Sioux City register. [volume] (Sioux City, Iowa) 1858-1871, 1861-03-16

respect aud consideration in all parallel
cases, by all other departments of the
Government, and while it is obviously
possible that such decision may be errone.
Gus in any given case, still the evil effect
following it beng limited to that peculiar
case, with the chance that it may be over.
ruled and never become precedent for
other cases, can better be borne than could
the evils Of a different practice.
At the same time, the candid citizen
must confess, that if the policy of tho
! Government upon vital questions affecting
the whole people are to be irreyocaoly
fixed by the decision Of the Supreme Court
the instant they are made in ordinary liti-
cation between parties in personal actions,
the people will have ceased to be their own
rulers, having t. that extent practically
resi- gned their government into the hands
of that tribunal. Nor is there in this view
! any assault upon the Court or the Judges
1t is duty from which they may not shrink
to decide cases properly brought before
them, and it is no fault of theirs if others
seek to turn their decisions to political
purposes One section of our country
believes slavery is right and ought to be
extended, while the other believes it is
wrong, and ought not to be extended.
This is the only substantial dispute, for
the fugitive clause of tn" Constitution, and
the laws for the suppression OF he foreign
slavs trade are each as vel! enforced per-
haps as any law can ever be- In COM
munity where the moral sense of the PEG
pie imperfectly supports the law itself, the
great body Of the people abide by the dry
| legal obligation in both cases. Alter the
| separation OF the Two sections. the foreign
slave trade now impertectly suppressed,
would be ultimately revived without restric-
ton in one section, while fugitives slaves
now only partially surrendered would not
! be surrendered at all By the other.
Physically speaking. we cannot separ.
| ate, cannot remove our respective sections
from each other, nor build an impossible
wall between them. The husband and
! wife may be divided aud 60 out of the
presence and beyond the reach OF each
other, but the different parts of our coun,
| try cannot do this. They cannot but re
main face to face, and all intercourse.
! either amicabie or hostile. must continue
| between them lsit possible then to make
| that interco rise more advantageous, or
| more satisfactory, alter separating than
before? Can aliens make treaties easier
than friends can make laws? Can treaties
| be more faithfully enforced between aliens
than laws among friends? suppose you
/ 90 to war: vOu cannot hght always. and
/ when, after much loss on both sides, there
! is no gain on either, you CEASE t. fight. the
old identical questions as to terms o. in
tercourse are again upon you.
This country with its institutions belongs
to the people who inhabiti it.
Whenever they shall grow weary Of the
existing government they can exercise their
Constitutional right OF amending it, or
their revolutionary right to dsmember or
overthrow II. | cannot be ignorant Of the
! fact, that many worthy and patriotic citi-
! zens are des,rous of having the National
/ Constitution amended.
While 1 make ne recommendation Of
+ amendments, fully recognize the rghtluI
authority Of the people over the whole
subject, to be exercised in either OF the
modes prescribed in the instrument itself,
and should under existing circumstances,
/ favor, rather than oppose fair Opportuni-
! ty being offered the people to act upon it
! | will venture to add that the Con>titu-
| tioaal mode seems preferable, inasmuch
as it allows the amendment to orr -inale
/ with the people themselves. Instead only
only OF permitting them to take or reject
proposition originator by others NOT
/ specially chosen. for the purpose, and
! winch might not b. precisely such as t!ey
would either r"tGse or reject.
understand prospossd Amendment
to the Constitution, which amendment,
| however, have not seen, has passed Con
sress, to the effect that the Federal Gov
eminent shall never interfere with the
domestic institutions OF the States. lnclnd
| ing that Of persons he'd 10 setyire. 10
avoid mlSconcepiion OF wbal have said
depart from my purpose t. speak OF par.
| tcniar amendments, SO far as to say, that
/ holding such provision to the now IL.
! piled Constitutional Law, nave no oiiec-
| ton to It's being made express and irrsvD-
/ cable. The Chef Magistrate derives ali
his authority from the people, and thy
| have conferred none upoa him 20 b. forms
for the separation OF the States. The poo
/ pie themselves can do this also if they
choose, but the Executive, as such, has
nothing to do with il, His duty is to ad
minister and preserve the Government as
1t came to his hands and to transmit it
unlmpared by him to his successor
Why should there NOS be patient con-
| fiaehcs in the ultimate justice Of the PEG
| pie. Is there any better or elual hope in
the world? In our present differences is
either party without faith Of being in sight
of the Almighty ruler of nations with bis
eternal ruth aud Justice. on our side Of
the North or on yours of the South, that
truth and Justice will surely prevail by