Daily Democrat and news. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1859-1864, 1860-01-11

Ns. utsknaa aaA sessssiss.
We see, by the proceedings in Con-
gress on tho Sd, that Mr.. Hickman re-
peated, more emphstically and distinct
~, hin assertion made 10 previous de-
bate. that should any of the States At
tempt to secede, the rest of the States
would arm to prevent the attempt and
would coerce them to live 10 the Union.
No other member, either North or
South, has taken such ground; nor do
We recollect, save in the instance of the
New York Courier, to have seen it COM
aended in any journal OF any party IN
any section Of the Union. 1t is to be
regretted that one in Mr.. Nickname
place should put it forward ~ he has
done. There was no call for what up.
pears to be an individual and exception
81 conviction. It could not but be often
sive when there was no occasion what
ever for giving offence.
We are not Of those who indulge in
any fears of . dissolution Of the Union,
save from the enmities long fomented
and grown inveterate between different
sections Of the country. We think, if
the taunts and sneers and excavations
OF each other, which are 80 freely re-
sorted to BY journals North and South,
should be long kept up and be generally
favored; if it were generally believed
in one section that the other would lose
no opportunity Of annoying, injuring
and despoiling it there could be no
possibility of maintaining the Union.-
But bad - things are, they have not IS
yet got to that pass. Had they, how
ever, a seeding portion Of this Confed-
eracy could not be coerced back, nor
would coercion be attempted.
Undoubtedly, secession is not provi-
ded for in the United States Constitu.
ton. But secession, as a fact, such a.
when eight or ten States may declare
their federal relations to other States
dissolved, would hardly be dealt with As
would be an individual violator of an
act Of Congress or any little municipal
ity or district 90 offending. Now.a-days,
the right to self government, if they
choose, Of large communities, capable of
Independent political action, is not de-
MED outside of the Cabinets Of some
despot like the Emperor Of Austria. Is
there British statesman who is insane
enough, were Australia to express her
determination to separate from the moth
er country, to employ force to keep her
shackled to the foot of the British lion?
How often has it been acknowledged by
the most intelligent Englishmen, that
Canada must one day dissolve her rela-
tons with England, and without any
doubt by mutual consent?
1t was Hickmanism in the Austrian
councils and systems Of government,
which prepared the humiliation which
Austria has experienced in Italy. Aus
tria holds that if State strong enough
to be free does not like being tied to
Austria, that State must be whipped in
to liking for it. She has been for a
century or more applying that principle
- which WAS sound doctrine when
George the Third was Kirg-to the
Italian States. How any sensible man
C0u GOuCCAVc tiSsI W Uc u OcCII0UIc uulOu
into which the parties to it are forced,
surpasses our comprehension. There
is, we venture to say, no general concur
renee 10 the sentiment which favors such
enforced and manacled love; and its ut
terance is not particularly cred'table to
the disccrnment or principles of the only
member of the House, who has ventured
to put it forth in very oppressive form.
But there ought to be no excuse Civ
en- for such menace of coercion. 1t
should find its apology neither in threats
of disunion from the South, nor in taunta,
revilings, and John Brown enterprises
followed by sympathetic gloriication Of
Brown, which provoke some of those
threats. To the mind of every man of
sense and reason in tie country, there is
every incentive from Union, and every
dissuasive from disunion, in the relations
the States hold to each other. Nothing
could exceed the folly and madness of
separation. Nor, indeed, do We believe
it is likely to happen. But everything
that may tend to make it possible should
be rebuked.-St. Louis Republican.