Union County star and Lewisburg chronicle. [volume] (Lewisburg, Pa.) 1859-1864, 1861-03-15

rhtI.L DC sliliru up " iuessut iCOSiAAobS
aud anarchy would be proclaimed around
every thr0ue and every executive chair on
the globe Nothing is sacred no,hingis
safe What Infatuati0r what extremity
Vi folly. Whatever else be uncertain,
/ whatever ether evils come upon US, one
truth Is iudi>putable-one duty is plain.
Our government is peIfec. enough to
chll!euge all the Instructive reverence OF
the soui for rgh,ful authority, and every
citizen should prefer to die 10 its defence,
rather than see it di.honored and over
thrown. And, amiistihe gathering clouds
Of darkness, here is cur b pc. The people
love our Government, revere our Consii-
tution, and cherish our Laws. They will
obey them. They will enforce them.
They will never see them Iuthlessly over
thrown.
Reference far la,r is deep and abiding
sentiment 10 the hearts Of American free
men. The almost uniform aud universal
oSedience Of cur nation Of sovreigns, to
righifg. authority, is tie standing marvel
Of the old world, and bas done more than
a.. other causes combined to give oar
coupisy its proud pre-emineuce. 1: is no
natural Instinct, bat the ou'groxth OF
stern sIHering and firm resolve, Of long
experience and patient endurance. Ii IS
one Of tie highest aud Sest developemeuts
Of the human eouscieuce sud understand
ing. is yevy operation shows the dif6c1!-
y Of its acqGiremeut. Ii uuites personal
freedom with public order, and renders
the supremacy Of authority compatible
with individual right. Ii exposes the
Constitution to assault, aud, even as We
ofeu see in our State governments, tears
i; dJwn aud builds it up again at pleasure,
yet cogu!zes the same Constitution a.
peruaueut rule CT action, AID deIounces
every oue who lifts bis hsuds against il
10 an Unconstitutional manner as q public
enemy, and 5'a,is hin as traitor. SURE
ly, tie seltImeUt that has done this and
is still doing it, and which has wrought
0u; for Us the frees. system Of national
g0,erumest tie world has ever seen, is .
thing Of frofouude,t origin, and rsress
growth. How sacrediy then should it be
cherished, with what s.eepless vigilance
should !. be guarded.
Tie dark, :; SID Of tie present Secession
movement; i, that it is breaking down
this vital principal Of Constitutional gov
ernmeut- ltislo0seuing the 6rmest bonds
Of society. 1t is profaUipg the sancsisy
aud subye,.iog the authority Of the Law.
10 doing this, 1t 6isturbs every element Of
public order and security, aud there is no
wonder that a reign Of terror is inaugura-
ted iu iis train Its rery FIRST step is tie
reputation Of the Federal Constitution,
which declares itself OF its very face TO be
The supreme lss Of the land" IL is 9
reveiuiignGIy-a treasopable step! IL is
attempt at national suicide Ii is iDdi-
cstiys Of the sheere-t madness, and every
saue person should aid in securing the un-
fOItuuates until there are clear indications
Of returning sanity. To yield, is to give
up every principle Of government authori-
y, and introduce state Of things where
uoihip; eau be seeure-xhers revolt aud
Anarchy will hold perpetual struggle with
!aN aud order. 1t is not merely a ques-
;ion, as some have supposed, whether the
American Union shall consist Of this or
that number Of States. That is but Sec
oudary Consideration. The Gulf of Mexi-
CO might swallow up every State that has
seeded, and the United States would still
live and grow, and present the happy and
magnificent spectacle Of free and pros
porous nation. Ii is no, the mere loss Of
50 many people, or Of SO much territory,
that makes the disaster, but the introduc-
ton Of Il trl-lsss precedent, which would
make all reliable, free government, impos-
sit.s oa this continent.
Were these Seeding States incurably
disafec:ed toward the present Union
could il be established, that the settled
aud urehEu seate will Of their people was
.oE seplration-we should Lot be for re-
,ainirg them, provided they discharged
their blisations faithfully until they could
legally be discharged from them BY an
amendment Of the Constitution. Even
this would be hard necessity, but is
night be hOnOrably and ps,riO,icslly sub
mitted 70, and the remaining Union still
thrive and spread as does the iron hearted
oak, :houg some Of i,a branches are Topped
ot-tte sweet, pure sap, within, econ
healing the wounds, and difusing new
rigor. Bl,this violent and reckless reud-
ing away Of these States in the lawless
way IN which it is attempted to be done,
is not to be tolera,ed Ii is not simply
destruction to every principle Of govern
ment-ii coTrup;s the very sap, i, kills
the root, i. destroys the whole tree!
There is, therefore, nc altsrus,ive The
separation which is against law, which Vi
oates every organic principle Of our e1is-
tence, must not be aIlo~ed. 1t is mat
ter of life and death, and mus, be resisted
by every means al the command Of the
G0serume and to the last extremity.
But Is not this counselliug war; No;
in DO proper sense of that word It's
only asking that the government shall nos
tamely submit to its own death !. That IL
shall, as heretofore, exercise Its authority
over these States, calmly, steadily main
tanning its jurisdiction over ibem-faith-
fully, firmly, unaipchiugly, executing the
laws. "BI, this will lead to war" Then
every set Of the enforcement, Of Law is .
declaration Of war. /. is war to compe!A
man by law TO nav bis debts IL is va.