American Lancaster gazette. [volume] (Lancaster, Ohio) 1855-1860, 1860-01-26

uo W puhlSu ~ in0O uuo VOuioo VI laHb
nsteaa ofby private or public war.
no GooD REASON FOR THE PRESENT SOUTH
t,a.0 ral ERN EXCITEMENT. .s-.ts
By what blindness, and by what VIC.
lence OF political parties. by what incom.
petencs Of public men, or by what mad
ness Of the people the country has been
broughtto the verge Of public violence,
upon topic which has been familiar to
every one since the FIRST settlement Of this
continent, are questions which genera
raiions We should answer to ourselves are,
what is the precise nature Of the difficulty
now. and in what manner may that diff.
Guilty be surmounted? If certain people
OF the North come felonously among the
people Of the Southi and are put to death
for their crimes; and then il other people,
even 10 great numbers, gloriiy the dead
felons as martyrs, but take care not to
commit an overa act and be hung. it seems
to me that the very most futile Of all pro-
posals against such dangers and such an
noyances is the overthrow OF the Federal
Government. 1t may be possible that Gov
ernment can never do all that needs to be
done; it may be possible to Epervert it to
the doing Of intOlerable mischief; but in
the former case the lack Of power in the
Federai Government results from the very
nature Of our institutions-and! its intolera-
BILE abuse Of power in the latter case would
necessarily be followed by the universal
arming Of all the slave States. The real
difficulty does not lie in any such grounds
as these, nor its remedy in anything that
can be done touching such aspects ofthe
case, In like manner those great ques-
tons Of the rendition Of fugitive slaves by
the North. and Of the foreign slave trade
at the South, are finally settled so far as
the Constitution and laws Of Congress car
settle them, and it remains for the legal
tribunals and executive authority to en-.
force the laws in both respects. That du
ring periods of unusual excitement those
laws, touching both subjects, may be i'm
perfectly administered, is extremely prob.
abe; but that the North will openly defy
the power Of the nation, and permanently
refuse to execute the Fugitiae slave law
and that the South will act in a similar
manner with respect to the foreign slave
trade, ia what no man isjastifed in assert
ing. admit that the permanent conlinu
ance Of the Uhion would be impossible, il
the North or 4oathsbould deliberately per.
sist in such revolt against The Conslitu
lion and laws, if atthe same the Fedora
Administl alton should be too, feeble or toe
timd to coerce obedience. But surely nj
such revolt. either North br Southland
no such imbecility in the Federal Govern
men: as justiies the overthrow of our ma
tional institutions, can be alleged to exist
If the minds Of men were calm, or if thei
thoughts would be directed steadily 10 tn,
results that must follow the dissolution o
the Union, 1t seems impossible Of belle
that adequate motives Tor such an actcoulC
be found in the existing state Of aoy o
these questions. t.... 4' =
\ II the whole North could act in concer
permanently, they must have the perma
nent control Of tie Federal Government
and the wide conviction Of the North tha
the whole policy Of the General Govern
ment has been for some years dictated b,
the slave States, and the whole policy o
the slave States dictated by the cottol
States, has come very near TO casting tb
majority Of every Northern State tempofa
riiy into the Republican tanks. 1t woul'
be an abuse Of the Federal power, not les
atrocious certainly to extend than TO cur
tail slavery by the systematic use Of ii; an,
the North has believed that this was done
. and the rise and extension OF the Republi
can party is the fruit Of this conviction
Disabuse the North of this delusion--do
fairly, truly-and the Republican part,
will shrink at once tc the comrapativel
insignificant faction OF radical Abolitionist
upon whom it was originally based. d
the other hand, the united South neye
could fail 10 carry with il in all it
Just demands, ahdc III all Its tempsrat
utterances, sufficient number Of th
States of the North, 10. make the right
( and interests of the slave States ,perfeotl
secure in the Union. This is all the con
] troll any minority can Justly claim unde
, free constitution; and this is nevsr 10:
t under such a constitution. except by gfos
Encouragement. If therefore, there is
| foregone conclusion to break up the Confed
eracy, the alleged tenor Of the Rspublica
, party will answer as a pretext; but Ksr
/ lucky breads no party-aud will use n
such pretext-but will make, any party j
, power respect her rights. II, on the otl
? er hand, there is o true desire TO perpetr
} ate the Union--no one is warranted
3 saying that the Republican party cannot b
0 prevented from coming into power---C
Q that even if II should come into power, I'll
, nation would not be both competent an
' resolved to keep il in proper bounds, {
Q arm and suppress it. grant that hard
Y La greater evil can lasten on the politics
\ the cotntry, than to treat them by GO,
;. graphical lines,or array parties upon que
s tons touching which the interests or col
Q victions Of different sectious Of the couI
e ltry are suppoeed to be entirely sutagoni
f tic. The present posture of the Countr
Q is The fruit of this political treatment ,
. slavery. and the present condition Of Il
. representatives ofths people in the low
Q house of Congress, is a. most offsnsi'
. symptom. Of the public health under tn
z treatment .N vetr fsr-N0 lrar 90