Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1861-05-30

at the of the minority section The oppressed mi
Dory in the legislature may be Zealousy faithful to the
people theV represent and yet they perec poweess
the people they are and pundered hy
the proposed by the majority they are offering the
motives and arguments why the measures should pass
The majority to plumber and wrong the minority
They to make the weaker section their tributaries
no representation, there is no difference where there
are conflicting interests legislative body And in the
election of Chief Magistrate of what the right of
suffrage when in the oppressed section should
against the candidate of the stronger section Gas the
Southern did the late Presidential electon thty
prevent his election? He is the exponent snd
of the stronger section and is ell cted simply because
frace under such minority to elect an
enemy to rule them and the only effect of
sion Ry the forms of free government Therefore
headed despotsm be established by section
man. One may have conscience, but men acting in
masses, seldom exhibit conscientious scruples Individual
~ and respons hiy lost in numbers That CORPORA.
tion has soul is the proverbal aphorism Engsh law
indicating the unscrupuousness of acting in
single despot motive Cypress one portion of his
people than another but here half of country
rises mp to plunder and oppress another half.
deveonme of the na of the conso5sed
established at Washington by the late Presidential election
overhrown and the government of the United States
in the hands of hostile section, not only liberty but sci
preservation demanded their separation from it. To
compish this separation, usurpat on of
qHred They had the ready insumentaity in the
eighty of the States There is not fact in all history more
ndspuabe than that the several States which adopted the
Constitution of the United Staes for the establishment of
government them at the time of its adoption free
sovereign and independent States Robed with all the at
tributes of sovereignty did they by the adoption of the Con
stituon of the United States surrender their
they did, the fact should be clearly shown. Not
granted surrendered by the States to each
other, much less to their agentthe government OF
to the powers conferred was their act It's powers were
their powers They called themselves under this Constu
ton, United states As States acting will equal power
they made the Constitution States acting severay they
adopted it and by the States only, be amended.
anomaly unheared of in the political jurisprudence
natone that the sovereignty of nation is destroyed be-
cause exercises OF its powers by compact in
governmental agency in the government of the United
States for their benefit. They the sovereign
parties 10 me compact aoshing TINS agen'
cy and when the compact violated by their
egns they have the light to reject it, and to establish tor
word in the Constitution OF the United States which denies
can wrest it from the States.
In seeding therefore, from the United States the
ederate states have only exercised right inherent in all
soveregntes IN their Judgment the agreement they had
made with the Northern States had been grossly violated
Its whole purpose overthrown Instead of agency
Of very limited power having for its object the defence OF
the States agansthe aggressions of foreign nations has
been converted into Government of unlimited internal
powers Unless the people of the Confederate States
left for them pursuethey must escape
the domination of such government.
But they have light to withdraw from the Union by
virtue of another and broader principle.
In l776 the Southern and Northern States colonies
Britain. The British Government set up the
tension to tax them unjusy; and they thought without
authority They refused obedience to the taxes
the British Government and set up Government them
selves In their Declaration Independence they justified
their the broad ground that he people have
right to alter or abolish their Government laying t
foundation such principles and organizing it's powers
in such form as to them may likely effect the
safety and happiness right t. be right, entitled
to the respect Of all and nations. One people
have right and another people be justified in taking
from them Any attempt to take it from them must be
Great Britain in attempting to subdue them her author
ty in contraVenon of this right Whether this right ex
that
existed; and it constituted only the basis which
the colonies united their destnes together 1t clear
understood principle of Government between them
just as obligatory upon all who take the benefit Of he
compact OF unon If inserted in the Constitution itself
people of thu North and the people the South having
soemn before the world asserted the right of every peo
pie to change their form of Government together
and make Union and Constitution. Can either den,
this right to the other with any principle goo
tath or honor Is it not moral, as well as poltica
law, clearly obligatory upon them?
III true at every people not capable of self gov
ernment The seltresrant and obedience to law, whic
absolutely necessary to maintain free governments ar
not common to all the people of the world Instead of
ing themselves they may attempt to Others and tn
right to cell government may be so abused to justly th
use of defensive force from within enforce Justice
The people of the North say that the people of tn
south are incapable OF ruling themselves They caBno
say that by assuming separation from them, we tax
from them any guarantee they for their liberties
We leave them in condition OF weakness amongst tn
nations OF the world We set up no irchy despotsn
their borders, danger their forms free Govern
meat We take the Constitution under which they live
md purgng it the fahless and vicious interpretations
they have put uponit, adopt it Such
as these do not, the eore govern their hostility. The
endeavor to coerce Us into union with them by milita
force Wtha view of ultimately overthrowng domesti
institutions which they have constitutionay
uol simply because useful to them, convcnien
subjects and most excellent tributaries.
trne the Presdent of the United States and the
leaders of his party declare that they have had dssg
whaev assai or interfere with the institution of Africa
ia the @ates. But the laws Of party progress
sometimes as inexorable the laws Of That the
design present. interfering with slavery in h
Cul
dissolve the Union Nor have they agated The subject
slavery from auv regard to the negro It is not humant
which has dictated this agitation. 1t has been policy.
Ge secondl dom mon they propose to establish the UnO
very free Stale ayevery slavehoding an
eny. Hence the struggle in territories between tn
and slvehodDg States, has not been rugge for I'll
emancipation of slaves 1t as been copt.s for powe
between the two great sections of the Union The Sout
eedng the aid OF -aveholdng States ARISING
to otect herself in the Union AMI the North requr
them 10 assist her IN the great enterprise of ruling h
'outh But there is marked difference in this coltee
between the sections Of the Union in the matter
ncIple. The Southern people, in claiming right
lie in territories with their assert light saucone
~ the constitution. the Northern people, attempn
oprecude the southern people, by the legislation Of Coz
ress from our territories war against the constitution
This the declaration of the Supreme Court of the Unite
Presidential election, the Norhen people maintain,
overhrown the Constitution For this result part
both TO the Constitution and the decisions of III
supreme Court have been placed in control of the
ment This alone would justify dissolution of the Urior
Abolish the Constitution and the Union is destroyed B
purpOr of the late Presidential election goes furhe
than this 1t places sectional parry the Governmen
"hch claims despouc sway over the South This part
only proposes to substitute their arbitrary will for Ii
but by the denial of the right Of secession
up the South forever to their sectional domination
1t is absurd to suppose that any people having any
of independence or liberty, will allow another people, b
they have different Institutions to overthrow their
stitutons Any people may sssmia ate their institution
amongst themselves; but people have right dctat
the Institutions of another people. Whether all the State
composing the United states, should be slavehodng
slaVeholdDg States, neither the Northern Souther
ought to have permitted to be question in the pol
tics OF the United States such question derogator
:
them. But when originates with the Norh-the stronge
section whose institutions could be affected by th
South, the weaker secton-the intention could be
understood 1t was designed, despite the Constitution
unite the North against the South. That there is gres
difference between the institutions of the North and th
South will deny but whether the institutions of tn
North have the elements of greater stability for mantann