Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1861-03-15
* d fnitely in the interests Of slavery. l

! q HIlteIy III inc interests q slavery. lie
SAYS
"Shall fugitive, from labor I've surrender
ed by national or by State authorities? The
Constitution es not expressly say. Mus
Congress protect slavery in the Territori,s ?
The Constitution does not expressly say.
From questions of this class spring all our
constitutional controversies, and we divide
upon them into maj rites and minoritifs.-
II the minority will not acquicscc, the ma
lorIty hust, or the government must cease. :
Here the question is stated in the fcwest
possible words. The people divide upon
these questions into majoritics and miuori-
ties. II the " minority will not acquiescc
tie majority must or government must
cease" The argument is exhausted in this
brief statement
The logic Of this is, that if the constitu-
ton docs not say, that the power nor the
right is given to Congress, Why then they
can exercise no such power, only arbitrarily,
and unconsttutionally as protecting slavery
in the tcrritori s.
How fitting, also, is the illusion ut the
commencement Of the document, to tic mis-
opprehcnsions existing in one portion Of our
country, as to the result upon their prop
crty and permanent peace upon the access
ion Of Republican Administration. The
public mind in the Southern states has be
come prciudiced against the republican party
through long course Of misrepresentation.
Tie two last messages Of ri,ree, and every
one OF Mr.. BGchanans had contained the
gros c falsifeations OF history in regard to
the slavery question and the aims, objects
and principles Of the Republican party. So.
too, has such partihan papers MS arr allowed
to circulate South, been full to oycrl1wing.
with TIE yilest statements and the most ab-
surd charges. The public mind, South. has
become poisoned and through the foul chan
pels ndicat d.
But We have not the space to examine at
length the whole message. As state paper
1t IS a model for cone>cness, dircctness, and
the absence of all appearance of hiding its
meaning undera multitude of words. The
President has ideas Of his own, on the excl
ting questions Of the day, and he has taken
care to give them to thc country, clothed in
a mod-st, urassumins sar1s 50 that le who
reads may understand.
The principles announced, are timely,
sound and universally puri1tic. They will
carry the country safe through these present
troubles, or else our government was started
wrong, and its founders were mountcbanhs
instead of being statesmen and patriots.
The simplicity, the lrusality, the loyalty the
integrity, of the earlier days OF the Repub-
lie are to be rc.inaugurated under President
Lincoln.
How timely and OPT ortune are the closing
paragraphs. How simple. Yet how eloquent
and touching Is this
In your h;slds. my dissatisfied icllow-coua-
trvmen. and not in mine. is the momentous
issue Of civil war The Government will not
assail YOU. You can have no conflict without
yourselves being the aEgresSors. You Rafe
no oath registered in heaven to destroy the
government, while shall have the most sol
emn one to preserve, protect and defend it
We parpased only to ask our readers to
take retrospective View Of political mat
ters, t. fully understand the scope ard the
points made in this aldre :. We should
also, if all thcse facts were rot fresh in the
minds Of the people, alIade to the di,loy4l
and treasonab.c conduct of portion Of the
rc9p'e during the past few months. We
leave all tbs, hoping and believing that re-
turning r2asnn wilastin assume its right
fQl sway, and with it, silent bat sure w5rk-
inss and the taking time" as suggested
in the message, will bring al things right
again.