The weekly Lancaster gazette. (Lancaster, Ohio) 1860-1863, 1860-12-06
Abstract of the Presidents Mes.
SAGE.

ly prevails, aud the union OF the States,
which is the source of all these blessings,
threatened with destruction? The long
continued and Incorporate interference of
the Northern people with the question Of
slavery in the Southern States has at
length produced its natural effect. The
different sections Of the Union are now
arrayed against each other, and the time
has arrived, much dreaded BY the Faith
er of his Country, wheli hostile geograph.
ical parties have been formed. This doss
not proceed solely flom the, claim on the
part of Congress or The Territorial Legis-
latures, to exclude slavery form the Ter
ritorics, nor from the efforts Of the dieer-
ent States to defeat the execution OF the
Fugitive Slave Law. but the immediate
peril arises from incessaht and violent ag.
itation Of tie slavery question throughout
the North, for the last quarIer Of cenlu
ry. has produced it's malign influence on
the slaves, and inspired them with vague
notious VI freedom; hence sense OF se>
curity no longer exists around the family
altar.
This feeling Of peace athoms has given
place TO apprehctsions Of seryile iusurrec.
lion. Many matrou throughout the
South retires at night in dread Of what
may efal herself ant children before the
morning.
Should this apprehension Of domestic
danger extend aAA intensity itself uni il
shall pervade tie masses Of the Southern
people, the dismion will become inevita,
BILE. Self.prrservatiOn is tho first law Of
nature, and no political union, however
fraught with blessings, and benefit, and in
all other respects, can long continue, il
the necessary consequence be- to render
tile homes and 6resides Of nearly half the
parties to it habitually and hopelessly in.
secure Sooner or later the bonds OF such
union must be severed. II is my con.
viction that this fatal period has rot yet
arrived.
After referring to the incessant agita.
lion against slavery at the North, for the
last twenty-five years, both by ito press
and the people, and asserting tina, tho time
Of Congress is occupied with violent
speeches on this never.ending subject, he
remarks how easy would it BE- for the
American people tosetIlc the slavery ques.
ton forever and restore peace and harmo.
ny to the distracted country, which can
be done by letting the States alone and
permitting taem 10 manage their own
State affairs, as they only are respons BILE
before God for slavery extending among
them, and with which the North has no
more right to interfere than with the sim.
liar Institution in Russia or Brazil.
The President relies on the good sense
AMI fortearance Of the people, alleging that
It is out Of the power Of any President to
accomplish bu, little, whicn leads him to
observe that the election Of any one Of our
fellow citizens TO the ofiite Of President
does not Of itself afford just cause for dis.
solving the Onion.
He refers 10 the fact that the Presidents s
province is not to make. but TO. execute
the laws, 1t Is alleged as one cause for
immediate secession, that the Southern
States are denied equal right with the 9TH
or States ia common territory. But by
what authority are these denied? Not by
Congress, which has never passed, and, /
believe. never will pass, any act 10 exclude
slavery from these Territories; and GER
,ainly not by the Supreme Court, which
has solemnly decided that slaves are pro.
.porty, and, like all other property, their
owners have right to take thvm into the
common territories and hold them there
under the protection Of the Constitution.
The anticipation that Congress may pass
some law obnoxious, is no good reason for
dissolution.
The President reasserls the power of
Congress over property in the Territories,
and the sacred rights Of property are se-
CURED by the Constitution. The most pal
pablo violations of constitutional duty
which have been committed, consist in the
acts OF different State Legislatures to dc.
feat the execution OF the Fugitive Slave
Law.
Tho alleged principle that as each State
became party 10 the Union ny tho VOC
Of it's own people assembled in Convention,
30 any one Of them may retire from The
Union in similar manner by The vote OF
such Convention, is wholly inconsistent
with the history as well as the character
Of the Federal Constitution. .l1|
Secession is neither more nor less than
revolution. 1t may OF may not be a JUS.
tlfabo revolution. but still il is a reyolu
ton, What, in the mean time, is the re-.
sponsibility and true position Of the Ex.
eoutivc? lie is bound to take care tsaI
the laws be faithfully executed, and from
this obligation he can not bo absolycd by
any human power. But what il the per-
formance Of this duty, in whole or in part,
mas been rendered imperative by events
over which be has no control2 Such, a.
the pr, sent moment, is the ease through.
out the State Of South Carolina,
SO far as the laws Of the United States
to secure tho administration Of justice. By
means Of the Federal Judiciary; a,e con
cerned, tho Federal officers within It's
limits, through whose agency alone those
laws can be carried into execution, have
already resigned, and We no longer have
a District Judge, a District Attorney. or
a Marshal in South Carolina, In fact,
the whole machinery Of the Federal Coy.
ernmen', necessary Tor the distribution of
.rmodial justice among the people, has
bee" demolished, aud It would be difficult
II not lnpOssiblr IN ranlaca I, F