Columbia Democrat and Bloomsburg general advertiser. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1850-1866, 1861-01-26
The National Crisis.
ENFORCING THE LAWS.

. | ENFORCING THE LAWS.
Those words sound we'll, and particu.
larly so in the mouths of mon who are
notorious for having preached and prayed
rebellion against the Constitution and
laws, even to the shooting down Of the
officers whose duty it is to enforce them.
Seek out those men who murdered the
constable Batchelder, at Boston, while
endeavoring to sustain the fugitive slave
law, or who abetted or approved of the
deed, or who have been guilty of any
similar crime in any Of our States, or of
abetting or approving Of the same, or who
have boasted that said law could not and
should not be enforced, and we will guar.
antee that every one of those men, who
ther clergyman or layman,i is now rampant
in favor of enforcing The Iaacs against the
seeding States, and in denouncing any
who counsel forbearance, delay or any
such thing, in the hope of avoiding the
effusion of blood---the blood of our breth-
rem.
This alone is suspicious circumstance,
and may well lead to the inquiry whether
the enforcement of the laws" now, a.
gainst the seeding States, is not the same
thing in effect, or does not fend to the
same end, as the wanton, wilful, avowed
and persistent violation of the fugitive
slave law, and other laws which were in
tended to carry into effect the stipulations
of the Constitution in favor of the South.
1t is n OF best for sensible men to be de-
ceived by a name; they should look at the
thing. Let it be understood then, for il
is clear as light, that what is called cen
forcing the laws" in this connection, is
synonymous with coercion and civil war.
The Government is now dealing, not with
individuals, or neighborhoods, or cliques,
but with States. These were sovereign
and independent when they entered the
Union, and are SO still, (Republicanism
itself being judgc,) except in those parti-
culars wherein they conceded certain DOW.
ers and privileges, in exchange for Ger.
tain other powers and privileges, which
they say have latterly been withheld from
them, Notwithstanding their earnest and
oft repeated remonstrances. The right of
the seocding States, under such circum.
stances, or under any circumstances, to
resume their former absolute indepen-
denoo, (Which must of course precede new
alliances with other parties or with each
other,) is not right conceded by the
Constitution. Neither is the right to
whip" them back into the Union-"aye.
whip them" back, to use the gentle ex-
preston of our Pearl street cotcmporary
conceded by the Constitution. The
Constitution contemplated no such anom-
allies. Neither did it contemplate the
wilful and persistent violation of its own
stipulations by. any State or section, a.
gainst the rights of any other State or
section, whereby its operation should be-
come, OF be deemed, more intolerable than
the perils of secession, which is another
name for revolution. The true method
we take it, is, to look at the case as now
presented, not in the light of the Consti-
tuition, (Which, as it contemplated no such
complication, provides no key for its So
\
lution,) but as naked fact, with which
the remaining States, through the national
government, have to do. Call it secession,
or revolution if you please, but do not
belittle it by calling it simple breach of
the laws. I
1t is great movement,as they will find
who undertake to suppress it by force of
arms. Already the States of South Car.
olina, Florida, Alabama and Mississippi,
comprising population of near $780,
600, have formally declared themselves
out of the Union and if Georgia, Lou.
isiana and Texas, follow their example,
as it is most probable they will within
three weeks from the present date, the
seeded population will approach 5000.
600, and the area of the seeded territory
will be more than 6OO,OeO square miles,
with sea coast greater than that Of all