The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1861-03-09

SO universal as to prevent competent resi- |
dent citizens from holding federal offices,
there will be no attempt to force obnoxious
strangers among the people for that object
While the strict legal right may exist in
the government to enforce the exercise of
these offices, the attempt to do SO would
be so irritating and so nearly impracticable
withal, that deem it better to forego for
the time the uses of such offices. The
furnished in all points of the Union. So
far as possible, the people everywhere shall
have that sense OF perfect security which
must follow calm thought and reflection.
The course here indicated will be followed
unless current events and experience shall
show q modification or change to be pro-
per, and in every case and eXigency my
best discretion will be exercised according
to the circumstances actually existing,
and with a view and a hope Of a peaceful
solution of the national troubles-the re-
storation OF the fraternal sympathy and
affections That there are persons in one
section or another who seek to destroy the
Union at all events, and who are glad OF
anv pretext to do it, l will neither affirm
or deny If there be such, / need address
no word to them. To those who really
love the Union may | not speak before
entering upon SO grave a matter as the
destruction Of our national fabric with all
its benefits, its memories its hopes? would
it not be wise TO ascertain previously why
we doit? will you hazard so desperate a step
while there is any possibility that any por-
ton of the ills you fly from have no real
existence? Will you, while the certain
/ ills you flee to are greater than all the real
ones you fly from? Will you risk the
commission Of SO fearful a mistake? All
profess to be content in the Union if AL
constitutional rights can be maintained
Is it true then that any right plainly writ
ten in the Constitution, has been denied?
! think not-iapTily the human mind is
so constituted that no party can reach to
the audacity OF this. Think, if you can, of
a single instance in which plainly written
provision fthe Constitution has ever been
denied IL, by the mere force OF numbers
a majority shall deprive a minority of any
clearly written constitutional right in a
moral point OF view just by revolution, it
certainly would if such right was vital
one; but such Is not our case The vital
rights Of minor;ties and of individuals are
SO plainly assured TO them by aiiirinations
and legislative guarantees. and prohiti-
lions in the Constitution, that controver-
sizes never aries concerning them. But no
organic law can ever be- framed with q
provision specially applicable 10 every
question which may occur in practical adj
IninistTG:ion No foresight csa anticipate,
nor any document Of reasonable length
contain express provisions for all possible
questions. Shall fucit.yes from la o. be sur
rendered 10 national or State authorities?
The Constitution does not expressly say
Must Congress protect slavery in the ter
pre~sly say. From questions OF this class
spring ail our constitutional controversies,
and VIC divide upon them into rnaiorities
2nd Irinorities II the minority will not
acIu;e-ce ;he majority must or the gov
eminent must cease. There IS no &.terna-
tive FOR continuing TIE government but
acquleacerca on the one side or the other
IF Il minority III such a case vii! secedc
rather than acqaiesce they make a pr-ce-
dent which will in turn rgin and divide
them. for minority OF their own viii So
cele from them whenever u majority re-
fused To be controlled by such Z minority
? For instance, Why may not any portion Of
& new cOrted-racy, a Year or two hence.
arbitrarily seceCte again precisely - pcr-
tons OF the present [ nIon now claim to
secede from il? All who cherish disuaion
sentiments are rov heinz educated to the
exact temper of do;uE this There i. such
perfect identity cf interests among the
State, TO compose a new Union as 10 pro
duce harmony only AID prevent new Sc
! cessian. Plainly the central idea OF Sc
cession ia the essence OF anarchy. \ ma
iority held in restraint by constitutional
check and Limitations, and always chang
Ing easily with deliberate changes OF pop
/ ular opinions and sentiments, i, the only
true sovereign Of a free people Whoever
( r. ect, does OF necessity ar to anarchy and
tiespGtism- Cnsninnity i impossible. The
rule OF the minority. as a rermaneu; ar
.r;ment, is wholly inaim:ssab!e: so that,
rejecting The IL ljo-ity principle, anarchy
F., Of de>rot;s:n, in some form. IS all tia; i
let. ! do not forget the position assumed
bv s>ule that constitutional objections are
to he uscided by the Supreme Court nor
do deny that such decisions must be
binding in any case, 10 the parties 10 = sui:
as the object OF that suit While they are
also entitled to every high respect and
consideration in all parallel cases hy al!
other depaltrn ents or the Government.
and while ], is obvI ousls possible that such
decision may oe erro. eous IN any gwen
case, still the ey!! effect i>,iio"inS II being
limited to that particular csSe WITH the
chance that it may bs overruled end never
Il
better be borne than could the evils o.
different practice. at the same time, the
candid citizen must confess that if the
policy of the Government upon the vital
question affecting the whole people Is TO
be irrevocably fixed by the decision Of the
Supreme Court, the Instant they are
made in ordinary litigation between par
ties in personal actions, the people will
have ceased to be their own, unless to
that extent practically to resign their go
vernment into he hands of that eminent
tribunal. Nor IS there in this view any
assault upon tie Court or the judges 1t
is a duty from which they may not shrink
To decide cases properly brought before
them. 1t is no fault of theirs if others
seek TO turn their decision to political pur
poses. One section of Our country believes
slavery is right and ought TO he extended,
while the others believe it is wrong and
ought not to be extended. This IS the on
~ substa. tial dispute.
The fugitive slave clause in the Consti
tuition, and The law for the suppression of
the foreign slave trade, are as well enforc-
ed pclhaps 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 III both cases, and
few break over in each. This, think,
cannot be perfectly cured and it would be
worse in both cases after the separation Of
the sections than before. The foreign
slave trade now in,per.ectly suppressed
would be impeiiectly revived without re-
striction in one section, while fugitive
slaves now only partially surrendered,
would not be given up at all by the other.
Physically speaking, we cannot separate.
We cannot remove our separate sections
from each other, nor build an impossible
wall between them a husband and wife
may be divorced and 60 out of the pre-
sence of and beyond the reach of each