Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1861-02-01
ror The Oxford D-mocnt.
Shall we have q Union and a Consti.
ton.

Shall we have q Union and a Consti.
ton.
Al the clo-o OF former number | was
proceeding to answer some Of the reason.
which southern Scccssioni.,. are now EN-.
ployins and have heretofore employed TO
bolster up their action against the Union
and tho Constitution, Bu, before proceed.
ing farther I wish 20 place before the read.
or the reason, Tor Secession and Revolution
in tho very languags Of the Seccder' them.
selves. DO not feel content 10 state their
doctrines. Something more authentic !. re-
quired and will now give their language
ls. By giving their statement, OF the OBJ
jec,, OF the Republican Party. and %. their
reasons for Secession in State Convention.
Fir, then. ! VIII quote from pamph.
10, published a, Charleston 5. q. bya Po-
li,ical Breckinridgs Association, in "Trhe,
No. o" This Trss. was published imne.
dia,ely after Douglas speech at Norfolk
Va. during she late political canvass ard
but shor, time before election. This
" Tract commences in manner 20 ind.
cate tina, Mr.. Douglas remarks at Nor
folk wers the fr, cause Of firing up the en-.
gines Of secession. Thus
ITO rnE MEN or rnESorru. The recen.
speech Of Mr.. Douglas q, Norfolk, in which
no threatened the Southern States With mill.
,ary coercion IN the event OF secession, ought
10 .,ar,le and arouse the people Of ibo-s
states like the blast Of n hostile trumpet a.
mijnight The time, the place and the
circu instances under which this threa, Was
uttered, give the las, finish to its audaciiy
apd .anguinary sisniseanes :"
Thi. Tract continues And because
the people Of some Of the Southern s,a,e'.
in view OF an eIigeney Of 80 great peril"
(,he election OF Republican Prc-ident)
q" have dared to discus. their grievances and
their remedy. and have announced their de-
termination not 20 be made the subjects and
slaves Of u consolidated de'po,i'm, Mr..
Douglas has thought proper TO put forward
hi. veto and hi. threat. No,a Black Re-
publican from such j, would have been in
pericc, keeping. and although 1t nigh,
have excited indignation would not have &C.
ca.ioned surJri-s. But Mr.. Don;lr, q
Democrat. the profe.-cd friend. Of the
South and Southern Ash,- standing on the
soil Of Virginia, con.ecratei by the birth
and triumph OF the true state rights doc
,rine- ha, proclaimed in the face Of Por.
ton OF her people his hopo tha, tho Pre'i.
den, whoever he may be would trsa, all at
tsmps TO break up the Union BY resistance
70 its laws as Old Hickory treated the Nul.
llser. in 1882 and hi. determination TO
sustain with oil his energy the President
in so doing
Then after q long and labored argument.
In favor OF Secession this trae, proceeds
a State coerced would be .ubjuga.sd
Province, no longer a voluntary oran equal
member; but the conquest and the captive
OF the resi-. With her freedom clovcn down
and tho emblem, Of her sovereignty tram.
Piled under foot and trailing in the dust.
Better ,ha, the las, spartle- OF her ashes
wire trOdden out and her name forever lost
TO history AMI tradition than that she
should live to swell the triumph OF her con.
querers."
Hopeless would bs the condition Of
these States II their only alternative lay be-
tween submission TO q government, OF self
construed or, Ia other words Unlimited
powers and the certainty Of coercion, in case
Of withdrawal by force Of arms. The way
Of escape from both extremes il in the ac'
knowledged night Of !Sce'noa-her refuge
from in,oierable eril-hcr las. and ultimate
resource to be called into play only when
all other hope Of relief !, utterly gone ~
But II the RICH, Of secession b essen
S'uNEhi 'tVW w vs.
truly indispensable is 1t to the southern
States in view Of the particular eircums'an'
&c. by which they are now 'orroundsi' !
here repea. the question already PROFOUND
cd, are no, me deaen' 81 The Republican par
~ orsr,,ars, hostile ddd deadly 10 these
!Not,,i To understand this question in its
full and fearful import IL is necessary to|
bear in mind that tho country is divided
into two geographical sections characterized
by separate and different systems OF labor
and civil agitation. The system Of the
South known A. Slavery existed at the time
Of the formation Of the Union and has
distinct recognition both as an element Of
representation and as &. subject ofProsee-
ton For q considerable period Of time \"
two sections OF the country were Tor ah P'''
teal purposes in State OF equilibrium
bu, now the a,cendeney in the NUMBER o.
States and in tho federal representation h''
been acquired by the non 'la'sho'a'ns So
ton. II there wsro no snsagoni'm Of feel