Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1860-12-19
WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENCE
WASHINGTON, Dec. 6, 1860.

WASHINGTON, Dec. 6, 1860.
MeSSrS EditOrS:-The Senate and HousC
of Representatives were called to order by
the presiding officer of each at II o'clock
noon, on Monday. On roll-call quorum
of each House answered and the usual for
, mula of the meeting of Congress, was a
dop ted. The Sessions of each House, thu;
far have been unusually quick and bust
ness like. The Prosecuting Attorney Oi
the Slave Power whose term of Office expires
on the 4th day of March next, sent in his
bill of indictment against the people of the
Free States, at u noon on Tuesday. II
lacked one essential statutory requirement,
it was not endorsed "a true bill" There
, is an instrument called by the wise men
who made and adopted it, "a constitution
and by the sllve power now, 80 compact,
supposed to be in force Ia part of the
States which defines the duties of the Pres
idcnt to be from time to time TO give IN
formation of the state of the Union, &c. "
There is nothing said here that the infor-
nation should be true. 1t has however,
heretofore been supposed that the spirit of
the paper required it to be so; and upon
that supposition the President has "t0iIiuL
ly and acicEealy'' violated the spirit of the
constitution, which he has solemnly sworn
to support.
1t will not do to attempt to mitigate the
moral perjury of the President by the plea,
that he is ignorant of the true state of the
case, Every schoOl-boy knows that his
sweeping charges against the people of the
Free States have no foundation in fact
Says the President in the second paragraph
of his message. "Thc long continued and
Incorporate interference of the northern
people, with the question of Slavery in the
southern States has at length produced its
natural effects" Uhen and hoa0 have the
northern people" interfcred with the ques-
tiOn of the Slavery in the States? The
only specification to support the aoilJaiiy
false charge against the northern people" "
which the President produces is that in
1885 pictorial hand bills and inhammatory
appeals were circulated extensively through
out the South, Of character TO excite the
passions of the Slaves" This specifca-
ton is more general if possible, than the
charge. By whom were such hand-bills
circulated throughout the South? By non
shareholders in the Slave States, or by cit
izens of the Free States ? The President
does not inform US and history Is equally
silent. This grave offence, if true, one
would suppose, would be barred by the
statute of limitations, twenty-five years
having elapsed since it was committed; but
the President LagS it in to infame net 1.-THE
passions of the slaves" but the passions of
the Shareholders, who can read messages
against the people of the Free States and
70 give them a pretext for the treason
which he admits some of them contemplate,
The message Is a studied apology for the
present attitude of the States who threat
en- rebellion against the constitutionally
expressed will of the American people in
their choice of President
1t says that the personal liberty bills in
some of the Free States are uncOnstitution-
al and void If that be 50 then they are
binding upon no one-but if these cojd
laws are not in form repealed, it will be
just cause, says the message, for dissOlu-
tion of the Union. The President knows
that most of these laws, of which he now
complains were upon the statute books,
when he was elected President, and WHY
did he not then counsel, as he does now,
dissolution of the Union for this cause?
The personal liberty laws of some of the
Free States are cnly intended to prevent
the kidnapping of free persons. But in
the opinion of the President, it is just
cause of offence to protect the people of the
Free States. 1t seems even they have no
rights whicA Shareholders are bound to re-
spect. The President says that State has
no constitutional right to secede, but if it
does secede, the general Government has no
constitutional power to prevent it. The
Government then, according to the logic of
the President, has rights, in the premises,
but no constitutional power to enforce them.
There is passage or used to be in the
standard elementary law works, that when
the law gives a substantial right it also af-
fords a substantial remedy, but this it ap-
pears is erased from the legal literature of
the White House, or more properly speak
ing l should say, from the head (if it were
ever there) Of the present occupant of the
White House. The President and his Cab
met, should judge from the tone of the
mess age. are winking at the present trOub-
les south, with a view to get from the Free
States further concessions to slavery. In
fact the President after falsifying history,
Outraging humanity, ignoring common sense
and mistaking law, proposes three amend
ments to the Constitution, which he thinks
will cover the matter in dispute between
freedom and slavery, as follows:
"lst. An express recognition of the
right Of property in slaves in the States.
where it now exists or may hereafter exist