The weekly Mississippian., 1860-10-17
The Union Cannot be Preserved BY
Force.

AA~AN~
/ Post. Such sentiments are worthy OF Tho
| days when Boston stood foremost in the cause
| of the rights Of man. We would especially
commend ibsto those Southern journals thai
| have lately been giving aid and comfort to the
| New York Courier and Enquirer in enunciat.
ing principles satisfactory to the Black Repub.
licans, in the hope that. after they have given
it calm perusal, they will conclude that the
sentiments are more in consonance with JUS
tice, with fraternal love, and with the letter
| and spirit of the Constitution; than to march
down upon the South-asking only for their
stipulated rights--an army of two hundred
thousand men to lay waste her fields, burn
her towns, and murder her women and chill
dren:
SHALL THE UNION STAND UPON BASIS OF
MORAL OBLIGATION eK~oF PHYsToAL FezeEa
If there is any one act of misrepresentation
meaner and more disingenuous than another,
which Mr.. Douglas has been guilty of during
his eleetioneering tour it is his repeated insin-
uations that the supporters of Mr.. Breckin-
ridge are not sound and reliable upon the ques-
ton of the maintenance of the Union and the
enforcement of the laws. Although he and
every person of common sense knows well
enough there is no anti-law or anti Union
party in the field in this canvass, excepting
the Black Republican organization, he gratuit-
ously raises this issue with the friends of the
latter candidate, in order to prevent reunion
of the Democracy, and to give color of plau-
sibility to his coalition with the Know Moth
ings, who have set up the unfounded claim O..
being the champions of the Union and the
Constitution par excellence.
As to the enforcement of the laws. Mr..
Douglas is well aware that no portion of the
Democratic party has ever placed itself in an
tagonism to existing statutes, except some of
his own partisans, who, in the rump conyen-
ton which nominated him for the Presidency,
argued in favor Of reopening the slave trade.
And, in assuming this overt position, he him
self set them a notable example in proposing
to override the decisions of the Supreme Court
by abolishing slavery in the Territories,
through the medium of squatter sovereignty,
in spite of Congress and the Judiciary. In
deed, he has been unable to adduce single
plausible fact in support of his assumption that
the Breckenridge wing of the Democracy is less
devoted to the Union, or regard the eorstitu-
tioaGt laws of the country as less sacred and
binding than the most orthodox of his own
supporters. The people, who are familiar with
the antecedents of all the Presidential cand.
dates and thu characters Of the public men who
espouse their cause, respectively. are not to be
duped by any such blarney.
But when Mr.. Douglas declares himself in
favorof maintaining the Federal authority and
enforcing the laws +" in any contingency" what
political emergencies IN the future does he con-
template? His freesoil friends say, and he
himself gives countenance to the idea, that he
takes this decided stand in view of any posi-
bic complication OF our Federal relations which
may arise under Black Republican, higher
law administration of the Government. Does
he mean to say that if such an administration
should frame laws manilestly infringing the
constitutional rights of the South, (as its con-
trolling minds, such as Summer, Hale, Wilson,
Seward, Lovejoy, Andrew, &c, would insist
upon its doing, that any noncompliance with
or resistance to such laws must be forcibly put
down? Does he mean that if such an admin
istration shall repeal the Fugitive Slave law
and ignore the compromises Of the Constitution
touching the institution Of negro seryitude. the
compact, shall be compelled to submit, and
remain IN the Union as subjugated province,
shorn OF the attributes Of sovereignty? It is
in this sense that the Black Republican press
and leaders understand him; and hence they
applaud his stump performances, and count
him as an effective ally, if not pronounced
champion of their cause. When he afirms,
boldly and unequivocally, that the laws and
the Executive supreme must be enforced GIN
ANY CONTINGENCY" /" they are satisfied that he
is of them and with them; that he will give his
cordial support to the administration OF Abra-
ham Lincoln, and prove worthy successor to
him in the Presidential chair But in thus
catering for Republican success and sympathy
he has evidently forfeited the confidence and
support Of the National Democracy, whom he
vainly essays to sell out and betray into the
hands of the Philistines.
1t is not to be doubted that Mr.. Douglas is
in favor of perpetuating the Union; and so are
the sectional opponents of the Democracy,
upon certain inadmissible terms and conditions.
They would compel our Southern fellow-citi-
zens to remain in the Union, contribute to the
support of Northern commerce and manufac
lures, and help to defray the expenses Of the
General Government without enjoying that
protection and equality which are the funda-
mental objects and conditions of the Union.
The partisans of Lincoln and Hamlin propose
to crcumseribe the domestic institutions of the
South, and, on the hypocritical plea of barbar-
ism, to extirpate, by "unfriendly legislation, y
her system of labor and the profits of her in-
dustry. They would virtually disfranchise
| her in the national councils, and make the
measure Of her political rights the concessions
of the will of an arbitrary majority. Then, il
she refuses to remain in the Union OH these
| humiliating conditions, they are ready to lei
loose upon her the demon of civil war and I'M.
brue their hands in fraternal blood; and Mr.
Douglas proclaims that he is ready to ioir
them in this unhallowed crusade. But vii
the unprejudiced, liberty loving masses of th'
| North, in such an emergency, suffer them
selves to be led to the slaughter of their owl
| kindred, to carry deSolation to the homes ant
| plunge their hostile steel into the bosoms o
the descendants of their common ancestors, O
glorious memory, because they dared to asser
| their equal rights and privileges in the confed
eracy established by those ancestors? Never
AS Union men, there is this important diff
ference between Mr.. Douglas and Mr.. Breck
inridge: While the former proposes to main
tain the Union Gin any contingency, no matte
| what wrong or provocation the seeding State
IhfOtfCA Al ~ eAc StfULS
arm of the military power by employing tn,
brute force welded by the Federal arm,
and navy, the later desires to maintain it onl,
by the moral power of justice, equity, honor
fidelity to the Constitution, and fraternal at
fection. This is the broad distinction which
makes the dividing line between rival candi
dates for the suffragcs of the Democracy, ana
which every truo and refecting Union maj
can fully appreciate. Let every such candle
and patriotic elector at the North judge fo
himself what would be the value of this Uniol
when, no longer enshrined in the hearts of tn
people, its laws and obligations shall be en-
forced, upon reluctant and outraged commu
nifty, at the mouth of the cannon and the poin
of the bayonet. If those who love and cher
ish the sacred bond which has made of til
American people one great and happy famil
would avoid the alternative of degrading til
Union to hollow mockery and curse;
they desire to preserve it in the true spirit
fraternity, and upon basis of peace and mu
tual good will. they will not fail to give the
votes, their influence, their whole mental an
moral energies, in favor of the Union cand