The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1861-03-09

these offices, the attempt to do SO would
be SO irritating, and SO nearly impracticabie
withal, that deem it better to forego for
the time the uses of such offices. The
mails, unless repealed, will continue to be
furnished in all points of the Union. So
far as possible, the people everywhere shall
have that sense OF perfect security which
must follow calm thought and reflection.
The course here indicated will be followed
unless current events and experience shall
show a modification or change to be pro-
per, and in every case and eXigency my
best discretion will be exercised according
to the circumstances actually existing,
and with a view and hope OF a peaceful
solution Of the national troubles-the re-
storation of the fraternal sympathy and
affections That there are persons In one
section or another who seek to destroy the
Union at all events, and who are glad of
any pretext to do it, viii neither affirm
or deny If there be such, | need address
no word to them. To those who really
love the Union may | not speak before
entering upon so grave matter as the
destruction of our national fabric with all
its benefits, its memories, its hopes? would
il not be wise TO ascertain previously why
we doit will you hazard so desperate a step
while there is any possibility that any por-
ton Of the ills you fly from have no real
existence? Will you, while the certain
/ ills you flee to are greater than all the real
ones you fly from? VIII you risk the
commission of SO fearful a mistake? All
profess to be content in the Union if al
constitutional rights can be maintained
Is it true then that any right plainly writ
ten in tie Constitution, has been denied?
think not-hapiily the human mind is
SO constituted that no party can reach to
the audacity Of this. Think, you can, of
a single instance in which plainly written
provision ofthe Constitution has ever been
denied IL, by the mere force OF numbers
majority shall deprive a minority Of any
clearly written constitutional right in a
moral point of view just by revolution, it
certainly would if such right was vital
one; bat such i not our case The vital
rights Of minGrities and Of individuals are
SO plainly assured to them by afiirmations
and legislative guarantees, and prohibi
tons IN the Constitution, that controver
sizes never aries concerning them But no
organic law can ever be framed with
provision specially applicable to every
question which may occur in practical adj
ninistra.ion. No foresight can anticipate,
nor any document OF reasonable length
contain express provisions for all possible
questions. Shall iugity5s from Ia, o. be sur
rendered 10 national or State authorities?
The Constitution does not expressly say
Must Congress protect slavery in the ter
ritoIics? The Constitution does not e,.-
pressly say From questions OF this class
spring atl our constitutional controversies
and we divide upon them into maiorilies
and IG;norities II the minority will not
acluesee he majority must, or the gov
eTnineHt must cease There IS no &!teTna
tive FOR continuing the government but
acquiescence on the one side or the other
Ii 4 minority in such case will secede
rather than ac1aiesce they make a pT-ce
dent which will in turn ruin and divide
them for q minority OF their own viii Sc
Ceie from them whenever =. majority rs
fused To be controlled by such Z minority
; For instance, why may not any portion OF
new conled-!acy, Year o. two hence,
arbitrarily secede again pre- isely ~ per
tons OF the present Union now claim to
secede from it, All who cherish Gisuuion
sentiments are Row bein~ educated to the
lexact temper of doing this There i such
perfect identity OF Interests among the
States 10 compose new Union as to pro
duce harmony only AID prevent a new
cessi0n Plainly the central idea Of &c
cession is the essence of anarchy. \ ma
jority held in restraint by constitutional
check and Limitations, and always chang
ing easily with deliberate changes of pop
ular opinions and sentiments, i. the only
true sovereign or free people. Whoever
eiacts does of necessity i.y to anarchy and
iespnti~n. Cnanin;ty i impossible The
rt:!e OF the minority. a. a permanent ar
c''mcnt. Is wholly inaimisSabie; so that.
rejecting lie majority principle, anarchy
80. :. II !.
LET. ! do not forget the position assumed
hy s>me that constitutional objections are
to be Gscideo' by the supreme Court, nor
do deny that such decisions must he
binding in any case, 10 the parties 10 = sui.
as the object OF that suit. while they are
also entitled 10 every high respect and
consideration in all parallel cases Ky all
other depaItIn ents OF the Government.
and while it is obyl ouslr possible that such
decision may be erFo.1 eous IN any gwen
case, still the evil effect i>iio"ing 1t being
limited to that particular csSe with the
chance that it may DE Overrued .nd never
become a precedent for other cas>s. can
better be borne than could the evils D.
different practice At the same time, the
candid citizen must confess that If the
policy Of the Government upon the vital
question affecting the whole people is to
Supreme Court, the instant they are
made ia ordinary litigation between par
ties in personal actions, the people will
have ceased to be their own. unless to
that extent practically to resign their go
vernment into he hands Of that eminent
tribunal. Nor IS there in this view any
assault upon tie Court or tue judges. 1t
is duty from which they may not shrink
to decide cases properly brought before
them. 1t is no fault of theirs If others
seek to turn their decision to political pur
poses. One section OF our country believes
slavery is right and ought to he extended,
while the others believe it is wrong and
ought not to be extended. This is the on
~ substaA tial dispute.
The fugitive slave clause in the Consti-
tuition, and The law for the suppression of
the foreign slave trade, are as well eniorc-
ed perhaps as any law can ever be In
community where the moral sense of the
people imperfectly supports the law itself.
The great body OF the people abide by the
dry legal obligation i'll both cases, and
few break over in each. This, | think,
cannot be perfectly cured, and it would be
worse in both cases after the separation of
the sections than before. The foreign
slave trade now imper.ectiy suppressed
Nouiu DC ihil'eiieCtis ieNINeu without re-
strietion in one section, while fugitive
slaves now only partially surrendered,
would not be given up at all by the other
Physically speaking, we cannot separate.
We cannot remove our separate sections
from each other, nor build an impossible
wall between them. a husband and wife
may be divorced, and 60 out of the pre-
sence Of and beyond the reach of each
other; but the different parts Of our coun-
try cannot do this. They cannot but re-
main face TO face, and intercourse either
amicable or hostile must continue between
them Is it possible, then to make that
intercourse more advantageous or more