The national Republican., 1860-11-26
mind by misrepfesen,ing the objects and pur.

mind by misrepfesenting the objects and pur.
poses of the Republican party, with the hope Of
precipitating some Of the Southern States into
position from which they cannot, without dis
honor, afterward recede, well knowing if they
delay till after the new Administration is in.
augurated and tested it will furnish no cause for
their complaints. Secession is an impractica.
bility, or, rather, an impossibiity. The Con.
stitution provides no way by which State may
. withdraw from the Union-no way for the dis.
solution of the Government it creates. The
General Government interferes but little with
the individual rights Of the citizen, except for
protection. 1t is chiefly felt in its benefits and
its blessings--not in its exactions. If every
Federal officer in South Carolina were to resign,
their Offices remain vacant, and its Legislature
declare the State out Of the Union, it would all
amount to little, except to Inconvenience the
citizens of that State, so long as the State did
not Interfere with the collection # the revenue
on the seaboard. The peopleI. other portions
Of the Union would not be in the least incom.
NODDED. What is the South Carolina army to
do when raised2 Who is it to 6gbt2 Mani.
festly, If it commences a war on the United
States officers engaged in collecting the reve.
nue., it becomes the aggressor This would be
revolution, and making war without cause, for
South Carolina makes no complaint against the
present revenue laws. Is she prepared for this
TO become the aggressor? The only use can
see for her Minute Men is, that they will enable
the people the more readily to suppress any up.
rising in their midst, which their misrepresent
atoms of purposes may have encouraged. She
complains that the fugitive slave law is not ex.
ecuted in some of the States. This, if true, the
whole country knows to be sham. So far as
South Carolina is concerned, she is so situated
that no slave can escape from her limits into
free States, however much cause the border
slave States may have to complain ofthe escape
Of their negroes into the free States. 1t is
clear South Carolina can have no such com.
plant. In her resolves she processes to be pre-.
pairing to defend herself against encroachments
ON her rights. Let her adhere to this policy,
and not attempt to dictate to other States what
they shall do, and no collision will occur, for no
encroachment" will be made.
The disunion feeling in the South is, doubt
less, greatly exaggerated. A sort Of terrorism
seems to prevail in some places, which for the
time appears to have crushed out any manifest.
alton Of Union sentiment. But as the causes
for this excitement are all imaginary, the elec.
ton Of q Republican President in the consti.
tutional mode certainly afurding no excuse
for it, it is reasonable to suppose that reac-
ton will soon take place among the Southern
people the mselves, which will overthrow the
disunionists at home. 1t is great mistake to
class the supporters of Mr.. Breckenridge as
disunionists. Some few of them may be, but
Mr.. Breckenridge himself, and his supporters,
as class, are, doubt not, as sincerely attach.
ed to the Union as many of those who, for po-
litical purposes, during the recent excited con.
test sought to iasten on them the stigma of
disunion. Should the conservative and Union
l.
cope with their sdversaries, and South Carolina,
or any other State, under the lead of Nullifcrs
and Disunionists, who have for years been
seeking pretext for breaking up the Govern.
ment, plunge into rebellion, and without cause
assail by force of arms the constituted author
itiss of the Union, there will be but one senti-
ment among the great mass Of the people of
all parties, and in all parts of the country; and
that will be- that "the Union-it must and shall
be preserved" and woe to the traitors who are
mershalled against it. Should any Republican
inquire what has been gained by the triumph
of Republicsnism, answer, much. We have
gained decision Of the people in favor of a
Pacific Railroads. Homestead policy-a ju.
dicious Tariff-the admission into the Union
of Kansas as free State-a reform in the
Financial department. of the Government-and,
more important than all, the Verdict of the
People-the source of power, and from whose
decision there is no appeal-that the Constitu.
ton is not a slavery:extending instrument.
No more Dred Scott decisions will now be
made. Freemen, both of the North and of the
South, will hereafter be protected in oil their
constitutional rights. The policy of the Gov.
ernment, as OF old, will now set in favor Of
freedom, and not for the supremacy of sla-
very, as has been the case for the last six years.
Freedom hcaceforth will be the law Of the
Territories, because the people, in their msjes.
ty, have SO ordered, and neither Courts nor
Congresses will be able to thwart their will.
When full effect shall have been given to all
these great measures of the Republican party,
and the prejudices engendered against it in
the minds OF, many, by the artful appeals Of
demsgogues, who have misrepresented its OBJ
jects, shall have been removed by actual knowl.
edge of its acts we may expect the bitterness
of party spirit to subside, the cry of disunion
to be hushed, and the principles of Republi
canism to become the permanent policy of the
Government under which it will flourish and
prosper, as trust, forever.