
itoy on the siave-sate basis fight follows the Pre-
ueht chooses TO assume that the Legislature for the time
uoPermot Is not the usurpng but the established Legis
sture, aud supports by the Federal forces ee ,hsr
an arbitrary And despoc act and electioneering u
oi power But at the time il is a use of move,
against which no Constitution could guard Tn |
Federal Executive ought have the power 10 sunnort an
estaohshed Legislature and 1t DE elt TO il. discr.
non 70 decide what Is an established Legislature The
uuth l., then, that letter of Constitution ho
ever republican IL may be- be security against
rary acts on the part of the Executive For true =,
euity against such acts depend OIL political eu.
tom aud feeling. certain established maxim. and ,
oi political action what call the practice. rorl
hS OF Constellation rather than its letter The letter
OF the English Constitution ives the soyeren an ahs
inte veto, but constitutional custom forbid. tb,
IT. the constitutional rule being thar when Ministry nd
c-eif In minority in tile House of Commons IL resigns
Ihus Constitution has gradually grown up in this eoup
y ~ch ehecuay prevents all despotic acts on the part
oi the Executive but this CONSTRUCTION il will he osnd
es Ia custom rather than in staute-in certain
a ana un written rules OF political action which a.
nave aoiy agreed TO observe, rather than in the letter o
any acts OF Parliament. We see by the nrsssn, |
events in the United States how suneriot s,,ch
constitutional understanding it may be called s to
merely written CONSTITUTIONS how crude the working of
the paper creation is where interruptsd nv nrriicl
tradition and generally accepted rule compared With the
As ana smooth working OF Constitution which is the
s'oNth OF time, rea history, and national life Thus ali
Ne French Constitutions oil recent date had ce.s.d 20
ork and we're full OF jars long before their inA over
ihe Americans. in fact, have not yet got their
constitution, by that word understand the matur
r--.s.@-l machine called has vet to grow and ~,
Eents as the present forming t for them II vii be
deelded beOrc long whether President Peres act with
respect 70 Kansas vii be accepted and .,provd hx ,h
nation as whole or the if the latter prec.ient
All be set which will govern future Presidents so full
American Constitution will last grow up lust as ourlsw
Ioes, 10y succession OF precedents national judgments
and the general course OF political events
The second lesson which the present events in the Uni
'ea states teaea moral one People have been prophe
syihg the rupture OF the Union for log time and il
mas not come; and far the United States NAV boast
pIaeues principle OF union which sustsins them In op
position to many threAenngs and many flaws their posi-
uo- But here -, at last positive collision between
the different estates which, not rupture must be men
ded very soon, or it will lead And what /. the
question which has produced this colisous The slavery
question Here Is the rock which they split here ia
the source OF danger 20 the American Union II the Uni.
ted States, then, maintain morally bad institution they
must pay Tor it-pay for n in political disunon rane our
and commissions The Democracal party tries 10 smooth
over this sore and persuade everybody not 10 thnk
about IT, but two take America a whole But people
vi" think about IT, and will agtate the question at any
a=t-
That Is the consequence Of having an institution which
violates moral and religious feeling The opponents OF
slavery cannot be slenced by any appeal to political ex
Pedieney because they lighting question which in
their opinion, supersedes all such arguments The in
slant people determine that a moral and religious /
principle is involved in a question they are con-
mtied to tight it at all hazards slavery thus |
creates the American revoluionist and arrays the rel
ous enthusiast and the phanthropist against the Union
hrre sore at the most vital part which per
attended TO- otherwise IL will get the better Of
ENal
70 use their best arguments TO keep back the force Of
sausaVery opinion, which threatens overwhem them
Ihey have TO be always soothing and calming the enh
as enireAtng him TO be reasonable telling him he must
DC content with things they are, any respect
established interests Mr. Webster in this way fought the
battle OF the slave owner and procured him the Fugitive
save Law but 1t was bard fight and the Antsavery
enthusiast rstaated in print by character of that great
statesman such as might remind the theologian Of the
character which the ancient fathers gave Of Anchr-
VIZ, the perfection OF immoral intellect The United
States viii get over this particular disturbance and that
probably very soon but they have seen the last OF
the question which is the OF IT, aud which will con.
tnue TO be constant Of political danger and d.