The Shasta courier., 1860-12-01
PO1ftfcal---Secession.


land in gloom. South Carolina, a State that
has manifested but weak attachment for the
Union for the last thirty years-takes the lead
in the fearful step of secession and revolution
Both of her United States Senators have tender
ed their resignation, and the State has sent a
declaration of independeuce to the President of
the United States.
In the present startling crisis Of affairs, no
one but Black Republican will deny that the
South hasjus cause of complaint. The Repub-
lican party, from its first inception to the pre-
sent hour, has ever been sectional, South
hating, negro-stealng party. Eleven of the
nslaveholdng States under Black Republi.
can rule, prohibit their officers and citizens
from aiding the execution of the Fugitive Slave
Law. In nine of the -slaveholding States,
the sectional party have enacted reasonable
laws, of every description that fendish ingenu-
ity could suggest, nullifying the Constitution of
the United States, and rendering the Fugitive
Slave Law Intellectual. Where the Republicans
have the majority, they take good care that no
man is elected to judicial office unless he is will
ling to perjure himself, declare the Fugitive
Slave Law unconstitutional and use his official
station to defeat its execution. The Supreme
Court of the United States, the highest judicial
authority in the land, have, without dissenting
voice, decided this law constitutional 1t was
most pithy remark of the late Rufus Choat5 that
" the Fugitive Slave Law was constitutional if
the Constitution was Constitutional"
But the Republicans opposed to the exc
cution of this law. Opposition to it is one of
the Cardinal principles of their party creed
Charles Sumner gave utterance to the genuine
Black Republican doctrine when he said 1--WE
are bound to disobey this law" History has
already recorded that he and his traitorous fac
ton have kept we'll the word. Who does not
know that agitation-lawless savery agitation
is the life blood ofthe Black Republican party?
Who but the Black Republicans raised rnoos in
Boston, Syracuse, Cleveland and other Northern
cities to rescue fugitive slaves-the property of
Southern men-from the legal authorities p
Did not more than sixty Black Republican men,
berS of Congress, William II. Seward among
Il
book, and recommend its circulation through
out the Southern States? 1t was the Black Re-
publcans that vainly attempted to canonize
John Brown, the thief, murderer and traitor, by
holding sympathizing meetings, and tolng the
church bells when he justly received the ex-
treme penalty Of the law. Go, examine the
poll-book where these acts of lawless violence
madness and fanaticism have been committed,
and you will find among the insane actors not
single man who voted for Douglas, Breckin-
ridge or Bell, but all tie fierce supporters of ir-
repressible conflict, higher law and Abraham
Lincoln-the disciples of Beecher, Cheever Peck
and other pretended ministers of the gospel, who
on The last Sunday before the late election sstole
the livery of the court of heaven to serve the
devil I'M" by making thirty thousand pulpit
stump speeches against the institutions of the
South and in favor of the election of Lincoln.
While we are free to admi: that the election
of Lincoln is national calamity, we yet be-
lieve that the South, acting in conjunction with
the conservative man of the North, have it in
their power to ward off the impending evil, un-
der the Constitution, without resort TO disunion
The election Of Lincoln 20 the Office of Presi-
dent of the United States, in conformity to the
Constitution and laws, is not sufficient cause to
justify South Carolina, or any other State that
may feel agrieved, to attempt to secede and
break up the Union What can Lincoln do?-
Even should Kansas be admitted, and two Re-
publican Senators be added to the present num-
Der, still there will be majority of six against
him. That majority will dictate to him who
shall be the members of his Cabinet The Pre-
sident has not the sole power to appoint Cabinet
or other important officers in the Government,
except when the Senate is not in session, and
then it is only temporary power, as his ap-
pointments have to be submitted to the Senate
for approval whenever that body convenes.-
The Senate then will have a complete check
upon Lincoln, for if the public safety and wei
fare should require it, that body could could re-
main in constant session during his entire ad-
mnistration. This would be far better than
secession. Then, again, the House of Repre-
sentatives will be against Lincoln by from
twelve to fifteen majority, SO that he will be
powerless in the legislative department of the
Government. The wise trainers of the Constitu-
ton SO constructed that instrument that no
temorarry triumph from popular prejudice, or
insane spasm Of public opinion could in a sim
gle election revolutonize the well settled policy
of the country. While the President and the
House Of Representatives might be elected
through the existence of momentary popular
prejudice and over-excited passion, which the
people themselves might afterwards regret, only
one-third of the Senate would be affected by
such election. In such a case the conserv
ative character of the Senate would prevent any
substantial evil being done, while the /" sober
second though" of the people at the end of two
years would correct their error in the House of
Representatives while in two years more they
would retrace their steps in the election of Pre-
sident.
Nor does the election of Lincoln affect the
judicial branch of the Government. As the
Judges of the Supreme Court of the United
States hold Office during good behavior, it is
seldom that vacancies occur. No President, in
a single term of four years, has ever been called
to fill over three vacancies. majority of the
present Supreme Judges were placed there by