Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1861-03-15

''AAS4 oteNlS nav SSSShVh lOllsJ dlotHdI'
magazines, hospitals, post Offices, custom
houses, mints, and money have been seiz
ed the Constitution and laws of the Uni
ted States have been violated; aud lh
power of the nation defed. The Presi
dent has notified US of these events il
message after message. I think (he tell
us) all this is very wrong in the southern
people, and the northern people are yer!
much to be blamed for it. Iregret it;
cannot help it | am impatient.
"The Greeks are strong, and skillful TO thei
strength;
Fierce totheir skill and IN their ferceness valiant
Bnt weaker than a womau's tear;
Tanner than sleep; fouder than ignorance;
Less ygilant than the virgin in The night;
And skilless as Impractical infancy"
The President has failed to use til,
means that were in his power to defend
the government. Perhaps 1t ought to be
said that be has been deceived and para
lyzed by the infdelity of his advisers
but in any event he has cast himself up
on Congress. Hitherward the eyes OF
thirty million of people are turned, and
here the hopes of all the loyal and pat
riotic are centered. True it is that here,
until very recent date, they looked and
hoped in vain. Congress was as power
less as the Executive. Here, too, was
disloyalty to the Federal Government
here no men, and no set of men, able to
control the action of the Senate and the
House. All that is changed. In this
House, at least, the members of the Re
publican party command a majority in
and they must and will be
held responsible for all that shall here be
done, and all that shall be left undone.
What shall we do ? What shall we
refuse to do? The answer must depend
upon the necessities of the case and the
extent of our powers; we must do only
what we have the right to do, and what
$ expedient to be done. Six States have
declared that they are no longer under
he jurisdiction of this government a
eyenth has withdrawn from the Union
and others remain cond-
.ionally. Six States are now assembled
in convention to form new confedera-
ion; and the address of its presiding Of
icer declared the position they contem-
,Iate. Said be-;
We meet as representatives of SOW
reign and Independent States. which by
heir solemn Judgments have dissolved all
he political associations which have con-
ected them with the government of the
United States. It is now a fixed and ir-
evocable fact that the separation is per-
sct, complete, and perpetual and a
reat duty is now imposed upon US 10
rovide a government for our future Sc
urity and protection. We can and
hould extend to our sister States and
ur late sister States who are identified
nth US in interest, feelings, and institu-
ons, cordial invitation to unite in a
ommon destiny, and be DESTROYS at the
anne time, of maintaining with our late
onfederates friendly relations, political
nd commercial
1t becomes us first to inquire whether
lese States are really out Of the Union
r in it. If they are out, our duty is
lain. We are at once to put them on
he footing of foreign nations, and | viii |
ay, OF the most favored foreign nations
2r neither passion nor prejudice shall
yer extinguish the generous sympathies
nd charities due to children of a COM
ION ancestry. If they are out of the
Jnion, by separation that is "perfect,
omplete, and perpetual" then we are
bsolved from all obligations due to them
S members of the Union-to protect
hem against foreign invasion and domes-
c insurrection and rebellion, and to re-
pect their rights as States, and the rights
nd interests Of their inhabitants as cit .
,ens of the United States. Our politi-
al, commercial, postal, and other laws,
ave no validity there; our courts and
and post and land Offices
re to be closed, the mails suspended, and
ur and their commerce put upon an en-
rely different footing. We assume new
overs as to them-the treaty-making
over and power of peace and war. To
e sure, it has been argued again and
gain that we have no power to make
ar upon a seeding State but nobody
i'll deny our power to make war upon
foreign State; aud it behooves all con-!
srned to remember that there is not a
ingdom in the world against which we
yer had, or ever can have, stronger or