Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1861-08-29

sphere. The government Of the United States
has no more right to interfere aoith the institu-
ton Of slaverg IN South Carolina than. 1t has
to interfere soHh the peculiar institution Of
Rhode Island, achose benefits IhaUe enjoyed to-
day. But, my friends, during the last sum
'mer, when the great political contest was
raging throughout the land-then it was that
designing and dishonest men, for the purpose
Of accomplishing their own selfish schemes,
appealed to the prejudices of the Southern
people, denouncing those who supported Mr..
Lincoln as abolitlonis men who would
disregard the constitutional rights of the
South, and transcend the powers of the gov
ernment. Excited by these iniquitius ap~
peaIs, they were ready to take arms to pre-
vent the Inauguration of that President whom
majority of the people had declared to be
the man of their choice.
My friends, have known the President
long and well. 1t has been my fortune to be
selected as one of his constitutional advisers.
| have had the honor Of being connected with
this administration since It's commencement,
and tell you to night that you cannot find
In S. Carolina man more anxious religiously
and scrupulously to observe all the features
of the Constitution relating to slavery, than
Abraham Lincoln. Had the people of the
South been willing to wait and see whether
he would regard that oath which in the pres
ence of the assem- mbled uation he had taken,
they would have found that no admnistra
ton ever organized in this country would
have more conscientiously regarded and pro-
tected the rights Of tie South, than this ad~
minis.raton would have done. know that
| speak the sentiments of the President and
bis advisers-ef those who have controlled
his administration.
But these people, however, were not will
ing to wait until this lest could be applied,
and no sooner was this President iaaugura-
ted than the tocsin of war was sounded thro'
every Southern State, and the armed strength
of the people was summoned to drag down
the administra ion-to undermine the foun-
datior of the government, and to crush in
ruin this fair fabric OF republican institu-
tons. What, ask you, could the admins
tra'ion have done? Ooe alter another of
the forts Of the United States had been taken !;
one after another had the possessions of the
government been seized; State after State
had renouneed its allegiance to the federal
Union in State after State the glorious flag
of the nation h ad been trampled in the dust
aud to It's place had been lifted the enblem
of the pirate and the traitor. What was the
duty Of the administration in this emergen-
cy Should we stand by and see one after
another the pillars OF our great ia brio disrup-
ted and broken, or should we appeal to the
patriotism of the American people to sustain
the institutions Of their fathers? IF Mr..
Lincoln had not pursued the course which he
has, would he not have been unworthy of the
confidence that has been so generously pac
ed in him? lie has adopted this course, and
he has appealed to you, the people of the
States, to rally around the standard of our
! country anu tedCu tue WOtAu tptte ie puUilSdD'
ism still lives upon this continent.
Ny friends, ace make no acar upon Southern
institutions. We recognize the right Of South
Carolina and Georgia tohold slaces if they
desire them. But, my friends. we appeal to
you to uphold the great banner of cur gori,
GUS country, aud to leave the people of that
country to settle these domestic matters ac@
cording to their own choice and the exigene
cies which the times may present.