Glasgow weekly times. (Glasgow, Mo.) 1848-1861, 1860-12-20

dressed, should they unhappily occur, will
call for new COUNCILS, but sufficient unit,
the days is the eviithereof."
| The existing grievances are the obstruo
lions interposed by some Of the non-slave
holding. States 10 the prompt and faithful
execution of the Fugitive Slave Law, BY
what are called Personal Liberty Laws
and The refusal of the Governors of sever
al of these Statessto~suTrender fugiiives
frcm juriice from The slavsholding States
in those cases in which the crime imputed
10 The fugitive is the abduction or stealing
Of slaves. Some further leglslatieu by Con-
gress may be required to secure The sur
render of such. fugitives, but the due en-
fOrcenen Of the Fugitive Slave Law is all
that is required to redress the grievances
arising from the escape and SEDUCTION Of
slaves from the Southern States. The
President is armed with sufficient power
and means 10 enforce this law in defiance
OF all distractions which may be thrown in
The way 10 defeat il. II he neelects or
fails TO see il executed, he is liable 10 i'm
peschment. o. 1870. sss r.s
The next subject which l purposed 10
myself TO notice briefly is the doctrine or
theory of secession, which as / understand
it, is the right claimed to exist under and by
the Constitution, in the exercise of which
State may withdraw from the Union,
whenever a majority Of the citizens may
decide 10 do so, for any cause whatever.-
For it is quite immaterial whether any
grievance or wrong sustained at the hands
Of the co-States or by the action Of the Fed
eral Government, is set up to justify The
exercise Of this right or net, in as much as
the people Of the seeding State, under this
theory, claim to be the sele tribunal or judg-
es to decide whether any such grievance
or wrong has been inflicted, and upon the
extent and suf6ciency of the wrong, In
fact, the theory Of secession implies the
right of State to dissolve its eonnection
with the Union at discretion; and the whole
question resolves itself into his: whether
the Federal Union, as il now exists and as
it was intended to be by its trainers, is any
thing more than voluntarily association
Of States for common defense and other OBJ
jeets Of vital Importance to their interests
and prosperity, carrying with it no binding
obligation upon any one of the States TO
yield obedience 10 the Federal Government
any longer than such State should consider
it expedient. propose TO enter into no e.
laborate argument 10 demonstrate the un-
soundness Of this theory, and to show
that no such reserved BY the Constitu-
ton either TO The States or to the people
That has often been done by abler pens
| must be permitted, however to say that
when IFS nature Is properly defined and its
logical and necessary consequences are can
didly stated, its absurdity must strike the
commonest understanding. Its unreasona.
bleness and folly, aside from its adsurdity
will be illustrated by single example:
The possession and control of ths mouth
Of the Mississippi was held to be of such
vital importance 10 the interest Of the peo.
pie ihhabiiing the valley Of the Mississippi
in being the great outlet to market of the
rich products Of their soil, as 10 make its
acquisition, either by purchase or conquest
a great political necessity. The purchase
was made by the United Sattes for that rsa.
son, ct cost Of fifteen million of dollars.
It was stipulated in the treaty of oe.sion
tina. The territory thereby acquired should
be admitted into the Union as a State, or
States. with all the rights and privileges
of the other States of the Union. But can |
II be supposed that Dir. Jefferson and the
other great statesmen of that day, if they in. |
the Constitution as the advocates
Of the theory Of secessisn now do, would
have been SO ineffably stupid and blind to |
as TO have assented 10 such a
stipulation? Far wiser and better would |
it have been to have paid FIVE times the
price and to have held the country as q sub
ject province, having first amended the |
Constitution so as TO authorize such hold |
ing. And should Louisiana new secede |
from The Union aRd set up an independent
Government, in the exercise Of the right OF |
secession, even supposing the right to exist
can there be any doubt that The same COM
Insrcial and political necessity which led |
10 lis original acquisition would lead to its
subjugation by the government Of the Uni. |
led States, or by the States interested in the |
of the Mississippi river and It's
.ributariesp 4
After the consideration of the subject, |
with becoming Difference 10 the opinions Of
,thers, | am forced TO the conclusion that
recession is but another name for an srgan-
zed resistance BY State to the laws and
constituted authorities Of the Union, or
which is the same Thing, for revolut,on
Fhe theory appears 10 me to have been
and prepagated in spirit Of dis
Election TO the Uaion, and can serve no 9th.
II purpose than TO lead the unsuspecting
md credulous into the support Of the scheme /
4 disunion, under the delusive expectation
hat they would only be thereby exercising
right reserved 10 them under the Consti-
ution, and that they would be in no danger
Il mourning the penalties Of treason, or Of
Exposing themselves and their country TO
he cslamities Of civil war. /
In The proceeding pages Of this letter