Bedford inquirer. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1857-1884, 1861-07-19

! Sovereignty
/ forth by the SoutH ard now that even coercion
would be perfectly legal to compel their submission
| to the General Government. On this point he
4 said
EVEN COERCION CONSTITUTIONAL.
Did any one imagine in 1898, when Gen. Wash
! ington called out l5 600 men 70 suppress the iu-
surrection in the western counties OF PennsYlTania
that If the insurgents had happened TO have the
control of majority of the Legislature. and thus
clothed their rebellion with pretended form Of
law, that he would have been obliged to dlsband
his troops. and return himself, baflcd and dscom-
fitted, 20 Mount Vernon If Iohu Browns raid
at Harpers Ferry, instead OF being the project of
one misguided individual, and dozen and half
deluded followers, had been the organized move
ment Of the States Of OHIO and Pennsylvania. do
the Seceders hold that the United States would
have had no right to protect Virginia, or punish
the individuals concerned in her i7vasion2 Do
the Seeding States really mean, after all, to deny
that If State law is passed to prevent the rem
dstlon OF fugitive slave. the General Government
has no right to employ force to effect his sHrren-
der
But, as l have said, even the oil Confederation
with all its Weakness held by the ablst cotera-
pcrary statesman, and that Of the Stste rights
school, to possess the power OF enforcing It's re-
quisIIions against delinquent State. Mr. Jeffar-
son, In letter 10 Mr.. Adams, OF the ll:h Of july
1856, on the subject Of providing a naval force of
l50 guns to chastise the BarbAry Powers. urges as
| additional reason dor snrb Stap that il would
arm ssthe Federal bead with the safest o. aB ths
. Instruments of coercion over its delinquent men,
bers, and prevent il from using what would DC lss
safe" viz: land force. Writing ti4. same
/ subject TO Mr. MonIoe a month later (Augrst H.
1860 he answers the objection OF expense TIM
sfIt will be said, There is nehy in the Treasury
There never VIII be money in the Tr,surp till the
Coufeeracy shows itS teeth. The States mast see
the rods perhaps IL must be felt By Of fhes Every
rational citizen wish see an eli ciye in
strumen Of coercion, and should fear TO see it on
any ether ltment than the water. a naval force
can never enianger our liberties neT &C 81 bood-
shed a land force woaid do bot3.' Ii the fol-
lowing year, and wien the confederation wzs at its
last gasp, Nj. Jefferson still Of the opinion
that II possessed the power OF coercing the ga,es
and that il Was expedieni exercise IT, In let
Ter TO Colonel CarTiagton, 81 tie 4h Of April,
1887, he says SIT has been OFTEN ssG as TO be
generally believed, tat Congress aay no power
by tue Confederation To enforce anything for in-
stance, contributions o money. IL wss not neces-
saTy 10 give them thst power expressiv-they nave
lt by the law of nature. sjAea lao Pa7iics make
compact there results 10 each p0ueT Of compelling
the Other 70 eEeeHte Il: CompulSiea ~as n s-r So
easy as 10 our case, when singls irigaie would
soon levy on the OF siage State the
dshcieuey of It's csntTibutions.'' .
Such was Mr Jeffrrson's epiaian Of ne mowers
OF Congress u.ldvT the SOIL # aliaHce'
! Viii any Ecasona le maintain that Enier
constitution Of government thers less i,sxrr to
enfoTce tie laws
/ sAvAL orPREssIoss AND rTRAssfEs.
j MI Everett dsseh at great length upon the ab-
surdigy tie allegation that the Got er.,tnt has
+ oppressed the South. Gu tais point he s4il
/ An oppressive aud I! ranaicai Go1eslrnentl Let
US examine this pretence fir few noal ais frst
ia the general and then i. the 3ets u us alleged
tyranlaeS and abuses.
This oppreSsis and fyranBc orc -Ye;t Is fl.e
successful solution OF problem wAie, lad tasked
the s4gacity OF mankind from rile s.s ~ cviliz1
ton, VIZ II fnd a form OF poiity, bl Which in
stitutions purely popular could be c&;snled over
vast empire, free alike from despotic coutflizfi,
and undue PreponderaDee Of tbs ioesd powers n
was necessarily complex system; Uisiea Id e.re-
Federal and National. II leaves to tfie s.,,e-a.
States the coDtroi Of all matters a psr.sy l,rsl
administration, and confides the csntrl r,a,rar
the management OF oreiga sffsirs a:.d oI AL oth=r
concerns Ia when the United family have. ;.3n,
interest," AL the organized aid drlesss.,i no+y.
ers depend directly Very nearly SO oa la,G,nI,-
choice. This Government was mot irupos 4 unn1
the people ty foreign conQnerOF; il is f,,t an ;r
nerItance descending from bartarous ages ladap
With tFadltionaTy abuses, which creaIe /. nsinful
ever recurring necessity OF reiorTa; il IS not the
concelt OF heated enthusiasts in the soas,ns g.
revolution. 1t is the recent and yolnntarv frama
work Of an enlightened age, compacted by wise anS
good men with deiiberston and care working pnon
the materials prepared by long Colonial discipline
In framing II they sought 10 combine the merits
and 10 avoid the defects of former systems of cov
eminent The greatest possible liberty OF the
citizen IS the basis just representation the ruling
principle, recOnciling With rare ingenuity the fi
era equality OF the States, with the pToportou,te
Influence of numbers. Its legislative and exern
tive magistrates are freely chosen al short periods
It's judiciary alone holding Office by a more mar
manent but still sufficiently responsible tenure
No money flows into or out of the Truasurv hnt
under the direct sanction OF the representatives. of
the people, whom also al the gre 1t functions of
government for peace and war, within the limits Al
ready indicated, are deyolyed. IApplause.1
No hereditary titles or privileges, no dis
tinction of ranks, no established church. no
courts Of high commission, are known TO the
system; not drop Of blood has ever flowed
under its authority for g political offence; bu.
this tyraEical aud oppressive Government has
certainly exhibited more perfect development
of equalEepualican principles Than has ever
before existed on any considerable scale.
Under its benign influence, the couotry.
every part of the country, has prospered be-
yond AL former example. Its population has
increased; It's commerce, agriculture. and
manufactures have fourished, manners, arts.
education, letters, all that digni6es and emo
bles man, have in a shorter period attained a
higher point OF cultivation than has ever be-
fore been witnessed 10 newly settled region.
The consequ uence has been consideration and
influence abroad and marvellous we'll being M
home. The world has looked with admiration
upon the countryss progress; We have ourselves
contemplated it perhaps with undue self
complacency. Armies without CONSUMPTION:
navies without lmpressment, and neither army
nor navy sEelled to an oppressive size; an
oyerAoEiGg treasury without direct taxation
or oppressive taxation Of any kind; churches
without number and with no denominationsl
preferences on the part of the State, schools
and colleges accessible to NIL the people; a
free and cheap press--all the great institutions
Of social life extending their benefits to the
mass of the community. Such, no one can
deny, rs ths general character Of shis epprss