, 1861-03-05

shaII he sn preat and m Universal as
to nr,vent comnetent resident citizeug
f1o,n- h,,d,,r fada-a1 offices there viii,
be- no attemnt to force obnoxious strangers
onono the naon1a for Thar oh;ect. While the
strict lepa1 13ght NAV e1lst in the government
IN anfo,oa IN e,,a,o;sa ~ tba.a off7cez the at.
tAunt to 1o eo vo,,1d he 40 Irritating and 20
nearly innracticah1e v1sba1 that I deem it bet
ter to forepo FIR a time thu uses Of such
Offices. Tho mn;1s. un,ess repe1Ied. will con
tfnus to he furnished IN all points Of the In
ion, 60 far as possible. The people every
where aha1l have that sease of rerfect SECURITY
Which fs most favorable for calm thought md
REJECTION. The course here indicated will be
followed, unless current events and expert
ence shall show q modification or change
to be proper; and in every case and ed
gency my very best discretion will be always
exercised according to the circumstances actu-
ally existing, and with yiew and hope Of =
peaceful solution Of the national troubles,
the restoration of fiaternal sympathy aud
| affection, That there are persons In one eec-
tion or another who seek to destroy the Union
at aIl events, and Who are glad Of any prete1t
to do 1t, I will neither affirm nor deny; but II
there be such, 7 need address no words Ito
thc,n]. To those, however, who really love
| the Union, may r not speak? Before entering
upon go grave matter as tie destruction OF
our nattoual fabric with all Its benefits, Its
memories and hopes, would it not be wise to
ascertain previously [what it is you propose
to1 do? VIII you hazard so desperate step
while there Is my possibility that any portion
Of the ills you fly from have no real existence
| VIII you, while the certain ills you fee to are
greater than all the rea1 ones you fly from
will you risk the commission Of SO fearful a
| mistake? All profess to ba content In the
En;on, IL all constitutional rights can be main.
tained. Is it true, then. that INV right plainly
written in the Constitution, has been denied ?
I think not Happily the human mind In 60
constituted that no party can reach tile auda.
| city of doing this. Think, If you Gun, Of q
single instance in which plainly written pro-
| vision Of the Constitution has ever been de-
MED. # by the mere force Of numbers a ma
| iority sha1I deprive a minority Of any clearly
| written constitutional right, IN moral point
| of view. It wonId Justify revolution. It GER
| taIn1y wou1d, If such right was vital one
But such Is not our case The vitaI rights o1
| minoritles and Of individuals are 70 plainly BE-
sured to them by affirmations md neeations
/ by guarantees and prohibitions In the Coustitu
| ton that controversies never arise concerning
| then. Bnt no oroantc law cap ever ha framed
| with a ,roris;on ann,;cab1e tn every oues.
| linn which NAV occur in practsca
| adm;n,stration. M foresipht ran ant;cinate
nor anv f1ocnme,t of reasonable lenptb con
| tain e~nross nrovis,ons for all 1ossihIe oues
| t;ons. Shall fnpftiyes from 1ohor ha surren.
| aaraa hv ,a+5on,, or stcte antbor;tiee Tht
| C,ns+;t1t;o,,; 5o.a ~, svnrcss1r .sov efns,
ronrraes ,,ro+ect e,araru IN thc Terr;tor,ea,
rbs CONSTITUTION doa, mt e~nreas1v s.v
r,a-, a@,a.t;o-. ~ +h;. o1oss s,r;,, az ~,
c.ns.ftnt5ona1 controrars,cz .nd T. 3iv;d,
rn,-, +1arz, into ra,;or;t;aa nd ,rina,;t;e. r
| The minority viii not aconiegcc the maori,
1n,st or the oopornroent ,ronet ce,ec Ther,
ia M ALTERNATIVE far continuing the eovern
| ment INIT acnn;esence m the one side ~
~. o+har r., ,,;,,o,,tv +, sr,h .a,a
viii seccse ratber +ban acop,efce tbc4
m,te nrsccdont whicb 7r;1, !, tn1
min anf, f1fvide thcm. for a n,inoritv of tbei
49,, h,3v 1v,u .o.eda c,o,, +he1, 1rhare ero
n majority ref,,.c4 n 1,c contro,,e5 bv snch
o;nor;tv For frstanne vhv m,v mt mn,
norton of a new confaderocv a wear or +vt
heuce. arbitrarily secede asa;n prec;s.ly a. ,
bortfon of thu nresent Union NOW claim Il
aaceae fro.n IT. All who cherish tisunio,
saat,na,fs ore ,,o,v hs;ro< cancot.a 10 +be er
art tem,er of do;ne this There liz fnot1 suc}
r1rfeet Identity Of interests au,opr the State
to COMPOSE ucw Union as to produce ha,u1o
] nv only and Dreyeut 8 new secession. PIaip1,
The central idea of secession is the essence q
anarchy. 4 majority held In restraint by con
| eiitutioual checks md Limitations, aud alway
changing easily with deliberate changes q
popular opinions and sentiments, is the onl
true sovereign of q free people, Whoever II
fects {it1 does Of necessity ty to anarchy 0
desnotisp. Unanitnity is impossible. TIL
! rule Of the minority, as permanent arrange
| meut~ ia wholly tnadmissible. 60 that. reject
Ing the maiority principle, anarchy or despot
ism. In some form. is ali that is left. d
not forget the position assumed by soms
that constitutional questions arc to b
decided bv the Suorcme Court. nor do I den
| +,,at such decisions must be binding in au
case tn the partfes to e *uit AZ Tto1 tho ob;ee
Of that suit. while thew are also entitled t
n rerv f;oh resnect md consideration in a!
naraile1 cases ty all other departnents Of th
Government. md while IT Is obytousl7 moss
| h,e that snch doc;sfon NAV ba erroreons +
anv oojven rasc still, tina evil effect fo11owin
II heinr 1;,nited 10 that particular caxe wit
,ha chance that It NAV be oyeru1ed an
a.ge- uecome a precedent ,or other cases
%, oett,r be ,o,ne ,ba con,t; the Evil
,; :];f,erent ,rac,ic. At thu ,ne same tim,
n, candia citize, ,nust ronf,ss tbat il II
1o,,sv NJ 3be corernnent 1ron a rIta, oue,
t;on st1ectsn Q The Whole reon1o ia m ,,e ~
| -oc,,,lv f,~ed hv the c;a ons ~ the sn,rc,,,
court, the instant they are made. fas1 Ii d;
mary 1itfeation bet1een parties in persont
actions. the neon,a will bavo ceased tn b
,hs,r ovn r,,iera r. the artent nroct,ca1lv ,
i. =, xion,nr their government into the hands I
that eminent t7,hnno1 Nor ia there ~ in Hi
. ! visu NV assault nnon tha conr+ r
:. +hs ,ndg.a II IA a dn+v f1nn uh,r
!:thav NAV nnt shrink. to.decfde cases o,oner]
: bron9bt bef,re them. IT, rs mn fau,t IF tbej,
If ot}'ers scek t., tnrn their decisions to po1it
!, cal nurnoscs. One ecction of our country b,
: " ,5erss s,averv ia r;rht md ought tn te extenf
; nj uh,,s the, other ha,ieras n "a uron
: and oncht not. Ia ba extended. m
ia TIM on,v eubstantial d;snnte. tt
i Fugitiret s,aye c,aase IN the ,Conatitutfo
i and the Inv for the sunnressiop of the fose,e
: ! elaye trade are ~ well enforced perhaps rs an