Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1861-03-08

be erroneous in any given case, still tue
evil effect following it bring limited to thar
particular ease, with chance that It may De-
come q precedent for other cases, can bet
ter be borne than could the evils OF differ
ent praclce.
Al the same time, the candid citizen must
confess that if the policy of the government
upon vital questions affecting the whole
people is to be irrevocably fixed by the de-
cisons of the Supreme Court, the instant
they are made in ordinary litigation between
parties iu personal actions, the people Will
have ceased to be their own rulers, having
to that extent practically resigned their
government into the hands of that eminent
tribunal. Nor. is there in this view any
assault upon the Court or the Judges. 1t
is duty from which they may not shrink to
decide cases properly brought before them,
aud it is no fault oftheirs it others seek TO
warp their decisions to political purposes.
One section of our country believes sla-
very is right and ought to be extended,
while the other believes it is wrong. and
ought not TO be extended. This is The only
substantial dispute. The fugitive slave
clause Of the Constitution aed the law for
the suppression of the foreign slave trade.
are each as well enforced preliaps, as any
laws can ever be in community where the
moral sense of the people imperftcily sup
ports the law itself The great body of the
people abide by the dry legal obligation in
both cases, and few brake over in each.
This, think, cannot be perfectly cured.
and it would be worse in both cases after a
separation of the sections than before
The foreign slave trade, now impertectly
suppressed, would ultimately be revived
without restriction in one section, while flu
giive slaves, now only partially surrerderrd,
would not be surrendered at all by the OF her.
Physically speaking, we cannot separate !;
we cannot remove our respective sections
/ from each other, nor build an impossible
wall between them. A husband and wife
NAV he divorced aud 20 on, of the presence
aud beyond the reach of each other, but
the different parts Of our country cannot
do this; they cannot but remai face TO face,
and ntercourse--eitber amieable or hostile
rrlations-must continue between item.
l. it possible. then to make that inter
course more advantageous or more salislac-
tory after separation than befre Can
aliens make treaties easier than f'ier ds ran
make laws? Can treaties b. more faithful
ly enforced betweed aliens thar law can
among friends? Suppose you 90 TO war,
you cannot fight always; and when, after
much los on both sides. and no gain on
either. you cease f4htng. the identical
questions as TO terms of intercourse are
again npon you.
This country with its institutins belongs
to the people who inhnbt it. Whenev =
thew shall grow weary OF thu exiting Gov
ernment they can exercise their con>titn-
tional right OF amending or the revolutions
ary to dsmember or overthrow il. ] can
not lie ignorant of the fact that many
worthy and patriotic ciliz, rs are de-irious
Of having the Nalio al Constitution amen
drd.
While make no recommendation of amend
ment, | fully recognize the authority Of the
people over the whole subject. TO b. exer-
cisrd in either Of The M DIES prescribed in
The instrument itself And should. under
existing circumstances. favor rather than
oppose a fair opportunity heing afforded
the people to act upon il. | viii venture
to add hat to me the Convention mole
seems preferable. in that il allows amend
ments to originate with the peop'e them
selves, instead of only PERMITTING them t.
take proposition originated by others no
especially chosen for the purpose, an
: which might not De precisely such as the,
wish to either acrept or refuse.
| under tand a proposed amendmet t
the Constitution. which amendment hav
: not seen has passed Congress to the IF {
, that the Federal Government shall nevr
interfere with the domestic institutions {
the States inclu ing that of persons held (
= service. To avoid misconStrucion Of wbs
y have said, now depart from my purpos
u not to speak of particular amcrdm mis-. S
u far as to say that. holding such provi,io
10 now be implied Constitutional law, hav
no objection to its being male express an
} irrpvocable.
Il The Chief Magistrate derives all his a,
ihnrity from the people. an they have cor
II fefrel none upon him TO fix terms for III
separations Of the States. The peopl
y themselves can do this al ne, if they choos
u but the Executive, as such, has notl,ing
= do with it. His duty is 10 administer til
y present government as it came to his hand
- and TO trasmit it unimpaired by him to HI
y successor. Why should there not be a ~
y tirnt confidence in the ultimate justice
= the people? Is here any better or equt
- hope in the world, in our present diferer
. ces? l. either party without faith Of brir
in the right? If the Almighty ruler
- nations will with his eternal tr1th an
y justice be on your side of the North,
= on YOURS of the South. that truth and tn
> justice will surely prevail by the judgme
OF this great trihunal---the American peopl
III BY the frame of the government nndt
IL which we live. the same people have wise
l. given their public servants but little pow,
e, for mischief, aud have With equal wi do
Isl provided for the return Of that little 10 thu
or own hands al very short intervals VIII
&c the people retain virtue and vigilance.
administration Of any extr. me of wcke,
le' ness or f1lly can very seriously impair tt
'e- government in the short space of fo
I'M years.
Sc My countrymen, one and all, think cali
re- ly aud well upon this whole subj CT. Mt
ing valuable can BE- lost by taking time.
on there BE- an ohjrct TO hurry any of you
&c. hot haste 10 a step which you would nev
Or take deliberately, that object will be FRI
to tr tied by taking time. Bot 10 god obi,
ion can be frustrated by it. Such of YOU