Daily national Democrat., 1861-03-19

d
/ anywhere Where hostility to the United
states in any interior locality shall be so
great and 50 universal as to prevent compe-
tent resident citizt us from holding Federal
Offices, there will be 10 attempt to force OBJ
noNious strangers among the people that
Object.
While the strict legal right may exist in
the Government TO enforce the exercise of
t. ose Offices the attempt to 90 so would be
irritating and so nearly impracticable withal
that | deem it better to 70, 20 for the time the
use of such officers The mails unless repel-
ed, will continue to be furnished in all points
Of the Union-so far as possible the people
every where shall have that sense of perfect
security, which is most favorable to calm
thoughts and reflection. The course here
indicated viii be followed, unless current
events and experience shall show IA modtica.
tion or change to be proper and in every
case and eXigency, my best discretion will be
exercised according to circumstances actually
tNisting, with view and "A hope Of Il peace
full solution Of the national troubles and the
restoration o! the fraternal sympahie3 and
affections. That there are persons in one
section or another who seek to destroy the
Union at all events, and are glad Of any pre-
text to do it, will neither affirm nor deny;
but, if there be any such, | need address
70 words to them. To those however, who
rely on the Union, may speak before enter
Ing upon so grave matter as the destruction
OF our national fabric with all its benefits and
its hopes. Would it not be best to ascertain
previously why we do and will hazard SO
desperate a step, while there is any possbili
ty that any portion of ills you fly from have
no real existence? VIII you, willie the Ger
t.ip H., fA ton. ham, ali
real ones YOU lly from, risk the commission
Of SO fearful mistake? All profess to be
content in the Union if all Constitutional
rights can be mlintained Is it true then.
that any ri.ht written in the Constitution
has been denied? think not Happily the
human mind Is SO constituted that no party
can reach to the audacity of doing this thing.
If YOU can offer a single instance in which ii
plainly written provision of the constitution
has even been denied, if 10y lhe mere force Of
numbers majority shall deprive "A minority
of any clearly written Constitutional rights
it might in moral point of view, Justify
such decision 1t certainly would ii such
a right " ere "A vital one, but such is not our
case, ak the vital rights Of mnUrties and in
diYiduals were so plainly assured by thco-
riling ailirmatyes and Legislative guarantees
and propositions in the Constitution, that
controversy never arose concerning them;
but no org mic law can be framed with
provision specifically applicable to every
question which may occur in practical adj
miuistration. No foresight can anticipate,
nor any document of reasonable length con-
tain express provisions for all possible ques
lions.
Shall fu1itves from labor be surrendered
up by national or state authority? The Con-
stituJion does not expressly say. May Con
grrss probi it slavery in the Tcrrtores?-
lhe Constitution does not expressly say
Must Congress protect slavery in the Terri
tories? The Constitution does not expressly
say. From questions Of this class spring all
our controversies and we divide u}on them
into IA jpriiies and uiuoritiss Ii the major
ity must rule or the government must cease
there is no other alternative for continuing
Tine government hut aequicsccnce on the one
side or the other. liza minority in such case
will sccele rather thtn acqUiesr, they make
Il precedent which in turn VIII divide an j
ruin them. For instance. why may NOS q
portion ofa new coutederacy a year or two
hence arbitrarily eteeI2 again, precisely as
portions of the present Union now claim to
soccle fgomit? All who cherish di~Uuion
scuii.a,uts, are now being educated 10 the
exact temper Of doing ths. Is there such
perfect identity in the interests Of the Static
to compose new ! 'nion a. 10 produce hdr-
wouy otlr, and prevent renewed sceessionF
. phjuly the central idea of scee' sion is the Co.
s,ucc Of uuarchy y majority held in r,-
s,raut by Constitutional checks and limi 'a.
'ion- and always changing cas"y with de-
u1rA'@ change of popular opinions and sen
timcuts, is the only true sovereign Of free
people Whoever re- ect. il does of necessity
,ly to anarchy and lesI otjsm Uuanjmi'y is
Impossible. The Ni,l OF a u nio'ity rs a per-
maneut arrangement is wholly inaduissibie;
SO that. rejecting the minority principle,
anarchy and despolism in some fofm is all
that is left.
do not forgot the position assumed hy
some that constitutional questions are to he
dcclrd by the ~uprcmh Court, nor do lie
nv that such decisions must be binding in
any case upon the parties to suit as 10 the
ol joct and OF suit while they are also entitled
to every respect and consideration in a paral
lei case, hy all other departments ot the Coy
erumout; and while it is obviously possible
that such decisions may be erroneous in any
given crusc, still, the effect following it be-
iu5 limited TO that peculiar case, with the
chance that it will be overrulrl and never
become precedent fer other cases, can bet
ter be borne than could the evils of different
practice. At ,le same time the candid ciJ'-
zen must confess that if the Gopernmeut, up
ON vital questions affecting lhc whole people,
Is to be irtcvocahly fixed hy t,ie decisions of
the SGpremc Court, the instant they are made
/ in ordinary litigation between parties in per-
soual action the people will have ceased to
be their own rulers having TO that extent
practically resigned their Government into
the hands OF that tribunal Nor il, thert, in
this view, any assault upon the Court Of
Judges. 1t is a duty from which they may
/ not shrink, to decide cases properly brought
/ before them; and it is no fault Of theirs ii
| others seek TO turn thei. decisions t9 political
purposes
! One section Of our country believes slagery
! is right, and ought to he extended; while the
/ other believes it i wrong, and ought not to
/ be extended. This is the only substantial
/ dispute; for the fugitive slave clause Of the
! Constitution and the laws for the suppression
Of the foreign slave trade are l@t rs well en-
! forced, perhaps, as they cln ever be in a
community where the neral sense of the
! people supports the law itself The great
/ body of the people abide by every legal OBJ
| l;g ,lon in both cases. After the Sc aration
of thetwo sections the foreign slave trade
| now imperfecty suppressed. would be uIti-
matrlv revived without restriction in one
section, while Fugitive slaves, now only par
/ TALLY surrenIcrcd would not be surrendered
at all hv the other.
Physically speaking we cannot separate, cannot
/ remove our respective sections from each other
nor build an imp ,s>abiu wall between them. The
/ husband and wife may BE- divorced and 20 out OF
the presence or beyond the reach of each other