Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1861-03-06

checks and Limitations. and svavs ejano;no eas;lv
with the deliberate changes of popular opinions ard
sentiments, is the only true sovereign of free
people whoever rejects it, does, of necessity. fy
70 anarchy or despo6sm. Unanimity isimpossible
tne rule of a minority. as a permanent arrange.
ment - wholly inadmissibe, so that in rejecting
the majority principle, anarchy and despotisrn in
some fern is al that Is left. do not forget the
positaon assumed by some that Constitutional cues
tons are to be decided by the Supreme Court nor
do deny that such decisions must be bindin0 in
any case upon the parties to a suit As 70 the OBJ
Ject OF that suit while they are also entitled to very
nigh respect and consideration in all parael cases
Dy al other departments Of the Government and.
while 1t is obviously possible that such decision
may be erroneous ia any given case still the evil
effects following 1t being limited to that particuar
case, with the chance that it NAV be overrued and
never become precedent for other cases caa bet
ter be borne than could the evils of different
practice. At the same time candid citizens must
confess that if the policy of the Government upon
vital questions Affecting the whele people is to be
irrevocably fixed by the decisions of the Supreme
Court the instant they made in ordinary Iitiga
ton between parties 10 personal actions the people
will have ceased TO be their own rulers having 10
that extent, practically resigned their rovarnTent
into the hands of that tribunal nor ia there in th;s
view any assault upon the Court or Jndces II Il a
duty from which they may not shrink TO decide
cases properly brought before them, and it is NO
fault of theirs if others seek to turn their sciSs
to political purposes. One section of the conntrv
believes that slavery IS right and ought To be o.
tended, while the other believes that il il v,orv
and ought not to be extended
THIS is the only substantial disputes for the fusi
ave slave clause OF the Constitution and the laws
for the suppression of the foreign slave trade are
each as well enforced perhaps as anv law can ever
De IN community where the moral sense Of the
people imperteesly supports the law ITSELF Will
the great body of the people abide by the legal OBJ
gston IN both cases as well after the separation of
khrar A.c-.. nv
now imperfectly suppressed would be ultimately
revived without restriction in one section while f-
gitiye slaves now only partially surrendered would
not be surrendered at all by the other. Physically
speaking we cannot separate, cannot remove our
respective sections from each other, nor build up
an impossible wall between them. The husband
and wife may 10 divorced and ge out Of the pres.
ence and beyond the reach Of each other. But the
dlnerent parts of our country cannot do this-they
cannot but remain face TO face, and an intercourse
either amicahe or hostile must continue between
them. Is Ii possible, then to make that intercourse
more advantageous or more satisfactory after sep
-arating than beforeg Can aliens make treaties cas-
Ter than friends can make laws2 Can treaties be
more faithfully enforced between aliens than laws
among friends? Suppose you go to war, you can
not tight always; and when. AFTER much loss both
sides there is gain on either you cease fighting the
old identical questons the terms of intercourse
is again upon You THIS country with its institutions
belongs to the people who inhabitit Whenever they
shall grow weary Of the existing Government, they
can exercise their constitutional right to dlsmember
or overthrow it, cannot be ignorant Of the fact
that many worthy and patriotic citizens are desir
Gus of having the National Constitution amended.
While make no Recommendation of AMENDMENTS
fully recognize the rghtful authority of the PEG.
pie the whole subject to be exercised in either
of the modes prescribed in tie instrument tsef and
should under existing circumstances, favor rather
than oppose fair opportunity being offered the
people to act upon i. will venture to add that to
me the Convention mode seems preferable, inasmuch
az II allows the amendment 20 originate with the
people themselves instead only of permitting them
to take or reject proposition originated by others
not specially chosen for the purpose, and which
might not be precisely such as they would wish to
accept or refuse. understand proposed amend
meut 10 the Constitution, which anne adment
however, l have not tseen. has passed Con-
gress to the effect that the Federal Government
shall never interIere with the domestic institutions
OF the States, including that OF persons held to
vice. To avoid a misconstruotion of what have
said depart trem my purpose to speak of particu-
lar amendments 40 FAR to say, that holding such
provision to the now implied constitutional law,
have no objection to its being made express and ir
revocable.
The Chief Magistrate derives all his authority
from the people, and they have conferred none upon
him to fix terms for the separation of the States,
The people themselves can do this also f they
choose, but the Executive as s4eh, has nothing to
tho Government Itcame to bis hands, and to trans
nit, qnimpaired by him, to his successor. Why
should there not be patient confidence in the uti-
mate justice of the people2 Is there any better
equal hope in the world In present difference
is either marty without faith or that the Almighty
Ruler of Nations, with His eternal truth and JUS
tice wbe her ON our side of the North or on your
side of the South, that truth and justice will surely
prevail by the judgment of this great tribunal the
American people? By the form of the Government
under which we live, this same people have wisely
given their public servants but little power for mis-
chief, and have, with equal wisdom, provided for
the return Of that little to their own hands at very
short interyals While the people retain their vir
tue and vigilance no Administration, extreme of
wckedness folly, can very seriously injure the
Government in the short space of four years.
My countrymen, one and all, think calmly and
we'll upon the whole subject. Nothing valuable can
be lost by taking time. IL there be object TO- hpg-
ry any efyou in hot haste 70 take step which you
would meyer tale deliberately, that object would be
frustrated By taking time but no good can be frus-
trated by 1t. Such of you are now dissatisfied
still have the old Constitution unimpsired add on
the sensitive point the laws of your own framing
under it; while the new Administration will have no
immediate power. il il would to change either. If
it were admitted that you who dissatisfied hold
the right side in dispute, there still is single good
IN reason for precipitate action Intelligence, pat
rietsm Christianity, and 3 firm reliance on Him
who has never yet torsaken this favored land,
still competent to adjust in the best way all our pre-
sent difficulties.
In your hands, my dissatisfied eountrymen, and
not in mine, is the momentous issue of civil war.
The Government will not assail you. You can
have conflict without being yourselves the ag
gressors. You have no oath registered in heaven
to destroy the Government while shall have the
most solemn one to preserve, protect, and defend
it. l am 10th to close. We are not enenies, but
friends-Wp must RQt be enemies though passion
May have strained, 1t must not break the bonds of
Affection The mystic chords of memory, stretch
ing from every battlefield and patriot grave to eve
ry loving heaRt aud hearthstone all over this
broad land, will yet swell the chorus of the Union,
when again they touch-as surely they will-the
better angels of our nature.