The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1859-12-20
GOV. WISE AND MR.. BUCHANAN,

placing sufficient force at CharlestoWn to insure
the execution of the sentence pronounced by the
outraged and violated laws of the Commonwealth;
and that he answered wisely when he said to prof
fered aid from other States, 'Virginia is able to
take care of herself" For this prompt and &C.
termined action, the Council of the contiguous
State Of North Carolina complimented him. We
also think that the course Of Mr. Buchanan in con-
demning the principle, design, motive and action
of Brown and his confederate cut-throats in their
outrageous assault upon the lives and property of
the citizens of Virginia, well his readiness 10
act as far as allowable in suppressng the same, is
eminently praise-worthy and patriotic; FOR which,
the Council of the State Of North Carolina also
complmented him. Can any one point out the
Inconsistency here, which some of our cotempo-
raries have affected to discover?
But while we are willing to award to Governo'
Wise his just mead of praise in this matter, we a;
the same time think him no more than human, anG
therefore liable to err In the heat and excite
ment consequent upon the startling disclosure of
the lIarper's Ferry outrage, he has allowed him
self to make unnecessary issue with the Prcsi
dent upon nice point Of constitutional law. The
question is, has the President power under the
constitution and laws Of the United States to enter
within the domains of soverei On State with fed
cral forces, in order to put down any real or sup
posed movement against the lives and property Of
the citizens of another State? Gov. Wise, in his
recent message to the Legislature Of Virginia,
contends that it is the Presidents duty to DO SO,
under that clause which makes it his daty to repel
invasion. Mr. Buchanan contends, IS we think,
correctly that such movement would not be such
an inrasion ofhe United States as would make
it obligatory upon him to the Gland and naval
forces " in rcpelling it. He says that the sup
preston of any such movement would be the duty
of the authorities of the State within whose Dor
ders it had been set oD oOt-that for the President
to use the federal forces in doing it for them,
would be palpable interference with State
creignty, 'and, as precedent, might prore high-
~ dangerous" And here, for the information Of
those papers which have taken occasion, from this
less than shadow of cause, to denOunce the Presi-
dent as hostile to the rights of the South, quote
from his letter to Gov. Wise, showing his readi-
ness to act to the extent Of his power if he had
been called upon. After acknowledging the truth
to take care of herself, the President says:
clad this been otherwise, and had you Governor
Of yrrnia che LEGISLATURE not now being in SESSION.
made application for that aid which the consti-
tuition and laws of the United States would enable
afford this should have been cheerully and cordial
~ granted"
1t strikes us that this manifested a willingness
to render more substantial aid than the Presi-
dent had violated the sovereignty of another State
by sending federal forces within her limits on a
wild-goose hunt after real or imaginary organiza-
tions lie has refused to do what his conscience
told him was not his duty, and for doing which
there apparent necessity. The head and
front Of his offending hath this extent, no more
And for this he has been denounced as traitor to
the South
But without discussing fully or trying to de-
termine this nice question to which occupies
the correct position, let ask, where the
necessity for raising this issue, the effects Of
which at this time we sincerely deprecate, as
raising a seeming antagonsm between the South
and the President? 1t could only arise in one of
two contingencies: First, in the event that Nir-
gna should prove unable to 'take care of her.
self" and second, the necessity of calling out the
of the South. As to the first, Gov. Wise has put
that beyond peradventurc, by declaring that Vir
cina is, as we all know, able to take care of her
self; if she had not been the President would have
sent aid. With regard to the second, We believe
there arc but few unprecedented minds in the coun
try who really think Mr. Buchanan disloyal to the
Constitutional rights of the South. There are
few who affect to believe this, but it is against
the evidence Of speeches, messages, public acts
and declarations to the contrary.
We refer the reader to the Presidents letter in
another column.
DIDN'T SUCCEED.-It is stated that 80 or 40
"drummers,' agents of New York and Boston MGR
camille houses, had returned home from the South
and reported the feeling of indignation so great
against Northerncrs that they were obliged to
abandon the effort Of making sales in the South.
We are glad that these northern agents have not
met with better success. Let southern people re-