The Jeffersonian Democrat. [volume] (Chardon, Ohio) 1854-1865, 1861-02-08

IN them VIII society Ieel Wnen lear ana
hate shall have taken possession Of tho
national mind /? Let the miner in Cali
fornia take heed, for its golden wealth will
become the prize Of the nation that can
command the most iron. Let the bor-
derer take care for the Indian will again
lurk around his dwelling. Let the pio-
neer come back into the denser settle.
ments for the railroad, the post road
and the telegraph, advance not one furlong
farther into the wilderness. With stand
ing armies consuming the substance Of our
people on the land, and our navy and
postal steamers Withdrawn from the ocean,
who will project or respect, or who will
even know by name our petty confeder.
acies The American man. Of. war is a
noble spectacle. l have seen il enter an
ancient; port in the Mediterranean. All
the world wondered at it, and talked Of il.
Salvos Of artillery, from forts and shipping
in the harbor, saiuted its flag. Princes
and princesses and merchants paid it
homage, and all the people blessed it as a
harbinger Of hope for their own ultimate
freedom. imagine now the same noble
vessel again entering the same noble
haven. The flag Of thirty-three stars and
thirteen stripes has been hauled down, and
in its place a signal is run up, which
flaunts the device of lone star or q pal
metto tree. Men ask, "who is the
stranger that thus steals into our waters 2"
The answer contemptuously given is, "sbe
comes from the obscure Republics Of
North America. Let her pass on
Lastly, public liberty, our own peculiar
liberty, must languish for time. and
then cease 10 live. And such liberty |!
free movement everywhere throughout
our own land and throughout the world !;
free speech, free press. free suffrage the
freedom Of every subjec, TO vote on every
law, and for or against every agent who
expounds, administers or executes. Un-
stable and jealous confederacies, con-
stantly apprehending assaults without and
treason within, formidable only 10 each
other and contemplate to all beside /;
how long will it be, before, on the plea
Of public safety, they will surrender all
this inestimabe ard unequnlled liberty,
and accept the hateful and intolerable es-
pionage OF military despotism ?
And now. Mr.. President, what is the causo
for this sudden and eternal sacrifice of SO
much safety, greatness, happiness and FREQ.
dom: Have foreign nations combined, and
arc thoy coming in rage upon US: No; so
far from being enemies, there is not a nation
on the earth that is not an interested, admir-
ing friend. Even tho London Times, by no
means partial to us. saws:
at is quite nossible that the problem of
Democratic Republic may be solved by its
overthrow in few days in spirit of folly,
seiishness and sbort'sightedness."
Has tho Federal Government become ty.
rannical or oppressive, or even rigorous or
unsound: Has the Constitution lost it's
spirit, and oil a: once collapsed into life
less letter! No, the federal Government
smiles more bcnignantly. and works to-day
moro benefcently than over. Tine Const-
tuition is even the chosen model for the Or
ganzaton of tho newly rising confoderacies.
The occasion is tho election os President
of the United States, who is unacceptable
to portion of the people. l state the case
accurately. Tbore was no movement of
disunion before the ballots which expressed
that choice were cast Disunon began as
soon as the result was announced. The jus.
tifcation it assigned WAS that Abraham Lin
coin had been elected, while the success of
either one of tho three other candidates
would have been ncqu iesced in. Was the
election illegal: No, il is unimpcachable.-
Is tho candidate personally offensive? No;
no is man of unblcmshod virtue and amia.
bio manners. Is an election of President
an unfrcquont or extraordinary transaction: !:
No; We never had Chief Magistrate other
wise designated than by such election, and
that form of choice is renewed once in four
years. Does any one even propose to alter
tho model of appointing the Chief Magis.
trate: No, no; the election by universal
suffrage. as modified by tho Constitution. is
the one crowning franchise OF the American
people. To save ii they would defy tho
world. Is il apprehended that the new
President will usurp despotic powers? No;
while he is of all men the most unambltious
he is, by tho partial success of those who
opposed his election, subject to such re-
straints that no cannot, without their con
sent, appoint a minister, or ovcn police
agont, negotinte q treaty. or procure the
passage of law. and can hardly draw
muskct from the public arsenal to defend
his own person.
What, then, is the ground of discon tent:
1t is that the disunon;sts did not accept as
conclusive the arguments which were urged
in behalf of tho successful candidate in the
canvass. This is all. We're their arguments
against him more satisfactory TO his sup
porters: OF course, they we're not; they
could not DO. Does the Constitution, 10
letter or spirit, require or imply that the
arguments Of ono party shall be satisfactory
to the other? No; that is impossible. Whit
is the constitutional remedy for this inevi-
table dissatisfaction? Renewed debate and
ultimate rehearing in a subsequent election.
Have the now successful majority perverted
power to purposes of oppressions No; they
have never before held power, Alas! how
promo we are to undervalue privileges and
b!essingsl How gladly, how proudly would
tho people of any nation In Europe accept,
on such terms as wo enjoy il, tho boon of
electng Chief Magistrate every years,
by Free equal and universal suffrage! How
thankfully would they cast inside all their
own systems Of government. and accept this
Republic of ours, with all It's shortcomings
and disappointments, maintain il with their
arms, and cherish it in their hearts. la it
not tho very boon for which they suppiicate
God without ceasing, and oven wage war,
with intermissions only resulting from OK
hsustioni How strange arc the times in
which We ivel Tho coming spring season,
on one side of the Atlantic, will open on
general conflict, Waged TO obtain through