Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1861-01-14

dwelling. Let the pioneer como back int
our deaser settlements; for the railroad, th
rcst road, and the telegra ph, advance NJ
Cne furlong farther into the wilderness.-
y ith standing armies, consuming the sui
stance of our people on the land, and ou
cayy and our postal steamers withdraw
Fl ON the ocean, who will protect or respect
or who will even know by name our petit
con!eGaraccs?
The American man-cEwar is q noble spec
tacle. have seen it enter an ancient por
in the Mediterranean. All the wOrd won
dered al it, and talked of it. Salvos of ar
tilery. from forts and shipping in the bar
bcr. salutcd its flag. Princes and princesses
and merchants paid it homage, aud all thu
people blessed it as har5inger Of hope foj
their own ultimate freedom. Imagine nov
the same noble vessel again entering tht
same haven. The flag of thirty-three star:
and thirteen stripes has been hauled down
and in its place u signal is run up which
flaunts the device Of lone star or Il palmet
to tree. Men ask. "Who is the stranger that
| thus steals into our waters" The answer
con TEN ptu0usly given is She comes from
one Of the obscure republics Of North Amer
lea. Lei her pass on"
Lastly. public liberty, our own peculiar
| liberty, must languish for time, and then
cease to live. And such a liberty free
movement everywhere through our own land
and throughout the world; free speech, free
press, free suffrage the freedom of every
subject to vote on every law, and for or
against every agent vino expounds admins
ters, or executes. Unstable and jealous con-
fcderacies, constantly apprehending assaults
without and treason within, formidable only
to each other and contemplate to all beside;
hvw long will it be before, on the plea of
public safety, they will surrender all this in
estimable and unrqualled liberty, and accept
the hateful and intolerable espionage Of mil
itary despotSm?
And now Mr.. President, what is the cause
for this sudden and eternal sacrifice of so
much safety, greatness happiness, and free
dom? Have foreign nations combined, and
are they coming in rage upon US? No. So
far from being enemies, there is not {; nation
on earth that is not an interested, admiring
friend. Even the London Times, by no
means partial to US, says;
"Lt is quite possible that the problem Of Il
democratic republic may be solved by its
overthrow in Il few days ina spirit Of FOLLY,
sc!ishnesS, and short-si ghteGness."
Has the federal government become tyrani-
cal Or oppressive, or even rigorous or un-
sound? Has the constitution lost It's spirit.
and all ut once collapsed into lteless let
ter? No: the federal government smiles
more benignantly, and works. and works to.
day more beneficial than ever. The consti-
tuition is even the chosen model for the or
ganization If the new Y rising cnnfcderacies.
The occasion is the election of President
Of the Uuited States, who is unacceptable to
a portion Of the people. | state the case ac
curatey There was 10 movement OF dis
union l.etore the ballots which expressed that
choice were east. Disunion began as soon
as the rcsrI7 was announced. The ju>t!ica
ton assigned was that Abraham Lincoln
had been elected. while the success o! either
one nf tie three osiler candidates would
have been acq1iaSced in.
Was the election illegal? No; it is unjm.
pcacEabte. l. the candidate personally of:
tensiye? No; he is a man OF unblemished
vir:ue and aniable manners. Is an election
Of President an unfrequent or extraordinary
transaction M; we ncver had Chief
Magistrate otherwise desi signated than by such
election, and that form of choice is renewed
every four years. Daes any one even pro-
pose IL change the mode Of appointing the
Chief slagistrate: NJ: election by universal
suffrage, as modified by the constitution, is
the one crYTning franchise Of the Amorican
people T'2 saye it they would Geiy the
world. Is il ;irpTeEci2d that the me:v Pre-
Sidnnr will nsncp l4srotic power? NJ; while
he is Of ell men the most unambitious, he Is,
by the partia! success Of those who opposed
his election, subjected to such restraints that
he cannot without their consent, appoint
minister or even police agent, negotiate a
treaty, or procure thc passage OF law, and
can hardly draw 81 mu>ke3 from the public
arscnaIs TO defend his own person.
What, then, is the ground Of discomfort:
It IS tiat the disuniouists did not accept as
conclusive the arguments which were urged
in bei!a. oi the successiu candi!ate in the
canvass This is all Were treir own at
gumen.s against niir more satisfactory TO his
supporters? u course they were n";; they
could nos be- Does the constitution. in let
ter or spirit, require Or imp ly that the argu-
ments 81 one party shall be satisfactory 10
tie other? No: that is impossible. What Is
the constitutional remedy for this inevitable
Gissa &Gaolion. Renewed debate and uttl-
mate rehe&rng in subsequent eiectlcn.--
Have the now successful Daiority perverted
power t. purposes Of oppression? No; they
nave ueyer before held power.
Aiaat how prone we are 70 uDdervaiuc
privileges and blessings. How gladly, how
proudly, would the people II any nation in
Europe accent, On such terms as we enl"y It,
the ioun o! c!ccting Il Chief Magistrate every
fur wears hy tree, equal. and universal sui
trage Tow thankfully would ;tey cast
aside all their own systems OF government,
and accept ths iiepub!ic OF ours, with all It's
shortcomings and its d:sappointmenis, main
tain it with their arms and cherish it in their
hearts Is it not The very boon for which
they snrplinate Godwithout ceasing, and
cvel wage war, With intermlssions only re-
sultng trQm eyhaustatiOn?
How strange are the times in which we iiyci The
coming Spring season, Oh side u tie Atlantic,
will open Oh general colnict, wageG to Obtain,
through whatever intiirc"t.on, uSt Saca system
"a GuTs; and on this side 81 the iiuntic within the
l1nc parallel: oi latitude, ii will open trat=rnal
war, WtgcQ in u moment of trcnzicd discomfort to
overthrow aad annhi!atc the same Institutions
Dn men, indeed, live only fox themselves, to re-
veugc their own wrongs or to crafty their oW':
ambition? Rather do ;ncn live lea1t u all for
themselves, and chiefly for pG&.eglty and for their
fellowmcu' llaya .i.a American people, then, be-