Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1861-07-13

these States were formed. 1t Is not
lust that they should 90 off without
leave or without retunding the nation
for them The government has paid
very large sums in the aggregate
believe nearly 500, 100000, to relieve
Florida from the aboriginal tribes. +
it just that she should now 90 off with
out consent or without any return?
The nation is now in debt for mon
ey applied for the bentit If these SO
called seeding States, in common
with the rest. Is it just either tina,
creditors shall go unpaid, or the re.
manning States pay the whole? A
part Of the present national debt was
contracted to pay the old debts of Tex.
as. Is it just that she shall leave and
pay no part Of this herself?
Again, if one State may socede so
may another; and when all shall have
seeded none is left to pay the debt
Is this quite just to creditors Did
we notify them of this sage view OF
ours when we borrowed their money
II we now recognize this doctrine by
allowing the seceders to go in peace,
Z. Is difficult to see what we can DO.
he seceders insist that our consti-
. admits of secession. They have
c@~alncd to make national constitu-
.loa Of their own, in which, of necess-
it, they have neither discarded or re-
tanned the right Of secession, as they
insist it exists in ours. If they have
discarded it, they hereby admit that
on principle, it ought not to exist III
ours. If they have retained it by their
own construction Of ours, that shows
that, to be consistent, they must secede
from one another, when they shall find
it the easiest way of Settling their
debts or ettecting another selfish or un-
just object. Or else choose to 90 or to
extort terms upon which they will
promise to remain.
The principle itself is one of disin-
tegratlon, and one which no govern
ment can possibly endure. If all the
States but one should affect the power
TO drive that one out Of the Union, it IS
presumed the whole class of the sece-
ded politicians would at once deny the
power, and denounce the act as She
greatest outrage upon State rights: but
suppose that precisely the same act,
instead Of being called driving one ont,
should be called the seeding of the
others from that one, it would be ex-
actly what the seccders claim to do.
unless, indeed, they make the point,
that the one, because it IS a minority.
may rightfuily do that which the 9th
ers, because they are the majority,
may not rightfulIy do.
These politicians are profound in the
rights Of minorlties they are not par
tlal to that power which made the
Constitution and speaks from the
Preamble, calling itself s'sce, the peo-
pie" 1t may well be questioned
whether there is to-day majority of
the legally qualified voters of any State,
except perhaps South Carolina, in f;,-
yor of secession. There is much rea-
son to believe that the Union men are
III the majority III many, if not all, OF
the seeded States. The contrary has
not been demonstrated in any one OF
them. 1t is ventured to affirm this.
even Of Virginia and Tennessee, for
the result OF IN election held In militia
ry camps, where the bayonets were all
on one side OF the question voted upon.
can scarcely be considered as demon
strating popular sentiment At such
an election all that large class who are
at once for the Union, and against CO.
ercion, would be coerced to vote
against the Union.
1t may be affirmed, without extrava-
gance, that the free institutions which
We enjoy have developed the powers
and improved the condition Of our peo-
pie beyond any example. Of this, we
now have striking and impressive il
lustration. SO large an army as the
government has now on foot was never
before known, without a Soldier in it,
who has taken his place there of his
own free choice.
But more than this, there are many
single regiments whose members, one
and another, possess full practical
knowledge of all the arts and sciences,
professions and whatever else, wheth.
er useful or elegant, is known to the
whole world. There is scarcely one
from which there could not be selected
a President, q Cabinet, a Congress,
and perhaps Court, abundantly com
potent to administer the Government
nor do | say this is not true also in the
army of our late friends, but now adj
ver>arles IN this contest; bur it is 50
much the better reason why the Gov
eminent which has conferred such
comforts both on them and us, should
not be broken up.
Whoever, in any section, proposes
TO abandon such Government would
DO well to consider in deterenc to
- IL