The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1860-11-01


Congress to protect slavery there; for it
were absurd to say there is or can be any
constitutional right which the Govern
ment is not bound to protect.
Mr.. Lincoln, on the contrary, believes
(and in that | agree with him) that the
Constitution does not carry Slavery into
the Territories, and that in the absence of
local law upon the subject, no man has or
can have Constitutional right to hold
slaves in Territory, or to call upon the
General Government to protect bis slave
property there. Here lies the main Diff
ference, if not the oRly important differ
enee between the opinions of Lincoln and
Bell. In other things, as far as | know,
they substantially agree. But in that
difference is found the pivot Of the Re-
publican party, the very hinge on which it
hangs.
Your enemies, possibly for lack ofsuh-
stantive matter to charge against you,
assaiI you with reproachful adJectives.-
They call you black Republicans. and in
one view there may be some sense in.tbe
epithet, for it cannot be denied that you
are strongly opposed to the admission of
blacks (slaves) into the Territories, and
firmly resolved to reserve, If you can, the
virgin lands, to be settled and cultivated
and made valuable by the free white and
voluntary labor of American citizens, and
thus build up comm unlties of white peo-
ple-free, equal and intelligent But |
think the De u ocrats better entitled than
you to the blssk adjective. for your claim
is negative only. as you insist upon ex-
Guiding the blacks from all our free Ter.
ritories, and show decided unwilling
ness to be associated with them in your
farming labors; while the claim of the
Democrats is affirmative. and is proven
by their constant efforts to establish the
rights of the blacks to 60 along with the
whites into the Territories, and by the
urgent desire of many of that party to
augment the number of the blacks BY
fresh iuportstions from Africa.
In regard to the Governmental and e.
couomic view of the cass, an eminent
Southern statesman has tersely said that
Capital ought to own its labor" Ger
tsinly it ought and it does, whenever it is
able and willing to buy its labor by pay
ing honest wages for honest work"
But | cannot see any greater necessity
for capital employed in farming to own
the men who do the labor, than for the
capital employed in building houses to
own the carpenters and masons who e.
rect them. But if [ am wrong in this,
and the dogma be really a true maxium,
as applied to the laborers, still [ think
there is another aphorsm quite as true
and far more benefceDt especially in a
new country, that is, Labor ought to oac7a
its Land.
The main objections urged against the
election of Mr. Lincoln are not directed
against him personally, for it is only a
just tribute to his personal character thai
no one imputes to him evil designs against
the country, nor I'm agines that when he
becomes President be will attempt any
great wrong to the nation, or any section
of it. But cunning tacticians suggest, and
some timid patriots fear, that certain true
ulcnt politicians in the South will seize
upon Lincoln's election as pretext fol
raising in rebellion to put down Presi
dent constitutionally and lawfully cho
sen.
If you have any such idle feare. | bel
you to dismiss them at once, lest they
lead you to the gross injustice of iDput
ing to the Southern States, or even t.
the body of Southern Democrats, the pur
pose to commit crime at once so wick
ed and foolish.
We all know that there are in th
South few self-conceited egotists, VIII
whenever they find the votes and the ar
guments all against them appeal to ou
fears. by threats of indefinite mischief
hoping to win triumph over justice, re q
SOP, and the public will, BY sheer bully
ing.
| tell you, my friends, that the South
ern people are not guilty Of that Woke
crime and stupid folly; they know.
we'll as we can tell that armed resistanc
to lawfully chosen President is treason
, they know that a Government that h'
{ not the power and the will to protect il
, self end enforce the laws is a poor, COZ
, te q ptlble Government. aud they esp'
, cislly need Government strong enoug
3 to protect all its people. They kno
that armed resistance to lawful Pres
, dent is but the beginning OF cival va
ard cival war, as our people are now d
vided, would be sure to run into socli
war; th ct is. war in States. eountie
: neigbborhoods; and then what huua
power could prevent the horrors OF sc
q vile war. However much L differ fro
many of our Southern brethern upon ce
}, tain points OF Governmental policy. r
, ly upon their wisdom aud patriotism
, put down the few desperadoes amor
y them, and thus prevent the initial crlH
> which, if allowed to be successfully con
). mitted, would imperil the. worlds la
4 hope Of Republican Freedom, and wou
not fall to draw in it's train the comp
!. Gated horrors of Oival, social, sersl
# war.
d Irely. say, confidently upon the vi