The River Falls journal. (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1857-1861, 1860-11-28
[From the New York Independent. ]
THE UNION ON TRIAL.
BY HORACE GREELEY.

Returning from Washington just after
the abortive close of the Democratic Ma.
tional Convention at Charleston last
May, Gov. Seward fell into the company
at or near Utica of some delegates wend-
ing their way homeward from that I'M
satisfactory gathering. Your difficulty
gentlemen blandly remarked tie cour-
teous Ex-Governor, grows out of the cir
cumstance that you have discarded or
overridden the time-honored Democratic
rule that tie minority must govern.--
Your family troubles will not cease un-
til that rule S re-estqblished aid resi- ected.
A majority of the Democratic party
had determined that the Cincinnati
Platform, with the bred Scott decision
superadded, embodied all they could and
would do i'll the way of concess OF to the
demands of the SIave-Power. The ultra
Southt IN minority were equally resolved
on exactng further concessions looking
to the establishment of Slavery as aIegal
condition or relation in every Territory,
no matter whether the People of that
Territory desired it or not. Beaten, af-
ter full and fair discussion, by vote Of
los to 13S, the minority bolted and or
ganized separate and antagonist Con
ventIon. AT the adjourned meeting at
Baltimore, the Seceders mainly returned
to the regular Convention, where they in
due time again seeded in order to defeat,
or ut nIl events TO stand clear of, the
nomination of Mr.. Douglas for President.
But the majority nominated DOUG las
neverlhel SIS, on It's own platform; where
upon the minority nominated B:eckin-
ridge and Lane on It's platform. And
thus the two factions went into the cicc
ton, AMI were If course De Gated, But
Breckenridge, the minority candidate,
secured some fifty to seventy Electoral
votes; while Douglas, the favorite of the
majority, aill have from three to q dozen.
So far as the Democracy is couc :rncd,
VIC may safely regard the minority or
Douglas faction ms crushed out and the
vital Democratic principle enunciatcd by
Gov. Seward as firmly established
iIenccfoth, q II ual 5lve-Code for the
Territories is a Demot rate dogma and
the rule of the minority canon of Ma
tional Democracy.
The next question in order is-Shall
this Democratic canon he adopted as q
law of our National FIFE? Shall the rule
of the minority be established at Wash
ington and i'll the public councils of the
Union! Shall the North American rule
which requires Difference to the result Of
a fair election be superseded by the South
American rule which dictates that each
Presidential Election shall be supplement
ted by a civil war! Shall legally 'e-
termincd majority 90 for nothing unless
backed by battle and bloody, annihil-
ating victory? Shall ballots be account
ed of no effect unless reinforced by bull
lets? Shall an election be nullity unles S
sustained by an invincibe hedge of bayo-
nets? No grayer question was ever sub
mitted to the judgment of the American
People.
No one disputes that Abraham Lin
coin has been clearly designated by the
American People as their next President,
and Hannibal Hamlin rs Vice President.
The cavil that they have not an absolute
majority of the Popular Vote J rs no
! riohtful force. Buchanan and Breckin-
ridge were likewise chosen by Popular
plurality only; but they had an Electoral
majority, and that is all the Constitution
requires. Did any Republican ever
dream of resisting their inauguration p
Did any Republican State ever mediate
secession because oftheir election? Did
anv Republican leader talk of raising an
armed force to bar their access to the
Federal Metropolis! Did any conclave
of Republican Governors ever meet and
secretly deliberate on the means of nullify-
ing their prospective election!
But the South, we are told, never MS
scented to the election of Lincoln; so that
his rule over her will violate the Jeffer-
sonian axiom that Governments derive
their Just power from the consent of the
governed The fallacy here turks in the
assumption that the S uthern States have
not consented to the election of Lincoln
They did so consent when they adopted
and ratified the Federal Constitution
Their assent to the provisions P, escribing
the manner ofchoosing Presidents invol
yes covenant to recognize and obey as
President whoever may be elected in &C
cordance with those provisions. Every
President chosen is the President no
merely of these voting for him but of al
the States which have assented to The
Federal Constitution and every either
thereof. There is no need to argue thi:
proposition: whoever does not feel ant
admit its truth has yet to master the frs
ruaiments of Constitutional law.
Mr.. Lincoln is the President elect o
South Carolina no less than of Massachu
setts-of Texas equally with Michigan
He is Just as much entitled to the loya