The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1860-03-01

take possession OF the hotels OF Colum bus
and the farms now occupied by honest
freeuenl toll you why you csnnot.-
1t is because the right you assume does
not exist. The Constitution says:
This Constitution, and the laws of the
United States which shall be made in pur
suance thereof, and all treaties made, or
which shall be m sde, under the authority
of the United States, shall be the supreme
law OF the land 60,
There is the whole substance OF the
matter. If the Dred Scott decision is right,
then there is not one single foot of any
but Slave Territory from the Gulf of Mex
leo to the hills OF Maine lftbat be true,
then indeed there is no conflict going on,
in the language of Seward aud the Dem
ocratic party. between freedom and des-
potism, but the conflict is ended, sDd you
and l, and all of us, are subject to des-
potic power, which is higher than the
great dicta of all the learned jurist that
have preceded US; higher than the COnsii-
tutions Of the States end the sovereignty
of Conventions; and last, if not least, high
er than the Constitution of the United
States-the palladium Of liberty to US
If it be so, the conflict is ended, and we
are all slaves; We are subject to des-
potic power over which we have no con-
trol-none on Gods earth There is no
appeal to Popular Sovereignty or States
Rights; there is one appeal, and that is
to revolution; an appeal to arms and The
God of Hosts-wbieh God forbid. There
fore, | deny that we are factiou.ly pur-
posing to prevent the admission Of any
more Slavebolding States.
The fourth charge is that we propose
'to repeal the Fugitive Slave Law, and
practically refuse to obey the Constitution
on that subject. l do not deny that in
some of the States there has been au ef-
fort made of that kind, but do utterly
deny that there is auy such clause in the
platform of 1855 or the call of $780,
Without dwelling further upon that | pass
it by, saying that | do not care to avow
that stand on that subject with Daniel
Webster, the man whom, of all others in
this country, we have styled the expoun-
der of the Constitution-certaiDly upon
constitutional law the highest authority
this country or any other has ever seen.
Mr.. Webster, although be was overper-
suaded, fattered with the idea that be
would get Southern support By yielding
his true born opinion. said what, in bis
speech of 9TH March He said "that
this was a power that belonged not to
Congress but TO the several States" That
is ny b lief, but the Republican party,
desirous of harmony, yielded it, aud
struck it out of our platform in 1856, and
do not propose to incorporate it in the
platform of 1860.
Other charges referred to.
Fifth. "To refuse to prevent or punish,
by State action, the spoilation of slave
property, but, oB the contrary, to make
it criminal otfense in their citizens to O.
hey the laws of the Union, in so far as
they protect property in African slaves ,
Gentlemen, don we tell you in our call
that We 60 for protecting the rights of all
the States, and so far from bindeTing you
in the return OF your property, that We
pledge ourselves as party to defend you
against your State or my State, aud eve
ry State, or against foreign invasion 10
the Territories. Of course if We are hon.
est IN one purpose, We are honest in the
other, and we cannot be honest in that
asowal if We are dishonest In the 6rst i'm
putatiou.
Sixth. "To abolish Slavery in the Dis
triet of Columbia" l need not read our
platform again. but 1 defy any man to
find any such clause in it.
Seventh. ITO abolish it in the forts,
arsenals. dockyards and other places in
the South where Congress has exclusive
jurisdiction. There is no such clause
as that in the platform of 1856, or the
call of 1860.
Eighth. "To abolish the internal and
coastwise trade" There is no such clause
as that in either.
Ninth. "To limit, harass, and frown
upon the institution in every mode of po.
litical action, end by every form of pub
lie opinion" We make directly oppo-
site avowal. SO far from that, We Dot on
ly are compelled by the necessity of the
case, but we propose in carrying out in
good faith this associated brotherhood of
confederated States, not to take Emsnci-
pationists alone upon our platform, not
simply to appoint them to Offices, but We
propose and invite Shareholders to act in
conjunction With US, and to assist US in
Carrying out the Government which We
shall in all probability so soon control
How can this be true How can We then
intend to harass the institution by every
mode of political actionl Why, gentle
men, the thing is impossible in the nature
of things, and unless you have proof
that We are dishonest, there is no believ-
ing that We can or desire to monopolize
all the Offices 10 the country. This allo-
CATION cannot lie against Us, therefore it
falls still.born at our feet.
While have been projecting these
notes today, | received copy OF Tie
Cincinnati Gazette. one of the leading
Republican papers in the Union. and
nrohoblo tba foramost mn nar in tho NJ est