Newbern weekly progress., 1861-03-12

ration OF the sections tnan before, The foreign
slave trade, now imperfectly suppressed wonld
be ultimately revived without restriction In one
section, while the fugitive slaves, now ouIv mar
TALLY surrendered. would not be surrendered at
all by the other. Physically speaking, we can
not separate. We cannot remove our respectiye
sections from each other. nor build an impassable
wall between them. husband and wife NAV
be divorced and go out of the presence and be-
yond the reach of each other, but the different
parts of our country cannot do this. They can.
not but remain face to face, and intercourse eth
er amicable or hostii must continue between
them. Is it possible then, to make that inter-
course more advantageous or more satisfactory
after separation than before 7 Can aliens make
treaties easier than friends can make laws Can
treaties be more faithfully enforced between al.
lens than laws can among friends Suppose YOU
go to war. You carnot fight always When. af.
ter much loss OIL both side, and no gain on either,
you cease fighting. the identical ques: ions as to
terms of intercourse are ag in upon you.
This country With its institutions belongs to
the people who inhabit il. Whenever they grow
weary of the existing government. they can ex-
erci. the constitutional right of amending it. or
their revolutionary right to dismember or over.
many worthy and patriotic citizens are desirous
of having the National Constitution amended.
While / make no recommendation of amend
ments fully recognize the rightful authority of
the people over the " hole subject. to be exercised
in either of the modes prescribed in the instru-
ment itself, and should, under existing circum.
stances, favor. rather than oppose. fair oppor-
tunity being afforded the people to act upon it.
l will venture to add that to me the Convention
mode seems preferable, in that its amendments
are to originate with the people themselves, in
stead of only permitting them to take or reject
propositions ori ginated by others not especially
chosen for the purpose. and which might aot be
precisely such as they would wish to either ac-
cept refuse
understand a proposed amendment to the
Constitution (Which amendment however, I
have net seen,) has passed Congress, to the eff
feet that the Federal Government hall never in
terfere with the domestic institutions of the
States, including that of persons held to service.
To avoid misconstruction Of what I have said,
depart from my purpose not to speak of particu
lar amendments, so far as to say that, holding
such provision to nov be implied constitutional
law, have no objection to its being made ex-
press and irrevocabe. The Chief Magistrate de-
rives 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 if they choose but the Execu.
tive, as SUCH has nothing to do with it. 1t is his
duty to admipiste' the present Government as it
came to his hands. and to transmit it, unimpaired
by him, to his successor. Why should there not
be patient confidence in the ultimate justice of
the people Is there any better equal hope in
the world In our present differences, is either
party without faith of being in the right If the
Almighty Ruler of Nations, with his eternal truth
and justice, be on your side, OF the North, or
yours of the South, that truth and that 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 gi wen their public servants
but little power for mischief, and have, with equal
wisdom provided for the re turn of that little into
their own hands at very short intervals.
While the people retain their virtue and vigi-
lance no administration. by any xtreme of wick
edness or folly, very seriously in ure the Gov
ernment i'll the short pace of four years.
and oil N ,l,,,1x,
well upon this whole subject Nothing valuable
can be lost by taking time. If there be an obiet
to hurry any of yon in hot haste to step which
you would never take deliberately, that bect will
be frustrated by taking time; but no good object
can be frustrated by it. Such of you
dissatisfied still have the old Constitution unim-
paired, and the sensitive point the laws of
your own framing under It, while the new Ad-
ministration will have no power if it would, to
change either If it were admitted that you
W no are dissatisfied hold the right side in the dis
pute. there still is no single good reason for pre-
cipitate action. 1ntellig gence. patriotism. Chris
tlanity and tira reliance on Him who has new
er yet forsaken this land, are still competent to
adjust in the best way all our present difficulties.
In your hands, my dissatisfied fellow -coun-
trymen. and not in NINE, is the momentou> issue of
civil war. The Governme 1t will not assaii you
you C 10 have no conflict without being yourselves
the aggressors. You have oath registered in
Heaven to destroy this government while I shall
have the most solemn one to preserve, protect and
, efend it.
am 10th to close. We are not enemies, but
friends. We must not be enemies-though pas
sion may have strained it not break bonds
of affection. The mystic clouds of memory.
stretching from every battle field, and every pa
trot's grave, to every living heart and hearth
stone all over this broad land, will yet swell the
chorus of Union, when again touched. as surely
they will be by the better angels of our nation.
The local troops and the companies of U, S
soldiers formed the Presidents escort.
A l,r,n hoHv of Eederai forcas kent in
serve in case of an emergency
Several prominent housetops along the route
were occupied by detachments of rifemen, and
the principal avenues and approaches to the city
were guarded by detachments of local military.
The day fine, and nothing occurred to mar
the harmony of the occasion.
The military display was fine, but the civic
portion inferior.