The Cadiz Democratic sentinel. [volume] (Cadiz, Ohio) 1854-1864, 1860-01-25

mayors and lawyers and marshals and justic
l. Of the peace, all the members OF Congress, al
Of our respective State Legislatures, are 50
: emnly sworn before God, as they will answ
d at the Great Day, to stand by the Constitute
# and the laws ofthe United States. This is IL
oath that they take. 1t is no trifle. The que
j. tion is, now, is this oath complied with? A
d naturalzed citizens are, if possible, more so
n emnly bound to the constitution and laws
e the United States by oath, than either III
l President, the Governor, the Judge the lawye
: or the Magistrate. For the man that comes t
g this country from abroad, and is naturalzeC
l first solemnly renounces allegiance to the Gov
! ernment under which he was born. solemn
! declares his abandonment of that Government
t under which he was born solemnly swears o
, affrms before the great AM, that he vii
J maintain the Constitution and laws of the Uni
ted States.
/ ask then, are our official men faithful t.
their oath? What do they swear? The,
swear to stand by the Constitution and thc
laws Of the United States What do the con-
stitution and the laws require? . 1t is your bu
siness to know; it is your duty to know. II. a,
an adopted citizen of this Republic, you have
not examined that Constitution and those laws
you are bound to examine that you may know
what those laws teach, and what are your du
ties in regard to them.
The Constitution is the compact. II does
not belong to the North nor to the South, tC
the East nor the West. 1t is the covenant, my
brethren, between the States of this union; and
while that Constitution remains as it is and
what it is you are bound by it.
You may possibly say to me: But I am ma.
tivo-born. never took this oath Of fidelity ia
the Constitution and the laws But, my broth
err your birth right holds you to that consti-
tuition as soemnly as the oath which binds the
adopted citizen. You are born under its obi
cations. Being born here, you are bound to o.
bey the Constitution and laws. No man has a
| right to set them aside.
Now, for example, the Constitution most
positively and absolutely-in the pIaincst and
most unmistakable manner-providcs that a
fugitive from labor, escaping from one State into
another, shall be delivered up. This is the
Constitution. I am looking at things as they
are. This is the provision Of the Constitutions
IT, then, the President or Governor; the Judge,
the lawyer, or the magistrate, the citizen (na.
tive born or naturalzed) does not comply with
that provision, when it is within his jurisdc-
tiou to do so. If he connves at its evasion if
he abets the fugitive in his flight he is before
heaven a perjurad man, and the waters of the
ocean could rot wash out the stain.
With regard to the Fugive Slave law, it is
not my purpose to say whether that is right
law or a wrong law. But it is the law orthc
land. 1t was enacted by majority ofthe rep
resentatives, it received the signature Of the
president. 1t became a law. Every public Of
fcer is by oath bound to obey it. Every adop
ted citizen is, by his solemn oath made when
he received the right and privilege of an Anne
rcan citizen bound to obey it, Every native
born citizen is bound by his birth right to obey
it, lfthe Constitution is wrong, the people
who made the Constitution have the right and
the power, acting through the legitimate means,
to alter it. # the Fugitive Slave law is wrong
with the people rests the law making power;
and thank God, they have the right acting
through their representatives, to repeal that or
any other law. But no individual man has the
right to ignore that law; while it is the law,
you and | and all the citizens of this country
are bound byIt. II, therefore, we, as Pre- dcnt,
or Judge, or lawyer, or magistrate or natural
lied citizen, aid or abet, countenance or en-
courage the violation Of that law, or wink at its
evasion, we are perjnred. defy mortal man to
contradict this. If he not so, law is worth
less, and an oath is a bagatclle. Unless an oath
is to have some solemnity and obligation, un.
less the Constitution and the laws are 10 have
some binding force, we may as we'll throw up
the game and let all 60.
After these general perlatory remarks, I now
take up that question OF questions Can this
Union be perpetuated? l answer, yes. By
taking the Bible for our rule. This as have
intimated is the sheet anchor of our hope. If
this be faithfully watched and guarded, the
Ship Of State need fear no peril The winds
may blow, the political sea may rage and wrath.
full waves may mount, the political heaven may
gather blackness, the lightning may flash, and
the thunderbolts may be dashed dewn; but
tell you, nv brethren, if this Bible be followed
strictly, prayerfuly, earnestly, no storm thar
earth or hell may raise, no tempest that crown
ed heads or despotic sceptres can invoke, will
ever throw our ship upon the lee shore or put
out the light OF this American Union
In considering the means by which this re-
public is to be preserved, | would remark in
the first place, that government is OF wine ap-
pointments. five turn to the 18th chapter of
the Epistle to the Romans, we shall find this
question definitely and absolutely settled. We
there read: Let every soul be subject unto the
higher powers, (the civil authorities) For
there is no power but Of God the powers that
be are ordained of God.' God has appointed
civil government. do not say that God has
given us any specific form ofgovernment. do
say, l iearlessIy say, that the men who claim
the Divine right of kings, claim right which
God gave in his wrath. That, however, is
merely by the way.