The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1859-01-15

WANT or REFERENCE FOR LAM,

That n,;t which Is eshibtng itself all parts OF the
confedsrcy and which IL evidently fearfuly on the in
crease dsog srdng the constitution and LAWS OF the conn-
try Is one Of alarming symptoms not only OF
the degenecy of the times but of approaching danger
- the perm .nency aud safety Of the system OF govern
nent that has been nansuraei by the United States.
separately united AS long this disregard OF law
could be located with desperate faction Of fanatics Ia
the free States and the South could hold up the consti
tuition aud statutes passed under ii unsued pledges
Of her fidelity 10 the compact OF union she wicldci by
point that rendered hor position inpegnabe But when
She too weRed with the slow progress Of truth, and
apparently alarmed aud charned at the rapid strides of
error attempted to retalate by initiating, to
tent that very disregard for law that she had reyed
and denounced in the northern fanatic she parted with
much of her moral which necessarily includes material
strength
The South, being in the minority in the Union, will
find her greatest security in the enactment of the strict
ext performance of all the obligations of the constitu-
tioof the righteous observance of the laws passed
in pursuance thereof and that she may do this with the
utmost efficiency she should be able to make
ton with clear conscience and not be herself Of
the .'aduitefcrs.'
These observations have been elected by occurrences
Ia the North familiar every one, and by many
sorry say in the South particularly Of recent date
We have Executive rountly taken TO task, de-
nounced and abused for endeayorng to carry out his
sworn duty that the laws be faithfully executed
We have eminent judge Of the Supreme Court
one Of cherished and trusted fellow citizens
tmduccd aud stigmazed Jeffiies and tyrant and
even an lconceved threat Of the vengeance of mob
hurled ut him, for daring to expound the law as he
found it upon the statute book We have band Of
reckless aud irresponsible adventurers whose designs
were open and above board to invade and plumber
feeble neghboring republic dethrone its government
murder its people, aud devastatc its SOIL sheltered
tected and upheld by large part Of respectable
munity including portion of the press in utter disre
gard of the plain letter and spirit of the law. We have
lust read account where the governor Of Alabama had
delivered up 10 the proper officers, upon requson Of
tina governor OF Pennsyva a man accused Of some
crime offence in that State and had fled to But
the citizens OF the place up in and took the
cused party out of the hands of the officers of the law
and not satisfied with that forced the said officers to
leave the country And while write we see that a
whole jury had been burnt in egy in Kentucky for
verdict that did happen TO meet with the sympathy OF
the mob These but few of the numerous examples
that might be aduced of That reckless disregard Of law
that is spreading with alarming mpiity in he South
Why but the other day most respectable journal in
the city of Mobile cnuncatod the dangerous heresy that
Judge should interpret and expound the law in obed
encc to the principles Of party Whittier does all this
tend Where will it endp
We do not speak of want of for law af-
fecting relations particularly to the Union but
affecting our system OF government itself generally
We hold that government permanently exist with
out strict observance of law In system there is
for Its observance it is the work of our
hands. II unjust either repeal it, or, If
forced upon by INSCRIPTIONS majority contrary to
the fundamental agreement, dissolve the compact.
Until do this greatest security will be found in
strict obedience to law Every Intelligent mind that will
run his memory back the history Of the world will
recognise the fact that when nation people become
thoroughly imbued with disrespect for and disregard of
law they the highway t. confusion, distraction,
revulsons anarchy to escape from which despotism is
almost the certain refuge. Let the southern people
hearken to il that they violate not precept the observ
of which is their greatest safety Montgomery (Aia
Confederation