Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1861-07-12

seeded none are left to pay the debts
Is this quite just to creditors ? Did we
notify them of this sage view of ours
when we borrowed their money?
If we now recognize this doctrine by
allowing the seceders to 60 in peace, it
is difficult to see what we can do il others
choose to go. or to extort terms upon
which they will promise to remain
The seceders insist that our Constitu-
ton admits Of secession, They have
assumed to make national Constitution
of their own, in which necessity they
have either discarded or retained the
right Of secession, as they insist it exists
in ours. IF they have discarded it, they
thereby admit that on principle it ought
not to be in ours.
If they have retained it by their own
construction of ours, they show that to
be consistent, they must secede from one
another whenever they shall find it the
easiest way of settling their debts. or
effecting any other selfish or unjust oh.
ject.
The principle itself is one of disnte-
grafton, and upon which no government
can possibly endure.
If all the States save one should as
sert the power to drive that one out of
the Union, it is presumed the whole class
of seeded politicians would at once deny
the power and denounce the act as the
greatest outrage upon State rights. But
suppose that precisely the same act, in
stead of being called driving the one out,
should be called the seeding Of the 9TH
ers from that one, it would be exactly
what the scccders claim to do, unless,
indeed, they make the point that the one,
because it is a minority, may rightfully
do what the others, because they are a
majority, may not rightfolly do. These
politicians are subtle and profound on
the rights of minorities. They are not
partial to that power which made the
constitution and speaks from the pream-
BILE, calling itself, owe, the people"
1t may well be questioned whether
there is to-day majority of the legally
qualified voters of any State, except per-
haps South Carolina, in favor Of disunion.
There is much reason to believe that the
Union men are the majority in many. if
not in every other one Of the So-called
seeded States The contrary has not
been demonstrated in any one of them.
1t is ventured to affirm this even Of Vir-
gina and Tennessee f; for the result of an
election held in military camps, where
! the bayoncts are all on one side of the
question voted upon, can scarcely be
considered as demonstrating popular sem
timent 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.
1t may be affirmed, without extrava-
gance, that the free Institutions we en-
joy have developed the powers and i'm
proved the condition of our whole people
beyond any example in the world. OF
this we now have striking and impress
sive illustration.
So large an army as the government
has now on foot was never before known,
without a soldier in it, but who had taken
his place\ there Of his own free choice.
But moro Nban this : there are many sin
gle regiments whose members, one and
another, possess full practical knowledge
Of all the arts, sciences, professions, and
whatever else, whether useful or elegant,
is known in the world. And there is
scarcely one from which could not be
selected President, Cabinet, Con-
gress, and perhaps a Court, abundantly
competent to administer the government
itself
Nor do Say this is not true also in
the army of our late friends, now adver-
saries, in this contest. But il it is, 90
much better the reason why the govern
ment which has conferred such benefits
on both them and US should not be brok-
en- up. Whoever, in any section, pro-
poses to abandon such a government,
would do well to consider in Difference to
what principle it is that he does it; what
better he is likely to get in its stead
whether tho substitute will give. or be
intended to give, so much Of good to the
people. There are some foreshadowings
on this subject Our adversarics have
adopted some declarations Of indepen-
dence in which, unlike the good old one
penned by Jefferson they omit the words,
" All men are created equal" Why?
They have adopted temporary National
Constitution, in the preamble Of which,
unlike our good old one signed by Wash
ington, they omit We the people" and
substitute " We the Deputies Of the So
yereigf and Independent States" Why?
Why this deliberate pressing out Of viewl
the rights Of men and the authority Of
the people.
This is essentially peoples contest.
On the side Of the Onion it is-a struggle
for maintaining in the world that form
and substance Of government whose lead
ing object is to elevate the condition Of
men, to lift artificial weights from ALI
shoulders, to clear the paths Of laudable
pursuit for all to afford all an unfettord
Start and fair chance in the race Of life.
Yielding to partial and temporary de-
partures, from necessity, this Is the lead
ing object Of the government for whose
existence we contend. am most happy
TO believe that the plain people appreci-
ate this. II is worthy Of notcthat while
in this, the governments hoGr cs .fi;al! trial,
large numbers Of those 10 the army and
navy who have been favored with the
Offices have resigned and proved false 10
the hand which had pampcred them, not
one common soldier or common sailor is
known to have deserted bis flag.
Great honor is due to those officers who