The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1859-12-20

be safely postoonedl il whether We will, by faithful
DISCHARGE q our constitutional Obligatory ana W sSru
hood-duties which have their foundation In natural
law and which prece tent both IN the order OF gne
and in moral to all social orsanization-preserve
what of honor prosperity and power we have gained,
whether will permit all to be swept away by tho
ae OF ana the ,o into - is oay
stuent elements This is the question presented 10 us
1t is question which cannot be evaded II ought
not to be evaded. 1t should be met mrnfuy, aud dt
posed OF patriotism aud justice dictate Fellow c
zeLs. combination having for It's object to disturb the
quieudc of the Southern States and to Hberate taeir
slaves held la bondage under their laws and rec0g
nzed thus lawfully held by the consultation OF tue
United States under which 90 live has recently been DIS
cOsed-not disclosed by accdeutnot by the nhdety TO
each other or any Of the prres implicated IN IT, 0ut by
the failure Of the nitaory enterprise undertaken with
ing for it's object TO excite nsurrecon in section OF the
Union and 70 break up its social organization with fro
and sword Great efforts have been made to underrate
the Importance Of this to obscure the public
judgment BY measuring 1t BY Its results and by deciding
enterprise too Insignificant for sober comment
for serious consultation among ourselves. Insurrec
onary movements consplaces against the public order,
either general or local. armed combinations against tho
Judged by purposes by issues schemes
the best concocted which, successful, might have led
to consequences the most momentous often fail in the
execution The treason Of Arnold If II had not been de-
tected would have delivered the stronghold Of the
% 70 the Of
The world has judged the criminal attempt By its nten
ton, and not measured It's enormy by its discontinue
Those who sympahze with the authors of the HaperS
Ferry treason would have the country regard the in
sane vagery OF fanatic, acting his own impulse aud
without preconeert except with few followers insane
as himself The facts prove the very reverse Of all this
They show deliberate purpose running through series
OF years, to invade the Southern States by force for
the purpose Of liberating slaves, aud stir up
serve iDsurrection against their masters Arms and
ammunition have been accumulated, money contri-
buted, and military organization formed, or at
least attempted to be formed, to carry out the OBJ
ject Of the conspiracy Finally successful attack was
OF the public arsepals and the authority of
denanCe;
not until after the shedding Of blood and the sacrifice of
life on both sides that the cousprators dslodged and
either killed captured Here all the clements OF o
conspiracy Of the most reasonable characer and IL the
movement had been responded to as was anticipated by
the leader OF the enterprise can doubt that tho
district Of country against which it directed would
have been of devastation and boodshed and that
II would have been in its consequences most disastrous
the peace of the country The movement to be judged
then like all other reasonable enerprises-not by its
failure, but BY it's design and its possible consequences
In this point OF view would be most important TO
tain TO what extent the purposes of those concerned in
were known and how far they had the concurrence of
prominent men in the slavchod4ng States.
no one Of completely in the transaction. Every
man is entitled to the presumption innocence until
order sU to convict an individual Of moral cop.
city in this reasonable enterprise that he should
have been previously apprsed of the particular act in
which the general purpose to manifest ITSELF II is
not necessary that he Should have known and encouraged
the intention of Brown and his followers to attack Har
pers Ferry and seize the national armory by force In
that he would have been accessory before the fact
to criminal act and might have been held to the same
responsibility the principals. moral
possibility, which, though 1t may not be amenabe to
punishment by human law, In every just sense as real
that Of him. who is guilty of the overt act Of treason
(Appause) knowledge of the reasonable design 10 its
general purpose without disclosing dHcountenancng it,
doctrines publicly proclaimed, the direct tendency Of
which Is to nfame the passions and incite acts sub
versve Of the supremacy of law injurious to the interests
and Obstructive Of the tranquility Of the Unon though
they may not fall within the pale ofthe criminal uspru
dence Of the country amenable to the tribunal of
public opinion and should find there the highest punish
ment it can (Appause)-the condemnation OF a
der as the only security against anarchy and desposm
No man thus marked can ever rise high up in
may attain local rotoriety and dstncton but when
measured by the national Standard he will be found
by his own political associates TO fall far short Of the
prominence. (Applapse) Does any thinking man sup
pose that the Union can be preserved If aggressons like
this conrved and set foot In section of the Union
against the security and Of another continued
Il is impossible One of the declared objects Of the orma
ton OF the constitution is stated in the resolution
to insure domestic tranquility" Does any one believe
that the common government established under this
Of The great objects for which had been instituted
What are the obligations Of one community to anotherp
respects rights Of and property to alb
stain from all that calculated TO disturb its
ment discord among It's inhabitants in word, to do
act ht shall be preudcal to s welfare If there be any
whcnis contained in written constitutions which they have
ramed for themselves the Christian rule of doing
muDity amendabe for the conduct of its citizens and II
refuses to punish acts Of aggression committed by them
andmay be held responsible for the injury Between in
dependent nations such acts Of aggression
would constitute Unsuitable cause Of
sary to to the books for authority for these obligations
They the dictates Of common reasonthey written
the hearts and conscences of and they rise above
all the conventional arrangements of human society II
these are the imperative duties Of independent States
should they not be deemed equally sacred by States living
nnder common gov ernment, and holding their liberties
their property and their domestic peace by the same
tenureS How have we fulfilled these obligations Nay
| how have we discharged the common Offices Of good
tho ouctttu rnFth
United States recognizes the existence slavery and tye
resolutions which have been read to you present with
great coDcseness the practical interpretations the pro-
visions containing the recognition here received. The
constitution provides the representation Congress of
held to service or labor and escaping therefrom,
the party TO whom such labor service is due This
was one OF the fundamental compromises Of the consu
ton, and was finally adopted in the federal convention
over which George Washington presided without dissent
ing voice. The surrender Of slave, who has escaped
from his master, is as much duty it is to yield ODE
dence to any of the provisions which the constitution has
made for the general welfare and security. And yet it Is
large numbers Of the citizens Of the nor. sayeho,dne
States Slaves not only assisted when fleeing from
servude but they are entced away from their
by emssaries sent among them to seduce them from their
allegiance do not stop to inquire into slavery its
patibty with natural law, its influence the social
CONDITION. OF community These questions altogether
foreign to the issue In hand is enough that slavery
existed among US here well the South when the con
stuon was framed that recognized and made the basis
eyade or violate than we throw of our
allegiance to the government itself while claiming
| or enjoying its protection. We must take the
constitution as whole, reject it whole. We must
remain in the Union and fua all the duties incident
H. or go out Of It, There no middle course for honest
men, Between these alternatives there be hcsiat
ton In your choice. am sure speak the feelings Of
every individual here when say for the Union,
cations impress on US. We in favor of surrenderag
fugitive slaves, enjoned by the constitution Fellow
czens we should 60 farther and punish with the
est penalties all attempts TO seduce slaves from their obed
ence to disturb the peace or interfere with the domestic
net only obligation founded on those ntuve prin-
cples Of natural justice which should find response
every heart bat the surrender Of fugtves Is
tiona duty, agreed by fathers, Of the
dions on which the government they framed
copied by the thirteen original Stass and put In opera
ton for the common benefit II Is duty we cannot
refuse TO perform without repudiang the fundamental
compact and committing act Of nfdelny TO the
government and people Of the United States. have
thus far, fellow citizens, looked at this queation
from our own point OF view Let change positions with
our Southern brethren and from the point which
ISi L.;