Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1861-01-17

I AaAAAS the no.
main of nature; increase of knowledge MS
broad as the hnnian mind cRn explore
perfection of art as high as human genius
can reach; and social refinement work
ing for the renovation of the world
What guarantees will capital invested
for such purposes have, TINT will out
weigh the premium offered by politi-
cal and military ambition? What leis-
ure Will the citizen find for study, or in
| Teltion, or art, under the reigu of con-
scriptloH; nay, what interest in them will
society feel when fear and bate shall have
taken possess on of the natural mind
its golden wealth will become the prizc of
the nation that can command the most
| iron. Let the borderer take care, for the
Indian will again lurk around his dwelling,
| Let the pioneer come back into our teDser
settlements, for tue railroad, the post road,
and the. telegraph, advance not one fur
long further into the wilderness. With
standing armies consuming the substance
of our people on the land, and our navy
aud postal steamers withdrawn from the
ocean, who Will protect or respect, or who
| will even know by name our petty confed-
erGcieS? The American ma0-of.wnr is a
noble spectacle. I have seen it enter an
ancient port in the Mediterranean. All
the world wondered Mt it, and talked of it.
Salvos of artillery, from forts and shipping
in, the harbor, saluted IFS tag Princes
and princesses and merchants paid il honl-
age, and all the people blessed it us har-
binger of hope for their own Ultimate free
! dom. imagine now the same noble yes.
sci entering the snme haven. The flag of
thirty-tliree stars and thirteen stripes has
been hauled down, and in its place a sig
nal has been run up, which ,flaunts the
device of lone star or palmetto tree.
Men ask "Nho is the stranger that thus
| steals into our waters2 The answer con-
temptuously given is, "She comes from
one of the obscure republics Of North
America. Let her pass on"
Lastly, public liberty, our own peculiar
| liberty, must languish for a time, aud then
cease to live. And such n liberty! free
movement everywhere through our own
land and throughout the world, free speech.
free press, free suffrage; the freedom of
every subject to vote on every law, and for
OF against every agent who expounds, ad-
ministers, or executes. Unstable and jeal-
GUS cOnfederacies, constantly experimenting
assaults without and treason within, for
midable only to each other, and contempti-
BILE to all beside: how long will it be before,
on the plea of public safety, they will sur
render all this inestimable and uneQunled
liberty, and accept the hateful and intole-
rable espionage of military despOtisp.
An now, Mr.. President, what Is the cause
for this sudden and eternal sacrifice of so
much safety, greatness, happiness and
freedom? Have foreign nations combined,
/ and nre they coming in rage upon us? No.
So far from being enemies, there is not a
nHtion on earth that is not an interested,
Ndmiring friend. Even the London Times,
by no means partial to US. sAys:
'ETt Is Quite possible that the problem OF
la Democratic republic may be solved by
+ its overthrow in n few days in spirit Of
Jolly, selfishness, and short-sightedneSs."
Has the Federal Government become
tyranical or oppressive, or even rigorous
or unsonnd2 Has the Constitution lost
/ its spirit, and all at once collapsed into II
s lifeless letter? No; the Federal Govern
ment smiles more beuignantly and works
d more beneficcntly than ever. The Consti-
/ tuition is even the chosen model for the
organization of the newly rising confeder.
acies.
Tho occasion is the election of Prcsi-
dent Of the United States. who is unaccep-
table to portion of the people, state
the case occurntely. There was no move
ment ofdisuniou before the ballots which
expressed that choice were cast. Disunion
began as soon rs the result was announced
The justification it assigned was that
Abraham Lincoln had been elected, while
the election of either one of the three
other candidates would have been acuui-
l.esced in. Was the election illegal? No;
it is unimpeachnble. Is the candidate
EpersOnnlly offensive? No; he is man of
Iunblemished virtue and amiable manners
Is an election of President an uufrequent
or extra aOrdinnry transaction? No; we
tnever had chief Magistrate otherwise
designated than by such an election, and
that form of choice is renewed every four
years. Does any one even propose so
to change :he mode of appointing the
Chief Magistrate2 No; election by uni
versal suffrage, as modified by the Consti-
tuition, is the one crowuing franchise of
| the American people. To save it they
would defy the world. Is it apprehendcd
that the new President would usurp des-
| potic powers2 No; while he is of all men
the most unambitious, he is, by the par
tlal success of those who opposed his elec-
tion, subjected to such restraints that he
cannot, without their consent, appoint
minister or even police agent, negotiate
n treaty, or procure the passage of a law,
| and can hardly draw muskct from the
public Nrsenals to defend his own person.
What, then, is the ground of discomfort?
II is that tho disuniOuists did not accept
us conclusive the arguments which were
urged in behalf of the successful candidate
in the canvass. This is all. Were their
own arguments against him more satisfac-
tory to his supporters2 OF course they
were not; they could not be. Does the
Constitution, in letter or spirit, require or
imply that the arguments of one party shall
be satisfactory to the other? No; that is |
impossible. What is the constitutional |
remedy for this inevitable dissatisfaction?
Renewed debate and ultimate rcLenrinr. in |
subsequent election. Have the now sue
cessful majority perverted power to pur-
poses of oppression? =? No; they have never /
before held power. AInsl how prone We
are to undervalue privileges and blessings.
How gladly, how proudly, would the peo-
pie of any nation in Europe accept. on
s,,Ch terms ne NE enjoy ~ Tim I,6nnflof