The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1856-01-07

ton ofthe true constitutional principleofleuv
ing The matter involved to the discretion of the
PeoPle of the respective existing or incipient
States.
1t is not pretended that this principle, or any
other, precludes the possibility Of evils in prac-
tice, disturbed as political action is liable to
be by human passions. No form of govern
ment is exempt from Inconvenience but in
this case they are the result of the abuse and
not of the legitimate exercise, of the powers re-
ceived or conferred in the organization of a ter
ritory. They are not to bescharged to the great
plIaciple ,of rol ular sovereignty on the con-
trary, they disappear before the intelligence
and patriotism of the people, exerting through
the bnllot-box their peaceful and silent but r.
resistible power. .
If the friends of the constitution are to have
another struggle, its enemies could not present
a more acceptable issue, than that Of a State,
whose constitution clearly embraces ga repub-
lican form of government" being excluded
from the Union because its domestic institutions
may not IN all respects comport with the ideas
of what is wise and expedient entertained in
some other State. Fresh from groundlees i'm
putations of breach of faith against others, men
will commence the agitation of this new ques-
ton with indubitable violation of an express
compact between the Independent sovereign
powers of the United SSates and of the repub-
lie of Texas, as well as of the older and equal
" solemn compacts, which assure the equality
of all the States.
But, d,plorable as would be such a violation
of compact in itself, and in all its direct conse-
quences, that is the very least of. the evils in
volved. When sectional agitators shall have
succeeded m forcing on this issue, can their
pretensioDs fail 10 be met with counter prefer
sions? Will not different States be comp llcd
to n01t extremes with extremes? And if eith-
er extreme carry its point. what is Fat, so far
forth, but q dissolution of the Union. If a new
State. formed from the territory of the United
States, be absolutely excluded from admi= sion
therein, that fact of itself constitutes the di-ruP-
ton of Union between it aud the other States.
But the process of dissolution could not stop
there. Would not a sectional decision produ-
eng such result by a majority of votes, either
northern or southern, of necessity drive out the
oppressed and aggrieved minority, and place
in presence of each other two irreconcilt ably
hostile conf. derations 2
1t is nece sary to peak thus plainly of pro-
Jects, the offspring of that SECTIONAL agitation
now prevailing in some Of the States which
are as impracticable as they are unconstitution
al, and which, if persevered in, must and will
end calamItously. 1t is either disunIon and
civil war, or it is mere angry, idle, aimless dis
turbanee of the public pace and tranquility.
Disunion for what If the passionate rage and
fanaticisma and partisan Spirit did not force the
fact upon our attention, 1t would be difficult to
believe, that any considerable portioi, of the
peoPle of this enlightened country could have
&C surrendered ID; mselvcs to a f%acaticaI a.,o-
'lOh " II SuHPOSCQ LntCftSlS II GlS IC1d lNtly
few Africans in the United States, as totally
to abandon and disre ard the interest of the
twenty-five millions Of Americans 10 trample
under foot the injunctions CT moral and consti-
t~utional obl:gatiOn,-and to engage in plans of
yindictive hostility against those who are as
soeiated with them in the enjoyment ofthe com
mon heritage of our national institutions.
Nor Is ithostility against their fellow-ciiizens
ofone section of the Union alone. The inter
ests, the honor. the duty, the peace and the pros
perity Of the people of all srctions are equally
involved and inperiled in this question, And
are patriotic men IL any rart of The Union pre-
pared on such an issue. thus madlyto invite all
the onsequences { a forfeiture of lii consti-
tutional engagements ? It's impo sibie- Th..
storm of phrenzy and faction must inevitably
dash itself in vain against the mistaken rock.of
the constitution. I shall never doubt it. l
know that the Union is stranger a thousand
times than all the wild and chimerical schemes
of social change, which are gen, rated, one after
ano her, in the uns able minds of vi ionary
aphists and interested agitators. / rely cor f.
d ntly on he patriotism of a. people on the
digni y and self-resTeet OF the s afes. on the
wisdom of Congress, and above all. ON the con-
tinued gracious favor of Almighty G1d, to main
tain. against all enemies. whether at home or
abroad, the sanc'ity of the constitution and the
integrity Of the Union
FRANKLIN PIERCE.
WASHINGTON, Decemb,r Il. 1SS5.