St. Charles City Republican intelligencer. [volume] (St. Charles City [Charles City], Iowa) 1857-1861, 1861-03-14

ullctcht practice. III Is aauty iio''
which they may not shrink to decide
cases properly brought before them.
1t is no fault IF theirs if others seek
to turn their decisions to political pur-
purposes.
One section of our country believes
slavery is right and ought to be ex,
tended, while the other believes it is
wrong and ought not to be extended
This is the only substantial dispute.
The fugitive slave clause in the Con-
stltution, and the law for the suppress
} sion of the foreign slave trade, are as
well enforced, perhaps, as any law can
ever be, in a community where the
moral sense of the people imperfectly
, supports the law itself. The great
body of the people abide by the dry
, legal obligation in both cases, and a
few break over in each. This, l think,
cannot be perfectly cured, and 1t
would be worse in both cases after
, the separation of the sections than
before. The foreign slave trade now
impcrtectly suppressed, would be re-
vivcd without restriction Ill one Sec
ton, while fugitive slaves, now only
partially surrendered, would not be
surrendered at all by the other.
Physically speaking, we can't sepa'
rate, we can't remove our respective
sections from each other, nor build an
impossible wall between them. a
husband and wife may be disagreed
and go out of the presence and be-
You'd the reach of each other, but the
different parts of our country cannot
do this. They cannot but remain face
to face, and intercourse, either hostile
or amicablc, must continue between
them. Is it possible, then, to make
that intercourse more advantageous
or more satisfactory after separation
than before Can aliens make trca
ties better than friends can max,
laws ? Can treaties be more faithfully
+ enforced between aliens than laws cal
among friends ? Suppose you go t,
war, you cannot fight always anC
when, after much loss on both sides
and no gain on either, You cease fight
ing, the Identical questions as to terms
of intercourse are again upon you.
, This country, with its institutions
belongs to the people who inhabit it
, Whenever they shall grow weary o
, our existing government, they can eX
crcisc their constitutional rights il
amending, or their revolutionary righ
to dismcmbcr Or uvcrturn it.
| cannot be ignorant of the fac
that many worthy and patriotic citi
zcns are DESTROYS of having our Ma
. tiunal Constitution amended. WhiIC
, ! make no recommendation, | fully
/ recognize the full authority of the pco
pie over the whole subject, to be excr
, cscd in either of the modes presented
in the Constitution itself, and SHOULD
, under existing circumstances favor
rather than oppose fair opportunity
being offered the people to act upon it
/ | will venture to add that to me the
, Constitutional mode seems prcterabl,
in that it requires amendments t.
oiginate with the people themselves
, instead Of only permitting them t,
! take Or reject propositions originated
10y others not especially chosen for th'
purpose, and which might not precise
ly suit, as they would wish others t
accept or refuse.
| understand proposed amendmen
I to the Constitution, which amendment
! however, | have not seen, has passe'
:, Congress, to the effect that the FedC
II raj Government shall never interter
! with the domestic institutions of tn
d States, including that of persons he'll
a to service. To avoid miscOnstructio
Of what have said, depart from IN,
, purpose not to speak of particula
f amendments, SO far as TO say, tina
holding such a provision now to b,
: implied constitutional law, ! have II,
, objection to its being made expires
/ and irrevocablc.
! The Chief Magistrate derives all hi
if authority from the people, and the
h have conferred none upon him to fl
# the terms for the separation of tn,
o States. The people themselves, also
S can do this if they choose, but the tx
$ ccutive, as such, has nothing to d
Y with it. His duty is 10 administer tn
|
d hands, and to transmit it, unimpaire,
e by him, to his successor Why shoul
n there not be a patient confidence j
It the ultimate justice of the people. !
If there any better or equal hope in tn
D. world In our present differences, i
5. either party without faith of being i
T. the right If the Almighty Ruler {
? the Universe, with His eternal trut
Y and justice, be on your side of tn
Y North, or on yours of the South, tina
5 truth and justice will surely prevail
# by the Judgment Of the great tribun;
i the great American people. BY tn
@ form of the Government under whic
). we live, this same people have wiscl
given their public servants but littl
4, power for mischief. aud have wit
y equal wisdom provided for the rctur
of that little to their hands at yer
short intervals. While the people 4,
!, tain their virtue and vigilance, no az
y ministration, by amy extreme Of wicl
: cdncss or folly, can very scrously il
r lure the Government in the shor
=. space Of four years.
My countrymen one and all, thin
calmly and well upon this whole sui
:, jcct! Nothing valuable can be los
-. by taking time. If there be amy OF
-. icct to hurry any of You in hot hast
- to "A step which you never would hav
n taken deliberately, that object will b
- frustrated by taking timc-but n
=. good object can be frustrated by i
=. Such Of you as are now dissatisie
. still have the old constitution unim
y paired, and on the sensitive part tn
, law is Of your own making. The ne,
i administration can change neither.
:. it were admitted that you who ar
dissatisfied, hold the right side of til
liSnutn thorn sill is not a sin ole rnu