The Lansing state Republican. [volume] (Lansing, Mich.) 1855-1874, 1861-07-10

concerns the whole should be confined to the +
whole general government, while whatever con- {
.erns the State should be left exclusively to the
State This is all there is of the original prin-
ciple about it. Whether the national cOnven-
ZION, in defining the boundaries between the
two. has applied the principle with exact ac-
curacy, is not TO be questioned. We are al
bound by that definition without question:
What is now combatted is the position that
secession is consistent with the constitution, and
is lawful and peaceful 1t is not commended
that there is any express law for it. and nothing
should ever be implied as law which leads to
unjust and absured consequences. The nation
purchased, with money, the countries ont OF
which several Of these States were formed Is
it Just that they should 90 off without leave or
without refnndng? The nation paid very large |
sums, in the aggregate, believe, nearly $780, |
600, OOO to relieve Florida from the aboriginal |
tribes. Is it just that she should now 90 off
without consent, or without any return! The
patton is now in debt for money applied for the
benefit of these sO-caled seeding States 10
common with the rest. Is it just either that
creditors shall go unpaid, or the remaining States
paw the whole? A part Of the present national
debt was contracted to pay the old debt OF Tex
as. L. it Just that she shall leave and pay no
part of this herself? Again if one State may
secede SO may another, and when all shall have
seeded. none is left TO pay the debts Is this
quite Just 10 creditors? Did We notify them of
this sage view of ours when we borrowed the
money? If we now recognize this doctrine by
allowing the seceders to 60 in peace 1t Is dIff-
cult to see what we can do if Others choose
to 90 or to extort terms upon which they will
promise to remain.
The seceders insist that our constitution admits
of secession. They have assumed to make ma
t'Onal constitution of their own, III which OF ne
ooa-ity they have either discarded or retained
the right of secessiOnas they insist it is in ours;
they have discarded it they thereby admit that
| on principle it ought not TO exist in ours: If
they have retained it by their own construction
of ours, that shows that, to be consistent, they
must secede from one another when they shall
find it the easiest way Of settling their debts or
effecting any other selfish or unjust object. The
principle itself is one of disintegratiOn and on
which no government can possible endure. If
all the States save one should assert the power
to drive that one out of the Union, 1t Is
presumed the whole class OF the secession
politicians would at once deny the power
and denOunce the act as the greatest out
rage upon State rights. But suppose that
precisely the same act instead Of being called
driving one out, should be called the seceed-
ing of the Others from that one, it would be
exactly what the seceders claim to do, unless,
indeed, they make the point that the one, because
it is minority may rightfully do II at which
the Others, because they are the majority. may
not rightfuy do These politicians are pro
found in the rights of minorities. They arc cot
partial to that power which made the constr
tuition and speaks from the preamble calling
i,self-s.we, the people 1t may well be ques-
toned whether there is to-day "a majority OF the
legally qualified voters of any State except
perhaps, South Carolina in favor of disunOn.
There is much reason to believe that the
Union men are in the majority in many, if not
all. of the seeded States.
The contrary has not been demonstrated in
any one of them. 1t isventured to affirm this
even Of Virginia and Tennessee for the result
of an election in military camps WHERE the bay
one,s are all on one side of the question voted
upon, can scarcely be considered as demOnstra
ting popular sentiment. At such an election
all that large class who are at once for the
Union and against coercion, would be coerced
to vote against the Union.
that the free institutions which we enjoy have
developed the powers and improved the con
dtiOn of our whole people beyond any example
iu the world. of this we now have strickine
/. ana impressive illustration &" large army
as the government has now on foot was never
before known without a soldier in it who has
taken his place there of his own free choice
But more than this, there are many single reg
ments whose members, one and another pos
sess full practical knowledge of all the arts and
sciences. professions, and whatever else, wheth
er useful or elegant, is known to the whole world
and there is scarcely one from which there could
not be selected President, Cabinet, a Con
gress, and, perhaps, court, abundantly cOmpe
tent to administer the government. Nor do
say this is not true, also, in the army of late
friends, now adversaries in this contest; but i,
is so much the better reason why the govern
ment which has conferred such benefits on both
of them and us should not be broken up.
). Whoever, in any section, proposes to aban-
don such government. would do well to consider
in Difference to what principle it is shat he does
it, whether the substitute will give, or be iEten.
ded to give so much good to the people,
There is some foreShadOwing on the subject
Our adversaries have adopted some declarations
of independence. in which, unlike the good old
one penned by Jefferson they omit the words
'are created equal" Why, they have adopted
a temporary national constitution in the pre-
amble of which, unlike our good Old one signed
by Washington, they omit 1--WE, the people,
and substitute "We the deputies of the SOW
ereign and independent States" Why this de-
liberate pressing out of view the rights of men
and the authority of the people?
This is essentially peoples contest on the
side Of the Union. It'll struggle for maintain
ing in the world that form and substance of
government whose leading object is to elevate
the condition of men, to lift artificial weight
from all shoulders, TO clear the paths of lauda-
bic pursuit to ALL to afford all an unfetterd start
and fair chance in the race of life. yielding to
partial and temporary departures from necessi-
ly. This is the leading object of the govern
ment for whose existence we contend | am
most happy to belle We that the plain people I'M
derstand and appreciate this.
1t is worthy Of note that, while in this the
governments hour of trial. large numbers of
those in the army and navy who have been IA
vOred with the Offices have resigned and proved
Ease to the hand that pampered them, not one
common soldier or common sailor is known
to have deserted his flag. Great honor is due to
those officers who remain true despite the ex-
ample OF their treacherous associates. But the
greatest honor and most emphatic fact of all is