The Van Buren press., 1859-09-14
For the Van Bures Press.
Democracy and Douglas.
NUMBER 1.

huABEh i.
The Constitution Of The United States-like every
other legitimate eousttution-is faithful cos,pendi
nm Of the principles which underlie our great So
eiai fabric 1t is the instrument that provides
nues through which we may pursue the natural
tendencies Of those principles to their final result
IL Is the Instrument that makes the yatsaai enjoy
ment OF our peculiar ways" eonuen;ess to us.
Legitimacy requires, in every case, that those
underlying principles must exist before the instru-
ment is written and it is by the violation Of
'his all essential requisite that borro,oed con-
s''utions to be applied to people whose social char
aeterstics they ore not adapted to-always fail
straight grown man nust have . straight made
coat-a humpbacked man must have hump. back
ed coat If you reverse this rule, the coat will
have to give way to the body-for the body is the
strongest Even the iron coats of Europe that des-
pofisms there have forged to cover their defor
uties' we see have to give way to those rising
elal elements which kings and aristocracies find to
be SO subtle and irresistible.
1t is true those great social elements-which are
the source Of popular sentiment, ways, customs,
DC, may gradually change. and it is upon this
ground some statesmen hold that a written consti-
ton cannot be permanent. But the grand saping
element with regard to this danger of the constitu
tion consists in its moving in sphere outside and
entirely clear Of all those absorbing subjects
nectsd with religion and morality-that appeal to
senfineats and feelings, and with regard
to which mankind Is al tided into so many conflict
ing divisions. The constitution of the United States
provides only for the execution Of those general
powers are practicable in meeting the general
want and welfare of assemblage of States, whose
local institutions may be of ever diverse and
contradictory character leaving those subjects of
sentiment and passion to depend for their progress
and success upon their inherent strength alone,
or to be provided for by the State Government It's
grand aim is to discriminate in faror Of none Of
these 1t is clear that constitution of the United
| States can succeed upon other plan.
Of course this constitution framed by men,
| who abore all others, were considered most compe-
tent to know what principles it should recognize to
adapt it to the wants &c. of the people to whom it
| was to furnish rule of action. Sla1ery was the
| only institution that presented great obstacles
to their giving the constitution that thorough non
Intervention character which they knew to he so
necessary to it's existence and the great diff
Guilty lay in the =" property element of Slavery
The people were everywhere willing to destroy i'm
"ediateiy the Juggernaut. but they, very laudably
| wished to the animal that rolled it along Cit
izens in every state in the confederacy had capital
invested in it. No one doubted but that men then
living would see the last Of it. They had provid-
ed measures some eighteen months before to pre-
vent its extension into the largest portion of the
Territories Of the United States And, in their es-
tmation, all that remained to be DONE was to give
it safe conduct ont of existence For safety in it's
abrcgation all that those interested in it de-
nznnded Hence the fugitive slave law provision.
Hence, too, the clause restraining the popular will
to abolish the slave trade until the year 1903 and
on the first Of January of that year. the act Of Con
gress was passed. which circumstance sufficiently
reveals to us the popular mind Of the day upon the
subject, and proves to us. too how naturally an an
ii slave trade proposition escaped a place in the
the constitution itself But our history proves that
the then people of the United States as well as the
trainers OF the constitution, mistaken in their
Judgment of the futur 1t is true that two irtls
OF the States have drifted drifting in the di
recton they anticipated but is equally true the re-
mainder have moved in opposite direction This
phenomenon should confirm us in our adherence to
| the democratic principles of on-ntervention" I"
by the government of the United States with slave
ry. with any other institution, in accordance with
strict construction of the Constitution It should
make US look upon the abolitionists of the north
and the freeaters of the south being equally en-
cmies to democracy. and the best interests of the
Union. And even if the constitution had unfortu-
nately endangered its existence by providing that
Congress may abolish. the contrary may ersend
slavery anywherc, l should think no lover of his
country would endcavor to force its execution-
Patriotism sometimes forbids the exaction of a
Legal right =.
September T. 1859