Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1861-04-10

CeSSlOn
acted upon the high and patriotic policy pursued by
your fathers Our fathers did not find that great
constitutional government could be built up in
day. Nor is O broken government to be repaired
and reconstructed in day. The fathers OF the re-
public depended patient preseryerIng honest pa
triotic labor to the last and with Gods pressing up
on these labors success crowned their endeayors.
tell you, that our people will require like
honest and faithful efort-persstent assiduous ef-
fort Make up and present to the people the ISSUE
whether the Union is to be dissolved, If the guaran
ties proposed can be obtained and one mighty mega
tive would be heard throughout the Commonwealth
These guarantees can and Will be obtained, and let
the politicians say they please of them, they are
ample, and cover every point of controversy.
But we are told that something must be done i'm
medately-that we have adminstration-we
don't know what mischief that administration may
perpetrate and that we must resume our original
rights.
Mr. President | confess, for one, that, as Vir-
ginian am not willing to see her driven and I'M
PEELED into any course, which otherwise she ought
not to take by fear of any man or any set OF men,
She is not to be dragooned, either by fear OF the
Federal Government affection for the Contederat-
ed States.
We are asked if we are willing to submit to Mr.
Lincoln We submit to the Constitution and the
law, but not to tyranny and oppression-w these
come we shall be ready for rebellion and revolution
But Mr. Lincoln is the SubmiSSiOniSt, not us. lie
is at this moment submitting to the noble position
of the border States. lie is submitting to the ext
gencies ofhis own position.
have nothing to say Of the Inaugural Address,
which has been so much commented on My course
cannot be governed by any expression of opinion,
or any programme of measures, which must depend
for their execution on the question of practicabity,
and must vary with the circumstances of the hour.
shall be but little moved by newspaper paragraphs
or Geographic dispatches, those swift-wInged mes
Sengers of sensation and alarm | think we should
act cody and calmly and only upon full information
of the facts on which action is to be predicted.
v e are to be alarmed by the declaration of the
President that it is his duty to hod possess and
cupy the forts. That means war, it is said.
Why, Mr.. President, | think that we ought to
Judge of every one by the rule of common sense and
BY the same modes of consideration that we judge OF
ourselves. Why should we construe this into the
announcement of purpose to re-take forts which
have been captured by the seeded States, or any of
them, and are now in their possession? In the first
place there is no cause for retaking them. They
are not needed for purposes OF national defence at
ALL because they are in States that have seeded
There is therefore, no necessity for retaking them.
There is no motive to impel the administration to re-
sort to force which will bring a conflict between
those seeded States and the General Government.
Then, again, he has means of retaking them even
if he desired He only retake them by the force
which he has not the power to raise He has only
the little standing army belonging to the country,
that is scattered over your entire frontier West and
Southwest and utterly incapable Of taking these
fortified places or any Of them out of the hands of
the seeded States
Well now as to the collection of the revenue. |
am not aware of the existence of any law whatever
that authorizes the collection of the for the
purposes of the government anywhere except at
the custom house. and in the ports of entry. We
all know that in General JackSon'S time it was found
IN law for hp nj
ring this power. We know that that law by its own
terms expired in two years after the period OF its
enactment. We know that during the session of
this last Congress there bill pending to confer
that power in the present instance. We know 1t
did not pass, and there was no progress made to-
wards its enactment alter the arrival of the new
President in Washington. We know further, that
Mr.. Buchanan some time ago nominated gentle
man from Pennsylvania to act as collector of GUS
toms at Charleston and that that nomination
never acted upon by the Senate | am then, Mr..
President warranted in saying that there is no legal
instrumentalty at this time, which enables the gov
eminent to collect revenue, except the law of Con-
gree authorizing its collection at the custom houses
in the ports of entry.
The idea of collecting it outside the harbor and
in an armed ship, even if that were an authorized
lawful mode of collection, | am convinced would be
especially when connected with our warehouSng
system-utterly deficient and impracticable You
warehousing system, goods can remain three years
without requiring the duty to be paid upon them,
unless they be withdrawn. Where is the power to
blockade the port? Why, the power to blockade is
the power to declare war, and the President is not
vested with the power to declare war Hence,
say, Mr. Lincoln has not the ability, if he had the
inclination to cOnstrain the collection Of revenue,
without further legislation by Congress
| do not propose to discuss the question Of the
right of secession, about which We all have opinions
of our own. will not 20 into that argument now;
it is not necessary, it is not opportune. | think
that in whatever aspect that may be regarded
we are bound to accept secession existing fact
Seven States have declared themselves out of this
Union-have furnished a cOnfedcracy, and are
now performing the functions of an Independent
government Now, Sir, should say it is narrow,
unphilosCphica craftsmanship that would regard
the movement Of those Southern States acting
organized commonwealth, and by conventional de-
crees and ordinances in the light Of partial nsurrec
tonary movements in opposition to State authority.
Who would compare the secession of entire States
by conventional authority, with such a movement
as the Whiskey Instruction in Pennsylvania, or
Shays Rebellion in Massachusetts,
We are living IN a new era What has happened
is entirely unprecedented. We have no example
for it in the history of the world. 1t is thing
the founders of our government never anticipated
They made provision for dissolution or deStruc-
ton of the government. 1t has come upon US and
we must meet the event as best we may.
And what is the best? | say, MI. President, just
to let them alone. would use no force. Force
now is civil war; and with civil war, the bonds of
our Union can never be renewed. l am happy to
say that the news of this morning leaves no reason
ole ground of doubt that pacific policy has been
wisely determined on at Washington, and that the
troops in Fort Sumter will soon be with
drawn These States must be left to time, to their
experiment. to negotiation to entreaty, to sisterly
kindness. That is my mode Of treatment. Under
its operation all may be well. The old affection will
return-the memories of the past will incline US to
each other-our joint troubles and joint triumphs,
the hopes which clustered about great expert
ment of free government and enlightened civilization
and which can not be abandoned, and yet, than
all, sense of common interest and common safety,
will bring together again. and our Union be more
L i IL.