The Union and journal. [volume] (Biddeford, Me.) 1858-1882, 1861-06-21

majority of all are binding upon all. The laws
now resists. have been adopted by her sanction,
and the right she now claims is that Of feeble
minority TO repeal what majority has adopt |
ed. Nothing could be more fallaeious."
And now, in regard to that sacred right OF
revolution which the Democrat, recognizing
no difference between the alleged right OF
secession and the right Of revolution, assumes
the South is exercising. No one has denied,
or will deny the sacred right Of revolution.
The right to rebel prcsupposes cause for
rebellion, and il does not attach until all SUIT
able measures to correct wrongs are exhaust
cd. 1t is not simply!a right to rebel for the
fun of the thing, its glory, or to crafty
whims or caprice but right which at
tachcs only when ey!ry means to redress
wrongs have failed and then its justification
must be found in tho impossibility Of obtain
ing redress through peaceful agencies.
Tried by this test, how does the matter
stand with the Southern states. Without
making the first attempt to settle tho qucs-
ton at issue peaccably. without even meet
ing proposition made in fairness, to hold a
national convention, and abide by its results,
Even when they held within themselves the
power, bythcir numbers in Congress to prevent
any injury to its rights, and before the present
administration had assumed the power seven
of these states seeded and not one Of them
had the courage to test the validity of their
secession acts by appeals to the people with
in their respective states, and accompanying
their secession with acts of plumber and rob
berry that would disgrace the most abandon
cd of criminals. All was desired Or expect
cd of them was that they should be true to
the constitution under which they lived, to
submit to laws which they had had an agcn.
cy in making, and to bow willingly to the
decision Of the people which had been made
in the presidential election. No interest OF
theirs had been touched, no right invaded,
and no complaint had been passed unhceded.
History does not furnish precedent to sup
port them. They stand alone attaining the
climax of wickedness and furnishing an in.
stance of public ingratitudc such as the
world never before saw. Their acts of at
rocious wickedness are we'll summed up by
Mr.. Holt in the following extract wo make
from his letter.
7" Thus we have the extraordinary and dis
creditable spectacle Of revolution made by
certain States professedly on the ground that
guarantees for the safety Of their institutions
are denied them, and at the same time cooper
ating with their sister states in obtaining these
guarantees, they designedly assume q hostile
attitude, and thereby render It constitutionally
impossible to secure them This profound dis
stimulation shows that ii was not the safety of
the South but las severance from the Confeder-
acy which was sought from the beginning. Coz
temporary with and in some instances proceed
ing these acts of secession, the greatest out
RACES were committed upon the Government OF
the United States by the States engaged in
them. Its forts, arsenals, arms, barracks, Gus
tom-houses, post-ottices, moneys, and indeed
every species Of its property within the limits
OF these States were seized and appropriated,
down to the very hospital stores Of the sick
soldiers. More than half-a.million Of dollars
was plundered FROM the mint Mt New Orleans.
United States vessels were received from the de-
filed hands of the officers in command, and, rs
If in the hope of consecrating official treachcry
as one of the public virtues of the age the sur
render of an entire military department by q
general, to the keeping of whose honor 1t had
been confded, was deemed worthy Of the com
mendation and thanks of several states. All
lawless proceedings were well understood Ia
have been prompted and directed by men oc-
cupyIng seats i'm the capitol, some of whom |
were frank enough to declare that they could
not and would not, though in minority, live
under government they could not control. In
this declaration is found the key which unlocks
the whole Of the complicated machinery Of this
revolution. The protligate ambition of public
men in all ages and lands has been the rock
upoh which republics have been split. Such
men have arisen in our midst-men who, be-
cause unable permanently to grasp the helm of
the ship, are willing to destroy II in the hope
to command some one of the RATS that may |
float away from the wreck. The effect is to de- |
grade us isto level with the military bandits |
OF Mexico apd South America, who, when beat |
en- at an election, fly to arms. aud seek, to mas
ter by the sword what they have been unable
to control by the ballot-box.
The atrocious acts enumerated were acts OF
war, and might all have been treated as such |
by the late administration but the President
periodically cultivated peace-how anxiously |
and how patiently the country well knows. |
While, however, the revolutionary leaders
greeted him with all halls to his face, they did
not the less diligently continue to whct their
swords behind his back. Immense military |
preparations were made, so that when the mo-
ment for striking at the government of the Uni
ted States arrived, the revolutionary States
leaped into the contest clad in full armor.
As If nothing should be wanting to darken
this page of history the seeded states have
already entered upon the work of confscating
the debts due from their citizens to the North
and Northwest. The millions thu. gained will
will doubtless prove convenient substitute
for those guarantees now 50 scOrnfully rejected.
To these conhscatons will probably succeed
those Of lands and negroes owned by the citi-
zens Of loyal states, and, indeed, the apprehen-
sion Of this step is already sadly disturbing the
fidelity Of Nonresident proprietors. Fortunate
ly, however, infrmity Of faith, springing from
such a cause, is not likely to he contagious.
The war begun is being prosecuted by the Con-
federate States in temper AS fierce and un-
sparing as that which characterizes contests be.
tween the most hostile nations. Letters Of
marque and reprisal are being granted to all
who seek them, ~ that our coasts will soon
swarm with these piratical cruizers, ms the
president has properly denounced them. Every
Buccaneer who desires to rob American COM
merce upon the ocean can, for the asking, OBJ
tain warrant to do so, in the name Of the new
republic. To crown all, large bodies of Indians
have been mustered into the service OF the rev.
dictionary States, and are now conspicuous in
the ranks Of the Southern army. a leading
North Carolina journal, noting their stalwart
frames and unerring Workmanship, observes,
with an exultation positively iendish, that they
are armed, not only with the rifle, but also
with The seoiping-knife and Tomahaick."
But our ncighbor says that "the inhabit.
ants of the eleven States 10000, OOO) are too
large portion Of 'such people to be treat.