Civilian & telegraph. [volume] (Cumberland, Md.) 1859-1875, 1861-03-07

very is right, and ought to be extended,
while the other believes it is aoroag, and
ought not to be extended. This is the
only substantial dispute.
The Fugitive Slave clause of the Com
stitution, and the law for the suppress
ion of the Foreign Slave Trade, are each
as we'll enforced. perhaps. as any law
can be in community where the moral
sense of 'he people imperscctiy supports
the law itself,
The great body of the people abide by
the dry legal obligation in both cases,
ind few break over in each. This, |
ahink, cnnnot be perfectly cured, and it
would be worse in both cases after q sep
aration Of the sections than before. The
foreign slave trade, now imperfectly sup
pressed, would be ultimately revived
without restriction in one section, while
fugitive slaves. now only partially sur
rendered, would not be surrendered at
all bv the other.
| Physically speaking, we cannot sepa-
rate-we cannot remove our respective
sections from each other nor build any
impassable wall between them. \ hus-
band and wife may divorce and 60 out
of the presence and beyond the reach of
of each other-but the different parts Of
the country cannot do this. They can
not but remain face to face, and inter-
course either imicable or hostile must
continue between them.
Is it impossible then to make that en-
torcoursc moro advantageous, or more
satisfactory, after separation than before?
Can aliens make treaties easier than
friends can make laws? Can treaties be
more faithfully enforced between aliens
than laws can among friends?
Suppose you 60 to war, you cannot
fight always; and when after much loss
on both sides and no gain on either, you
cease fighting, the indentical old 9ues-
toDs US to the terms Of intercourse are
again upon you. This country with its
institutions belongs to the people, who
inhabit it. Whenever they shall grow
weary of the existing Government they
can exercise their Constitutional right
of amending it, or their revolutionary
right to dismember or overthrow it.
cannot be Ignorant af the fact that
many worthy and patriotic citizens are
DESTROYS of having the National Consti-
tuition amended. While / make no re-
commentator of amendu ents. | fully
recognize the rightful authority of the
people over the whole subject, to be ex-
ercised in either of the modes prescribed
in the instrument itself. and ! should
under existing circumstances, favor, ra-
Their than oppose, fair opportunity be-
ing afforded the people to oct upon it.
| will venture to add, that to me the
Convention mode seems preferable, in
that it allows amendments to originate
with the people themselves, instead of
only permitting them to take or reject
propositions originated by other, not cs-
pecially chosen for the purpose, and
which might not be precisely such as
they would wish to either accept or APP
prove.
| understand that n proposed amend
ment to the Constitution. which amend
mcnt, however, have not seen, has
passed Congress, to the effect that the
Federal Government shall never inter-
fere with the domestic institutions of the
States, including that of persons held to
service,
To avoid misconstructon of what l
have said, depart from my purpose not
to speak Of particular amendments, so
far as to say that, holding such pro.
vision to now be implied constitutional
law, | have no objection to its being
made express and irrevocable.
The Chief Magistrate derives all his
authority from the people, and they have
conferred none upon him to fix terms
for the separation of the Slrtes. The
people themselves can do this also if they
chose, but the Executive, as such, has
nothing to do with it. His duty is to
administer the present government as it
came to his hands. and to transmit it
unmpaired by him to his successor
Why should there not be patient
confidence in the ultimate justice of the
people? is there any better or equal hope
in the world: In our present difficult
ties is either party without faith or be-
ing in the right? 1.-THE Almighty Ru-
Ter of Nations, with his eternal truth
and justice, be on your side of the North i,
or on yours of the South-that truth
and that justice will surely prevail, BY
the augment of this great tribunal-the
American people.
BY the frame of the Government un.
der which we live, thss same people have
wisely given their public servants but
little power to do nisbhief, aud have,
with equal wisdom, provided for the re-
turn Of that little to their own hands at
worry short intervals. While the people
retain their virtue and vigilance, no Adj
ministrations, by any extreme of wick
edness or folly, can very seriousl y in
jure the government in the short space
Of four years.
My countrymen, one and all, think
camly and well upon this whole subject,
Nothing valuable can be lost by taking
time. If there be an object to hurry
any ofyou in hot haste to a step which
you would never take deliberately, that
object will be frustrated by taking time.
but no good object can be frustrated by
it. Such Of you as are now dissatisfied
still have the old Constitution unim.
paired; and. on the sensitive point, the
laws of your own farming under it;while
the new Administration will have no
immediat power, if it would, to change
either If it were admitted that you
who are dissatisfied held the right in She
dispute, there still is no ssngle good rea.
son for precipitate action. 1ntelli gence,
hatriatism. Christianity, and firm re-
lance on Him who has never yet forsa-
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