Democrat and sentinel. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1853-1866, 1861-03-13

ceGeut which IN turn will divide and run
them, for a minority of their OVID will secede
from them whenever a majority refuses to be
controlled by such a minority. For instance,
Why may not any portion of 4 new Con!ed-
eracy year OF two hence arbitrarily sece3e
again, precisely as portions of the present
Union now claim To sece3e from it? All
who cherish disunion sentiments are now be
ing educated to the exact temper Of doing
this.
Is there such perfect identity of interests
among the States TO compose n new Union IS
to produce harmony only. aud prevent re-
/ eewed secession Plainly, the central idea
: Of secession IS the essence Of anarchy. L
majority held IN restraint By constitutional
checks and Limitations, aud always changing
( easily with the deliberate changes Of popular
opinions and sentiments. is the only true SOW
7 ereign Of a free people. Whoever rejects it.
( does Of necessity fy to anarchy or despOtism.
! Unanimitv Is impossible The rule Of q mi
/ nority. az permanent arrangement, is Who'll
/ II inadmissible so that rejecting the ma
iority principle. anarchy and dospotisn 10
/ some form IS all that IS left
! I DO not forget the position assumed by
/ some, that Constitutional questions are 70 be
decided by the Supreme Court: nor DO /
deny that such decisions must be binding il
=
object of ;hat suit while they are also en-
/ titled TO very high r-pec. aud consideration
. in all parallel cases. By alt other departments
! of the Governmen:; aud while 1t Is obviously
possible thai such decision may be ORION
( eous in any given case. still the evil effect
following it being limited to tba, particular
sase, with the chance that i may be ovsrrul-
ed, and never become precedent for other
eases. can better be borne than could the
evils of different practice A. the same
time, the candid citizen must confess that If
the policy Of the government upon vital cues
tions effecting the whole people Is TO be Igre-
vocably ixei by the decisions of the Supreme
Court, the Instant they are made IN ordinary
litigation between parties IN persona, actions,
the people will have ceased 70 be their own
rulers. having TO that extent practically re-
signed their government into the hands Of
thai eminent tribunal Nor Is there, in this
view, any assault upon the Court or Judges
Il Is duty from which they NAV not shrink
TO decide cases properly brought before them,
aud It is 10 fault Of theirs If Others seek to
turn their decisions Il political purposes.
Oae section Of our country believes slavery
is right. and ought to be extended, while the
other believes il is wrong, ani ought not TO
be extended This Is the only substantial
dispute fJr the fugitive slave clsuse of the
Constitution. aud the law for the suppression
of the foreign slave trade. are each as well
eu forced. perhaps. - any law can ever be IN
i community where the moral sense IF the
people impeTlectly supports the law itself
Would the great body of the people abide by
tle dry legal obligation in both cases, after
the separation of the sections. more than be-
fore The foreign slave trade. now imper-
fectly suppressed, would be ultimately re
yiyel. without restriction, IN one section,
while fugitive slaves. now only partially sur
rendered. would not Be surrendered q. all by
the,ctheU.
Physically speaking, We cannot separate;
we cannot remove our respective sections from
each other. nor build an impassable wall be
tween them. husband aud wife may be
divorced. and 60 out of the presence and be
yond the reach Of each other But the diff
ferent parts of cur country cannot do this
They cannot but remain face to face. and an
intercourse. either amIsable or hostile. must
continue between them. Is it possible, then,
to make that intercourse more advantageous
or more satisfactory after separating than be
fore Can aliens make treaties easier than
friends can make laws Can treaties be
more faithfully enforced between aliens than
laws among friends? Suppose you go to war;
YOU cannot fight always, and when, after
much loss on both sides, and no gain OF
either, you cease fighting, the old identical
questions IS to terms Of intercourse are again
upon YOU. This country, with Its institutions,
belong to the people who inbabit It. When
ever they shall grow weary of the existing
government, they eau exercise their constitU-
tional right Of amending t. or their reToiu-
tionary right to disrnember il.
cannot be ignorant Of the fact that many
worthy and patriotic citizens are deSirous Of
having the National Constitution amended.
While 7 make 10 recommendation Of amend
ment, fully recognize the rightful authority
Of the people over the whole subject. 70 be
exercised in either os the modes prescribed in
the instrument itself, ani / should, under ez-
ist;ny circumstances. favor, rather than op-
pose. fair opportunity being offered the peo-
pie TO act upon 1t. | viii venture to add
that to me the convention mode seems pre-
feratle, iuasmaeh IS it allows the a-neDdmeR;
TO originate with the people themselves, in
stead only Of permitting them to take or re-
ject proposition originated by others not as-
pecially chosen for the purpose, aud which
might not be precisely such as they would
wish either to accept or refuse
understand a proposed amendment to the
Constitution-which amendment, however |
have not seen-has passed Congress, to the
effect tha; the Federal Government shall never
t interfere Si,h the domestic institutions of the
States, including that Of persons held 20 ser
vice. TO avoid a misconstruction of what
/ have said, depart from my purpose not to
/ speak of particular amendments SO far as TO
! saw, that holding such provision TO be now
! implied as constitutional law, [ have no OBJ
/ lection to It's being made express and irrevoc-
able.
! The Chief Magistrate derives all his au-
! tbority from The people and they have con-