The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1861-04-01

Wx4fut ovlDQU4 4f9 upon to0 QUESTION a.
ss Nor are che rslAsve posilio q The parties . Is
former questions BY any means those of the parties
the p,sssDt Many Cnic. .dheIiDg republican via
Awske OF l6cO y simply Union Wide Awake IN 1881
Firm and snergstc - he In his hostility 70 the "a
mnistrsfion Of James Buchanan, he Is equally dstermo
which he hopes 70 see preserved s. When hs ps,nsv
perceive be must that large proportion OF thoe
who acted then in successful hGstsy demOoratic Id
South for the sake OF the Union answer not one inch
and with shameless slacrity declare that the Uniol
with those wno upon he Sss q petcs
SION act IN union for the sake Of the Unon am there
fore fellow citizens, prepared for the dsmonstraiol
OF all Union men, Of whatever previous party com
csion are hereafter 70 be associated with the party
whose candidates will conciae that harmony and sdyo
those concessions by which alone the nor
can Do saved or the former Union be rest pred Il
must be obvious 10 the feeblest understanding thai
she, the discussion OF compromises cannot bs
very important. Yet It may have its uses
upon his sopc No I'm a. S e..
posed to deny that had the demands Of the cotton
(pereeptble I, their present constuton) been COMPLIED
paired confederacy; and believe that he would be
bold man who could maintain tina. had the question beer
fairly submitted TO the vote of the Northern States be-
they would have decided for dsunion But seven of the
Southernms States have departed Eight of their asso
cate states engaged in deliberations upon their
direction II cannot be, 1t is not expected that they
viii be contented with their present position without tae
apnaren ,Sa, Se y ,Sc Inc rac Is equally
depends upon the retention OF the eight border slave
States mus TO secure the blessings OF the Union as
Is there an mpetors necessity proven that whatever
be the character Of the constitutional amendments de-
named by these States they be granted by the States
the North Whether these demands shall approach those
embodied In the Montgomery constitution, whether
they shall be moderated by the prevalence Of more tenn
perate councils becomes Of comparative nsgnhcance
view OF the ultimate desideratum Of Union preserved
have confidence nevertheless that whatever their in
termedate action the Convention at Frankfort in Nav
reasonable and that the Of tho
conservative will seize with avidy the proposition
unexpected boon cheers) II, then. the people Of the
North shall nterpose their authority regardless
the action Of their Legislatures and the dictates Of their
political leaders, Transporting events denote that the inter-
position will in all probability, effect pacicaou OF our
aonal troubles Not that the OF the North
In the demands Of the border slave states will produce
return Of the cotton states TO he confederacy but that
the border eiave States retained by reasonable
eons granted and the commercial and social
Of the Northern confederacy, may ultimately dispose
efficacy Of any future political effort to reconstruct the
Union may well be doubted, should deem impoesi
bic united republic recomposed by time and those
silent natural forces which construct and dissolve empires
But, fellow citizens do not feel myself at liberty TO re-
sumo my seat without brief reference to a subject
which has eDgrossed the attention very generally and
is agtating strangely the councils Of repub
lican administration refer to the subject of coercion
cannot hope to presen, more successfully than doubt
les you have seen eluCidated. few words will dis
miss II from my and your attention The obvious SENSE
of the word is IN violent conflict with normal political
lite application disturbs this condition. ana hence Is an
elemental force, productive OF inequality and oppression
am not now referring to that restraint Of law exerted
upon refractory individuals through the coercion Of
its ministerial agents. However essential TO govern
ment Is such coercion when thus individually applied
even this becomes incompatible with government when
applied to civil communities or States So directed IL
becomes the fruitful and inevitable source Of civil war;
the ann Of the government is then measured against
that OF collective communities and the administration
Of government becomes but nvariable experiment of
force The articles Of confederation having established
but league of independent States, the central
government was consequently required in lis adj
minissraton Of law to resort to its enforcement upon
States The evils apprehended and resulting from this
despotc system with Others occasioned the renqush
men of the OF 1776 and tho adoption OF the
present constitution Its distinctive Characteristic In
this respect that the execution of the federal laws is
confined TO individuals, proceeded against only through
the agency OF the magistracy II true that upon the
failure OF the officer the posse summoned to hts assist
ance snd that even the military may be invoked
with like purpose. But this possible series
tngent assistance presdes the authority of the law
country and of the army subordnated 10 the civil arm
its extension limited TO individuals within the pale OF
peace and repeed from communities within the posi-
ton which framed the constitution viii disclose these
have been the opinions Of both Madison and Hamilton,
while the cogont argument Of the latter In the sixteenth
number Of the Fefoi retains its rreutable
when first conceived. But II is suggested tina.
this expedition, II correct, repquishes TO the arbra
ment OF opportunity that formidable class OF
insurrectionary disturbances, originating in local
tiles and affecting contagously large districts
OF country. This is quite true and ~ may be conce
ded that to execute law In such would be the
production Of war; be the effect OF the omission
loses nothing by this comparative process Bat It s
to this identical point that present events determine
cannot refrain from quoting to = the language Q
have before named. He says
And 70 those mOt. feuds which certain
VIZ S!:esasS. ss
do fan within sny ordinary rules Of oalcuato6 Where
either avoid control them 10 vain 70 hope guard
against mighty human foresight precAutou;
and would be idle object government because Il
could not perform impossibliiies
Thus sthe contagion of q violent popular paroxysm,"
not falling "wthin any ordinary rules Of calculation"
having happened, "amounts TO revolution and ga dis
Of he naons sose he
made. The existence OF revolution proven and the ap
plication Of arms to it's suppression becomes simply
question OF expedency ard entirely Withdrawn from the
commands and requirements Of constitutional law.
tChees) But while the argument is conclusive against
the constitutional power Of the federal to
State by force Of arms II Is equally clear in my
opinion that there Is existent constitutional power TO
collect the revenues OF the government The coercion OF
upon the persons Its collection is In restraint OF
consumption and not Of the liberty OF the citizen II
Ia sbrcsaed BY the revolution which aray scs the con-
sttuton which IL its source Upon the progress and
acquired head OF revolution therefore, depends the
pedoncy Of enforcing this right IL may, think
be eafey asserted that II should be abandoned whenever
fs exercise requires the assistance Of either military
or naval establishment may say in this connection
select committee Of the last Congress- to report to the
House bill for the collection Of the revenue OF the Uni
It'd States procured II 10 be recommtted TO the
mtee, and convinced OF It's inexpedency, thenceforth
retained IT in my possession, and opposed all other at
tempts ENFORCE the collection OF the revenues at South
ern ports. (ApplAusc) This subject, fellow citizens,
brings at last 10 enlarge somewhat another sub
ect ladened with the burden Of dsunon and
meritipg your grave attention ande toqthat terrible
tariff which republican House and Senate inflicted upon
this unfortunate and unhappy country II were needless
that should enumerate lis Singular evils. do not be-
eve that there Is pedicable OF any possible tariff
that is not true OF this The specific and ad vaorem sys
tens compounded and blended that the evils OF both
and the benefits OF neither secured; scale Of
prohbitory duties, amounting on nearly all the Ia
prics aud other articles Of consumption from
thirty TO ninety yer cent; and q careful taxation
throughout Of the poor in supeatve Of the rich
but few OF the premAent OF its Questionable
features Under its unconditional action your business
expire and your importations But this ter
fibe tariff became a~ contemporaneously with the