Columbia Democrat and Bloomsburg general advertiser. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1850-1866, 1860-12-08
The Message.

recollection, was there more intense de-
sire to know the views of the Chief Magis-
trate. Calumny for once was mute, and
all-foes and friends--awcd by the solem-
nifty Of the crisis, united in respectful at
tention to the farewell differences of wise
and experienced statesman. Nor has
popular expectation been disappointed, for
what the President has said on the en-.
crossing topic which the Constitution re-
quired him to discuss, "the state of the
Union," is characterized by energy, de-
cison and moderation. There is no abdi-
cation of the authority of the Government
of the Union. On the contrary, it is ex-
pressly and omphatically but not offensive
ly asserted. He does not brandish Fed
eral authority in the face of an excited
community. He does not scold. He does
not threaten-but in the single phrase, in
which he says that the property of the
United States in South Carolina shall be
defended, and that, if in its defence, hu-
man life should be sacrificed, the response
bility will rest on the hands of the assail-
ants. He comprises the distinct but pos
tive expression Of the sense of duty which
binds him to execute, at all hazards, the
laws of the United States. His discusses
calmly and intelligently the abstract right
of secession. He examines it as ques.
ton of history as well as a question of
criticism on the Constitution itself, and he
comes TO the conclusion that it is, after all,
but a question of words and phrases aud
equivocation. "In Short" says the Pres
ident, "let us look it fairly in the face.
Secession is neither more nor less than
revolution. 1t may or it may not be
iustifable revolution, but still it is a rovo-
luton"
So considering it, applying this view of
the Constitution to the state of things ex
isting Just now in South Carolina, less
tolerant and sagacious man might easily
have been betrayed into broad and rash
assertions of the coercive powers of the
Government, and into an assumption that,
because South Carolina has no right to
seoede, she ought, by the strong hand, to
bo forced from her position. 1t was once
wisely said--if we remember rightly, by
Sir ROBERT PEEL-that the omnipotence
of Parliament was too grand and solemn
a thing to be paraded and lightly talked
about and threatened--that it ought to be
sacredly veiled in the very recesses of the
Constitution. If this be true of that ar
bitrary power-the vast sovereignty known
as the Imperial Parlament-how much
more true is it of the limited and we'll
defined power vested in our Federal Gov
ernment-limited, too, by the express na-
ture of the grants which enacted it, and
the reserved rights of the States that sup
port aud stand around it. And SO the
President seems to regard it. So far as
the laws Of the United States are con-
travened by her citizens, whether they
live in South Carolina or Massachusetts,,
he will enforce them, and he will not re-
cognize any exemption from obedience to
those laws by the authority of State that
claims to have "seceded." But he won t
make war, and he thinks Congress has no
right to make war upon the State itself.
"Suppose," says he, "such war should
result in the conquest Of State, how are
we to govern it afterwards! Shall VIC
hold it as province, and govern it by
despotic power? In the nature of things
we could not, by physical force, control
the will of the people, and compel them tc
elect Senators and Representatives to Con-
gress, and to perform all the other dutie;
depending upon their own volition, and
required from the free citizens of State
as constituent member of the Confeder-
acy."
This is sound, constitutional and con-
servative doctrine,-and not the less 81
because it is gentle and merciful; and tn
moral Of it all is, the duty Of Cancellation
and a recognition of the power of publ
sentiment, as constituting the safeguard o
our institutions. To that public sentiment
even as represented in Congress, the Pres
: ident appeals. He asks the South, tn
irritated and justly exasperated South,
pause-to bear the ills, the confessed ill
they have, rather than rush to others tn;
they know not Of He supplicates til
North to retrace its steps, to check I'll
, spirit of what may well be called sent
: mental enthusiasm on the subject of d.
nestle slavery-in plainest English,
mind its own business-and thus appea
ing to both sides of this heated issue, |