The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1860-11-23
The Southern Secession Movement
The Duty OF the North.

The Duty Of the North.
We have given from day to day the
details OF the rise and progress of the South
ern secession movement. The fanatics, who
initiated their treason by disrupting the
Democratic party, seem bent upon con-
sammating it by destroying the Union.
They have, to ali practical intents, succeed
ed in their initiatory movement; we have
no fear that they can accomplish their
Interior purpose. The Union was not made
for a day, but for all time and it cannot be
discovered on any abstraction, connected with
the institution of slavery. Great excite
ment has already been raised, and greater
may follow financial revulsions may result
from the unnatural sectional conflict; but
the government will stand, united and in
destructible.
Secession cannot succeed, because no
wrong exists which requires the use of so
violent remedy. The South is not over
Swallowed by any present, pressing danger.
BUCHANAN is still President; and bis sub.
serviency, shown during the past three years,
is a guaranty that the South has nothing
to apprehend from the executive branch of
the government during the balance of his
administration. A Senate, with reliable
working majority devoted to Southern in,
terests, furnishes an insurmountable barrier
against Northern aggression. The present
House, while opposed to BucHANAN's ad-
ministration, is not hostile to the rights of
the South. The Supreme Court, which has
the power of reviewing the unconstitutional
action OF all departments of the government,
has never exhibited signs Of abolition fanati-
cism. So, for the present, the South is
absolutely safe within the Union.
We cannot see in what manner Southern
rights and interests can be seriously jeopar-
ded on the accession of President LIN
COLIN to power. 1t is certain that the House,
during the first half of his term, will be
opposed to his administration. The Senate
will retain, for that period, its present
Southern cast. The Supreme Court can
also be relied on, if its present members
live; and in case they die, the Senate can
be relied on to prevent their places being
supplied by Northern fanatics. So, for three
years, at least, we can conceive Of no con-
tiDgency in which Southern rights can be
destroyed. Or even endangered.
These being the facts, it is apparent that
the Southern secession movement does not
rest on any rational basis whatever. There
is no present wrong to be righted, and there
is no prospective injury to be apprehended
which is sufficiently near to call forth vio-
lent feeling, and much less to justify illegal
action. Secession is, therefore, insanity or
treason the instigators of which should be
sent either to the gallows or the mad. house.
We cannot, of course, calculate upon b.
cEANAN's action in this crisis. He has
shown such a perverse obstinacy in doing
wrong, that it would be in gross violation
of his principles were he now to do right.
He is just at the present, however, showing
signs of returning reason, by employing the
forces of the government for the protection
of its property. If he had the nerve to
persevere in the course which he seems to
have marked out, and would hang few
dozens Of the traitors who may first defy
the authority of the government, his admin
istration might yet be made respectable.
In case BUCHANAN neglects his duty, and
permits this secession movement to grow
liz strength through his puslanimity, it will
become the duty of the North to rally, as
one man, to the support of his successor,
whom its people have chosen to administer
the affairs of the Whole Union. The South
should be made to know that President
LINCOLN will be sustained in the faithful
execution of the laws, by the affections, the
prayers, and the arms, of that section whose
people, in the just exercise of their consti-
tutional rights, have invested him with ex-
ecutive responsibility and power. The peo-
pie of the North cannot desert their Presi-
dent, nor hesitate to aid him in putting
down the treason of Southern secession, ex-
cept by the sacrifice Of individual manhood
and of sectional honor. We do not believe
thev will sacrifice either -'-