The weekly Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1861, 1860-12-07
TiehtfulIy rest upon the hssd. Of the a..aIl


relations between the Federal Governmeu,
End South Csrolins. He hss been invested
with 70 such discretion. He possesses no
power 20 ehsnRe the relations heretofore ex.
istiBR between them, much less to scknowl-
edge the Independence Of that State. This
would be 10 invest mere executive officer
with the pswer Of recognizing the dlSsOlu-
tion Of the confederaey smong our thirty
three sovereign States. 1t bears no reSem'
blsnce to the recognition Of Q foreign de
.fscto governmen involving no such respon.
sibilities. AIRY attempt to do this would,
on bic part, be naked act of usurpstion.-
] II ie, therefore, my duty to submit to Con-
Rress the whole question in all it's bearings.
Z The course of evt nts is so rapidly Fastening
fcrwsrd, ihsttbe emergency mBy soon arrive
when you may be called upcn to decide the
nome ntous question whether you possess
the power BY torce OF erms TO compel
State to remain in the Union. ] should feel
myself recresnt to my 6uty were ! not to
express an opinion on this importsn subject.
The question fsirly stated is:-Has the
Constitution delegsted TO Congress the pow
er to enforce State into submission which
ID attempting to withdraw, or has sctuOlly
Withdrawn from the Confederacy II ans
weTed in the affirmative, il must be on the
principle that the power Las been conferred
upon Congress TO declare, and TO make war
against State. After much serious re fec.
ton, have arrived ct the conclusion that
no such power has been delegated 10 Con-
gress, CT 10 sry other department. Of the Fed.
ersl Government. 1t is manifest, upon on
inspection Of the Constitution, that this is
npf tod
pow ers granted to Congress, and it is equal.
~ aFpsre Mt that its exercise is not necessa.
ry tnt proper for ctrrJing into execution
sry ere OF these powers. So far from this
pcs or Esvng been delegated 10 Congress, it
wus expressly refused ty tbs Convention
which fr med tie Constitution. 1t eppeurs
from the proceedings of thot bcoy, that on
the '3lst q My, 1857, the clause authorizing
en- execution of the force OF the whole
against deli, quen mt state cane up fer con.
,siderUtion Mr.. Madison opposed it in 3
brief but pfwer ul speech, from which |
thsll extract tut a sirgle sentence. He oh
eerved: "ihe uee of force against State
wcu!d lctR MT re Ike declaration Of wer
than an il fl,lion ct punishment, tEd would
ErotabIy te cCTsid, red by the pbi,y attack
I'd rs a disso'uIcr OF al! previous ctmpacts
by v hich it might be ttut d." Upon his
Otion the clause WIS Unonimt usy postpon.
ed, aid WIS never, believe aeain present..
ed. Suen afterwards, on tie Sth ot June,
1857, when incdc nt0liy adverting to this
sutject, be said try eoverr merit Ter the Uni
ted States formed n the supposed practiCa
bi!ity OF using force egri st the urconstitu.
'ticbal proceedings of the State would prove
os visionFry aid ihllGcious bs the govern
ment of G. peress, evidently meaning the
then 6xi,trs Congress of the confedt- =
TatiCn. Without desceEdirG to particulars
ii mOy be safely asserted that the power to
neke wer seoirst State is at variance 18th
the whole spirit aid intent OF The Constitu.
Vion. Suppoee such wer should result in
the ccrquest Of Stste, how are we to GO
vern it si,trvrIts ShalI We bold it rs @
proyircP, ,Id e,vcrn it by defpctic rower.
In The raiu:e oi tl!ngs We capGLt BY hys
icel force ccntrtl the will Of the people, end
cen pei tic 10 elect SeLatcrs end RcpFc-
feLtotires to Congress, nLd to Ierlctm oil
The c!Eer ditts depending upon their owD
Tolititn, Ind require !rt NJ the nee citizens
OF free State be a ccls.itceut me nbtr OF
the ContCderHcy. BGt if We ptssts;ed THE
power, mtuId II lie wise t. tAeTCise il III del
txietirg ciruntt Tcte. TIE ctj clwtuIt
be Gtubtees, to frcs,tve th. ULion. Wai
would rot tLly irtte.t tie meet #, clual
me1Ee OF destroying it, tut would + nish all
Ecpe oi its pete, Ill rCcoLttiuctlCn hesiGcs
In lie !a!t!La! ctIfu L vtst .n.tuLt o.
tlctd trG tresute would be xpendtd, rtr-
Ge1irg iLtule iecOBtiliutiGn Lftw cen tht
States iu possible; in the meaLtin e whu COZ
foretell hat would be The suftrings art
priyttors of the people curi0g lis existence.
The fact is, that our Union rests upCn plb-
lie opinion, and can never be connected by
the blood OF its citizens, shed in civil war.
If it cannot live in the affection CT Il peo.
pie, it must, one day, perish. Congress
possesses many means OF preserving it by
conciliation; but the sword ". S rot placed
in their hands to preserve it BY force. But
may be permitted solemnIy tc invoke ny
couDtrymen to pause and deliberate before
they determine to destroy this, the graz dest
temple which has ever been dedicated to
human freedom since the world bceGn. Ii
hes been conseCrated by the bUtd of cur
fail ere, by the glories OF the past, and by
the hopes OF the future. The Union has
slready made US the most prosperous, end
Gre long will, If preserved, render US the
most pow erlul nation on the face OF the
earth. In every foreign region OF the globe
the title Of American citizen is held in The
highest reapect, and when pronounced in
foreign land, it causes the hearts of cur
counlTymen TO swell with honest PRIDE
Surely, when we reach the brink of the
yawDing abyss, we shall reeoil with horror
frcm the last fatal plunge. By such dread
catastrophe, the hopes of the friends OF
freedom throughout the world would be des.
uoyed, and long night OF leaden despotSm
would enshrcud the nation. Our example
for more than eighty years would not only
be lost, but it would be quoted as a conclu-
sive proof ,hst man is unfit Tor selfgcvern-
ment. Ii is not every wrOng-EsY, it is not
every grievous wrong which cen Justify
resort TO such a fearful alternative. This
ought 10 be the last desperate remedy OF q
Gespair,g people alter every other constitu
tional means OF copcilistion had been ex-
hausted. We should reflect thst under this
free government there is an incessant ebb
and fow in public opinion the slavery
question, like everything human, will have
It's day. firmly believe that it has already
reached Gnd passed the eliminating point
But If, 10 the midst OF the existing excite
ment, The Union shall perish, the evil muy
then become irreparable.
Congress can contribute much to avert il
by proposing and recommending to the LIE
iA gislatures OF the several Suites the remedy
Tor existing evils " hich the constitution hat
itself provided for it's own pTeservaton.-
Thie has been tried at different critics pc
vioda nj 0uP histnrv and nitUava with eni