Muscatine weekly journal. [volume] (Muscatine, Iowa) 185?-1890, 1860-12-28

u, you and others look upon me IN tie same r.
at as | look 80 you and upon them. q
ven. 4
II has become quite . favorite and fashion y
BE mode 81 expression to say, "this Is not g
'ooynansat made BY forces asd cannot % 9
ont together BY force. !"
It issyery true that the government was not 9
made by force, and it 10 for that very reoson o
hat there is no right to break it up, and that
4 can be kept together by force; whether +
hat is desirable mode Of doing it is alto
zether different question; II u naG oesn Re
formed 6y force, ii some tyrannical despot
had forced o government upon the people
which had never obtained their approval or
assent, then any of the parties would be JUS,
tilted in throwing it off whenever they couid
get rid Of it; but it is precisely because " oas
not made By force, but that, on the other
hand. it was free and voluntary compact,
entered into one with another, and each one
with all the rest, that there is power to
enforce the compact. +
Debts are not and cannot be created Dy
force: but, if voluntarily entered into, the
payment of the obligation may be enforced by
the strong arm of the law and the compact
between the States, having been voluntarily
entered into, may, in like manner. be enforced,
if necessary, by the strong arm OF the govern
mcnt; and it is no government at all II 1t IS |
not one Of sufficient force to protect itself
against treason and rebellion on the part OF |
its own citizens. If is not government Of
force, why was Congress clothed with the
power ''to provide Tor calling forth the militia
to execute the laos Of the Union, suppress
Instruction and repel invasions," whether
they come from within or without? Pshaw
that's all fal.lal, to tickle the ears Of ground
lings. 1t was government of force, and
very efficient force, in 1888, when the force
bill passed Democratic Congress, IN the
House by vote of lac to 4S, and in the
Senate by a vote of 80 to l. When and how
has the Constitution been changed since that
time, or is it only because statesmen have
grown more wise of late? Establish this
doctrine of secession, and it is at once settled
that there is an absolute lmpossbility of ever
forming liked, permanent and stable gov
eminent out of two or more States; for, if
our Constitution does not make this perma-
uent government, as designed by its founders,
then language cannot be employed that would
make it so, and our institutions are no better
than those Of Mexico.
But, if a new confederacy were to be formed,
I could not 60 with you, for l should use
VII ,tever influence might be able to exert
against entering into one with South Carolina,
that has played the part of a common brawler
, and disturber of the public peace for the last
thirty years, and who could give no security
| that | would be willing to accept that she
would not De as faithless to the next compact
as she has been to this, which she is now
, endeavorins to avoid. In addition to which,
the objects and interests of South Carolina, as
she conceives them, are essentially at variance
with those of Virginia; this State will never
sanction piracy; and, if not, South Carolins
does not desire our company, and would get
+ rid Ct US as soon as possible.
> What may be the ultimate condition Of
things, | do not pretend to be prophetic
t enough to foreten but do not think there
| is any likelihood that any other State will g
out, as South Carolina proposes to do, in a
sort of sk,,-rocket blaze the rest will be dis
posed to consider matters more carefully, and
will take time for consideration and reflection
during which mu h may, and, think, will
,
The Northern party has succeeded to
y power; they are therefore deeply interested
IN q political sense, in keeping the Union to-
d gether, and can we'll afford to do all that WE
i have right to demand under the Constitution
e and, if they do not, zoe may be able to accom-
plish all that is essential through the action
Of Congress.
, Now, as you say to me, "sit down side by
, side with me-" and let me talk the matte,
, over Suppose the North should. agree to
repeal all their obnoxious legislation, which
. has for its object the obstruction to tie exc
! cution of the Fugitive Slave Law, (which
they ought not to hesitate to do, even if nc
, URion were at stake) and, If not, suppose
Congress should so modify that law as te
: relieve it of that obnoxious feature to which
referred in my Lynchburg speech, and
= thereby add to, rather than impair its eff
!. cheney, and accompanying that legislation
, with bill declaring it to be felony of the
h highest grade, and subject to heavy penal
ties by fine and Imprisonment, to rescue OF
i attempt to rescue slave in custody of the
! officers, or after he had been restored to his
= master, and making the General Governmen,
= responsible for the value of the slave tina,
|" may be rescued, and holding it as a charge
;. against the State that shall permit the law
to be thus violated within its territory then
l. suppose, in reference to the Territories, there
4 should be wisdom and patriotism enough in
4 both sections of the country to restore mat
r tiers to the condition they occupied prior to
# 1854, by re- establishing the missouri Com.
promise line don't you think, my good
a friend, you conld then be persuaded to agree
n that all the Southern States, except South
r Carolina, tooud agree, even without the
i restoration of the Missouri line, to remain 8
n little longer in the ULion! although South
y Carolina might assume that she was toe
: good, aud high-toned, and chivalr;c to re.
. main where Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee.
7 Maryland, North Carolina and Missouri would
q be proud to stay9 And if South Carolina
n should be deaf to all remonstrance, and insist
! that she would stay out after that, don't YOU
! think she ought to be left to share the fate
. she has 80 unnecessarily courted and pro.
= voked?
= . ALI this have strong hope may be accom-
plished, if reasonable time is allowed, suit
. able spirit is adopted, and proper course is
! pursu I'd but do not think it can be done
. BY the system of bullying and bravado that
= many Of cur leading men have a decided
pass on for. The North and South are equal
, iy brave. and brave people, like a brave
man, will always despise and defy bully,
and there las been too much of that game
played on both Sides
| believe in tho patriotism of rejecting
men OF all parties and of both sections, and
! am confident in the belief that each - i'll,
in the spirit that animated our fathers, for
the sake Of the Union, surrender much that
has been claimed ON both sides, before they
pull down III great temple ON their own
heads. q
will not stop to inquire which section
would suffer most from rupture of the
Union, because do not calculate its value
by dollars and cents; it is enough for me to
know that both would sustain a calamity