Lewisburg chronicle. [volume] (Lewisburg, Pa.) 1850-1859, 1857-03-13
THE CHRONICLE.
FRIDAY, MARCH I3, 1857.
MIR. Buchanan'S Inaugural.

Since the {ute franklin Pierce declared
so long and 50 loud, that he would nevel
permit the Slaveryquestion to be re-opened
and then forthwith went to work to raise
the greatest and worst Slavery agitation
this Union ever saw, the People have
learned to "put not their trust in Princes, y
or Presidents. Sill, it is no more than
fair to let every President state his position
in his own words and We have therefore
copied our new Presidents first promul ga
ton, in full, on this and 4th page Of the
CHRONICLE, and invite to it the careful
attention of every reader. We may often
refer to it, the four years to come.
We agree with the Tribune, that Mr.
Buchanan makes one pledge which we are
sure will be hailed with very general ap,
proval-that he will not be a candidate
for secoud term. We trust that the good
Old Whig principle, that no President shall
be reelected while welding the patronage
of the Federal Chief Magistracy, has at
length received that stamp Of public ap-
probation which it merited
We do not fee. so sure, however, that q
President who declines a re election can
have no inducement to go astray. Unhap-
PLY, commitra!s to unsound priuci pies and
iuiquitous measures are often found or
deemed requisite to secure a frat as well
as second election and many man has
got into high station for the first time
under a load of original sin which has
weighed him down throughout his official
career We fear this is the case with our
new President Besides, Nj. Buchanan
told Gov Brown last summer that if
he could "scttle" the Kansas affair,
and get in Cuba, he should be willing to
yield up the ghost and give the ship Of
state to Mr.. Breckinridge Now, whether
he prostitutes the powers of Government
for the success of himself, Breckinrllge,
or any one else, in 1860, makes little diff
ference. If-as J. q Adams did-he
administers his power in accordance with
his oath, without any design to aid any
f,ortD. he will do well and right
Mr. Buchanan glorfies the ready and
implicit submission of the minority in the
late contest to the declared will Of the
People, expressed through the forms of
the Constitution Does he not know that
the praise he SO justly bcstows on the
Repubiicans involves the deepest reprcach
to his ora partisans, who SO frequently
and widely proclaimed in the late canvass
that they ,cou!d not submit if defeated
that Fremont's election would be the sig
nal for resistance and disunion? Does he
not know that he owes thousands of his
votes to the fears of convulslon and dis
ruption thus shamefully excited in the
breasts of the timid and selfish
Having cited his own election as proof
that the People are fl. for self-government,
Mr.. Buchanan proceed. to deduce there
from that every community should decide
for itself whether to legalize or forbid
Human Slavery. We do not perceive the
legitimacy of this conclusion. If it be
lust and safe to let the whole community
vote on question gravely affecting its
welfare and have the fairly expressed will
of majority prevail, then it must be
wrong to fetter and gag portion of that
community, so as to allow 1t no voice at
all in the decision of questions vitality at
fecting its own well-being Just look at
the reason of the case: The question to be
decided is-Sball portion of the people
of Kansas and other Territories be slaves
or freemen? Who are interested in this
issue if not those whom it is proposed to
hold in bondage? Yet the Nebraska
Kansas bill expressly excludes these from
any voice or vote in the premises! 1t is
democratic, We are told, to let the People
decide for themselves; but the Blacks are
not allowed to open their mouths on the
vital question of their own freedom or
slavery. How docs this differ in princi- I,
pie from British aris.ocracy or Venitian
A majority may indeed have the pouer
to declare that part of the community
shall be the e-long slaves Of another
part; but We most earnestly deny their
,i;yht to do anything of the sort. The .
people of New York city might vote that
the daughters of all immigrants landing
at that port should be the victims of any
citizens unrestrained lust; but popular
vote of ten to one could never make that
right, nor Gin the highest scnse) lawful.
Majorities can do much; but no majority
,an overrule that eternal law, which says,
9 Render unto your servants that which Is
Just and equal )" "Thou shalt love thy
neighbo as tbyself."
Mr.. Buchanan tells Us that Congress is
not to exclude Slavery from any Territory
Mr. Jefferson told us the contrary OF this;