The Van Buren press., 1861-01-11
sx The New York Observe, Of n. Oh,

OF December, submits the following state
ments and propositions. This paper ha
always been friendly to the South. and tn
sentiments expressed may therefore be re
ceived as those of the conservative porto,
of the north
L. The Government was oris inally form
ed under the present Constitution, with til.
lexistence of slavery as fixed fact in a lary,
number of the States
2. The relations of the States to eact
other have been disturbed by the agitation
OF the subject OF slavery as a moral and po-
liticai question persistent war upon the
institution as a sinia. relation, and therefor,
10 be destroyed.
8. These attacks upon the domestic insti
tutions of the slavcholding States, have
made them suspicious OF strangers comm.
among them from the North, and such per-
sons on suspicion of being abolitionists
have been maitreated. to the exasperatiou
of the North
4. Hostility to the institution of slavery
mas led several States to pass laws designed
to defeat the Act of Congress made to car
ry out the provision Of the Constitution re-
specting fugitives from labor or service.
D. IheSe States ought to repeal all laws
lde-iSned or calculated to interfere with the
laws Of the United States
b. The South ought to hold fast to the
Union As it IS. and contend for the letter
and spirit of the Constitution, with those
IN the North who are faithful to the com
pact As 1t was originally formed.
I. The public sentiment OF the North to-
ward the South. and of the south toward
the north, ought to be corrected, by the cir
cuiatIon OF facts III the place of that violent
ani reckless abuse which now marks the
pubic press. 1he fierce war Of abolition
Ism ought to be arrested, and the i'll treat
ment OF Northerners in the south which
now in:iames the Northern mind, ought to
be stopped, and the reciprocal rights OF all
the citizens OF all the States to the enjoy
ment of legal protection in every State,
ought to be secured. Thus all abuse ou
both sides. in worl and deed, should cease,
as unchristiau. and absolutely inconsistent
with permanent and fraternal union.
3. The Constitution should be strictly
interpreted by the Supreme Court. and liz
orally obeyed by the north and the south,
neither seeking the advantage of the other,
and 1t the question of slavery in the Terri
tories cannot be settled under the Constitu-
as 1t Is. then let the Constitution be so
amended As to establish line running
through the Territories To the Pacific, nort.
OF which slavery shall not be permitted,
AMI south oil which slavery may be permit
ted, until the formation of State govern
ment, When the people may decide the ques-
ton ior themselves. This will relieve the
conscience OF those who are steadia,tly op-
posed to permitting the extension of slave
ry. because it is simply returning to the
principles on which the Republic was orig
lnaiiy constructed, and leaves tn. RESPONSE
oiiIty of cxten,ling slavery upon those who
are willing to take it,
inese propositions embrace facts ami
considerations on which moderate men,
north and south. will agree 1t IS not true
tiiat all the blame is on one side. and no
oae has SAID it is, or supposed it is.
1t Is not true that y majority oe the
people IN the North are abolitlou.Sts. 1t is
not true that a ma jority of the people in
The south approve of the abuse of strangers
simply because they are suspected OF being
aboiltionists, We do each other great i'll
justice when the taunts and denunciati, ms
and violence and wrong of fanatical, pas
sionate. depraved men are imputed to a
whole community. Let US Judge of one
another more candiily, intellgently an.
charItabiy. Are We not all brethren ?
Have we not common Father in Heaven.
and common country on ea,th of which
w ashinSton was the father? Have We
not In the South aud North. in the East
and IN the West. already suffered sufficient;
from the ,F
Isfy us all that the reality would be disas-
trous to our pecuniary and political inter
e,ts Is there any man who supposes thar
this Republic can be made into two, three,
or iour Governments. without the danger
OF civil war; And if civil war comes, il
1t probable that it can ever be arrested he
fore hundreds of thousands of lives are de-
stroyed. ami our moral interests GIFTED
We have devoted several successiv, num-
bers Of our paper to tho work of showing
| our southern f:iends that there is no suffi
cient reason to necessitate secession, and We
have since endeavored to convince our
northern friends that they ought to take the
first steps in the work OF conciiation. The
agitation of the slavery question by The
sbolitionists began this excitement, and ii
must be arrested by Il return to the frs,
principles on which the government was
founded. If there is not a willingness
on the part of a majority of the people to
make some such concessions As are ,ntimat-
ell above, we confess that we do not see ON
what grounds to build hope that the Un-
ion can be preserved.
~ On the other hand, Mr.. Seward
views. may be fairly received as those o.
the ultra Republicans of the North. On
the 22d of Dec. lsst. at the anniversary
dinner of the New England Society. given
at the Astor House, in New York City,
Gov. Seward made a speech. and in the
course of his remarks alluded to the pres
ent state of the country, concluding as fol
lows:
"If we keep entirely cool. and entirely
calm, and entirely kind, debate will come
which viii be kindly in itself; and it will
prove very soon either that We are wrong
and we shall concede ID our offended breth-
ren-or else that We are right, and they will
acquiesce aud come back into frsternal rela-
tions with us. do not wish to anticipate
any question. We have great many states