St. Paul weekly Minnesotian., 1861-01-11

assertion that no concession VIII prevent
the act, fill the mind with wonder, and
leave no doubt that the purpose Of destroy
ing The Union has long prevailed in certain
minds in the event of not forever ruling
it. This conviction gains force from the
long continued course Of certain late 9TH
cials, high in the favor Of tho Chief Exec
u!ive, but who have resigned, / am sorry
to say, instead Of being dismissed, whose
effort appears to have been to embarrass
the finances, destroy the credit, and weak
ELI the defences Of the nation, to make Its
preservation more difficult. -.
The alleged non-execution OF the, fugitive
slave law aud the so-cai!ed perscnai lib
erty bills, seems TO DO mere pretexts Tor q
course resolved on, for the Fugitive slave
law is executed in all cases to which il Is
applied with very rare exceptions, and the
personal liberty laws have never prevented
or hindered We at least have no occa-
sion for explanation or justification heres
One demand is the restoration IN ERECT o.
the line f restriction, known IN the MIS-
souri Compromise line. But great oo
jections to Shis concession are, that the ell
lire South 6Iice declared themselves dis
satisfied With ii, and That tie really disaf
fected will nor accept i 70 day. rnsalrr de-
nisnds are hriiehy, ! slave code for The ter
Iitories, and 4 recognition oi slaves as
property by tbs free States We cannot
believe that such demands are made IN
good falth. They seem TO have been de-
Used purposely to receive q rejection
which might bc alleged as reason fer
coutem plated revolution. Such demands
are entirely new Even in the iorihation
OF the Constitution Of the United States 1t
was not thought proper 20 admit tue idea
Of property In man. Can We now be ex-
pec,ed TO grant what the slave States oi
that day Thought It no, proper to ask
Such thing as slave code has no prece-
dent in our history. Precisely the contra
r. Congressional interdichon OF slavery
in ths s'tcrtories-has many, both Old and
more recent.
But whatever. Concession or compromise
might otherwise be n.ade, The present
reasonable position Of one OF the Southern
States, and the penacing attitude of others,
the war already levied upon the United
States by the seizure Of Government prop
erry bg'aIlned men pcoirssedly hostile to
United ~s~tates authority, demand, first,
the assertion Of the rights oi the nation,
and next the fecognitiuu Of the principle
that existing CONSTITUTIONAL agreements are
10 be maintained, and that. subject to the
Constitution, the majority shall rule, ano
the minority must submit. Alter tins Is
well settled we can with honor and secur.
ity discuss the question Of new compro-
Inises But while the claim Of the dis.
unionists that State tnay secede from the
Union at ber own pleasure, remains prac-
tIcally, undeniea by the genopal govern
inent, it IL evident that no compromise or
concession VIII avail, which does not sub
mt the action and Judgment Of the ma
JOrity to the 'anatiCistn Of ;he restless and
isct.ous ted. any. other compromise
would in fact. encourage farther rebellion
hereafter. nd. r..n ... .s...
II is therefore clear IN my opinion that
the nation must YInuicate itseH and estab
llsn again obedience to the constitutional
agreements and compromises through all
the length aud breaa,n Of the land, "
We are gathered from all the States Of
the Union and almost ali tho civilized ma
tons Of the world. We can have no mar
Ia.
row or secLouai feeling. Our interests eQua
ly forbid augenerouS or selfish views. We
are q young State, not yet very numerous
or powerful, out We are for the Union as
ii is. and the Constitution as it is. We
hope, We expect no fraternal war. The
blessings of the Union, representation in
Congress, the benefits of the postal sys
tem, the hdnors TO be won in the7various
departments of national service, these ev
ecy State may participate 10, bat it is unnec-
cssary to force them upon an unwilling
people. But she territory, the iorss, the
arscnais, the docksyar,!s, pubtrc buildings,
ships Of waY, revenue cutters, and the .ey-
enue, these belong TO The whole nation, ana
these the nation can hardly relinquish with
honor. .Y4 C. .s...s.,
Snch believe to be the sentiment of the
whole people Of our State, and it may be
well for tne Legislature now assembled,
by some solemn act, in fitting terms to ex-
press our individed attachment TO the Con
sttuliou and the Union Of our fathers and
our willingness to contribute, whatever OF
moral or material influence we have, to
preserve them, now and forever, ope...and
iuscparabie.
ALIEN. RAMSEY.
ST.. PAUL. January 9Th, 1861.