The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1861-07-13

! against law by revolution The Union.
and not themselves separated procured
their independence and their liberty Bv
conquest or purchase the Union gave each
OF them whatever OF independence and
liberty II has. The Union is older than
any OF the States, and in fact cIeatet, them
az States Originally some dependant CO...
Onies made the tnion and l.. return the
MON threw oil their old dc enoence FOR
them and made the Statvs such as they
are Not ons of ths.. ever had Sta e
Constitution independent Of the Union
OF course, it is no, forgotten that all the
new States formed their Constitutions be-
fore they entered the Union, nevertheless
dependent on and preparatory to coming
into the Union. Cnque>tionabiy the States
have the powers and rights reserved 10
them by the National Consultation, but
among these surely are rot included all
conceivable powers, however mjschievous
. or destructive. But at most such as were
. only known in the world at that time as
governmental powers, and certainly a power
! 10 destroy the Government itseli. had never
been known a. = governmental, merely
administrative power
This relative matter Of National power
and States rights principle, Is no
other than a principle OF generality and
locality Whatever concerns the whole
should be COat,ed to the whole General
government, while whatever concerns the
States should be left exclusive 10 the State
This Is all there Is lett ct the original
principle about il. Whatcvert the national
convention IN defining the boundaries be-
tween the two as applied TO the principle
with exact accuracy i not - be questioned
" y ;.rs al! bound by that definition with.
atat ION ia ~ rt... II
the position that accession i cousis tent
with the Constitution, = Lawful! and peace
iLl. Il i hot couteudeti that there IL any
cypress law 10. L, Iul nJtuiI. should
ever J- implied - Il" ,i..ch leads to un-
Just ana absurd consequences. The uat!ol.
purchased with money the countr.c- out
oi which several .. these States were
formed, : It jgst that they should 20 of
without leave or without TciUmlIus? The
nation PAID very iArse sums, i. the a,.gre-
gate, believe. hearty $lub,UUuUyU u rc-
!.cy" florida from the :tJorIr r!!lal tr.bcs-
j. II u9t tla; slc should now 20 OF: with
out couscE. OF without any return The
nation i, now in ds:t for money applied
:or the beach. OF these 50 called ..ccded
States, al common with the rest IS it
JUst either ia"t creditors shall 20 UNPAID
or the remaining States pay the whole y
par. OF the present IA iOuai deb. was con
tgSctcd 20 pay t..e ":d uvut Of Texas Is
i Ust that sac shall leave aId pay 10 part
q this hey-Cii' \ A-a;D, # one ~;aie may
srco..*- may another and when Ill :
seeded. none Is I,fi Ia lay the debts Is
TINS quite just ~ creditors? Did we notify
them ut THIS SAGE y.cW oi o..s when We
borrowed their money? II sc now recC.
niHe this doctrine hy a.lnwil = tie ,ec~ders
to 20 IA peace, II > Gi!iicuit 10 see what
We can DO Il others choose L. 20, o. to ex-
tort rs upon which tAyy ~... promise
ID remain The sec,dc,s insist that our
Constitution admits OF scce--ou. They
have assumed 10 make national coI.sI!
tJtlOn Of their oHn. IN mich. Of necessity.
they have either discarded or rcia ned
the r.-ht OF secession, Us t.ey INSIST Il
eI.sts il ours. ii they have discarded H.
;Her thereby adm. that on principle i;
ought not /" eAl>t IL oars. II they nave
retained 1t by their construction OF ours,
II shows that 10 be consistent they must
Seccde from one another when they shall
lind 1t the ca,Ics: way Of settling II. cir
derts or ctlrctln- another selfish or unjust
object The principle Itself i one 81 dis
Indignation, and on which no government
can endure. If a! the STATES save oae
should effect tie powc: to drive that one
class g: the seeded politician, would at
once GeHy the power aud deuOuUCe tiIe act
a. the greatest oura-e upon State rights.
But suppose that precisely the same act,
(. instead Of being c.llsd d!!Yiu. oae cut,
I should lie called the seretiluG OF the
other, from the one it would be exactly
. what the scccIevs claim to DO. unless. in
!, decd, they make the point tAdt the one
1 because Il = minority, rlly r.ghttl.iy 90
that which the other because they are
5 the majority, may no; rishtiuiiy DO
c These politicians are profound in the
right, of nimor;ties. They are not paftia
r TO that power which made the Ccustitu
tiOn and speaks from the preamble, call
, ing Itself we, the people," 1t may wei
; Le questioned whether there is to-day
{ majority Of the legally qualified voters o.
: any State, except, perhaps, South Carolina
: IN favor of di>Union. There Is much rel
. son io believe that the Union men are ir
- majority in many. If not in all, Il th.
! seee,!cd States. The contrary has not
( been demonstrated IN any one of them
= 1t is Vcntured To affirm even those OF N'ir
Z --juIa and Icunesscc-tor the result O
: eirctIOns he'd IL military CAMPS, where
I the Dalcnels were on one side OF the ques
T. ton voted upon. can scarcely be consider
: Ell as demonstiaiin. the popu lar seatiu ent
( at such an .lectlou. All that large elias,
who are at once for the Union and l.aius
+ coercion, would be coerccd t. vote a,ns,
:. lie Union. /. even may be affirmed
Y without eXtravs gance, that the free lnsti
= ;Gtions which we eu Joy have developed
/ the power and improved the condition o
/ our whole people beyond any example il
5 world. OF this we now Lave s,rIkin.
+ and impressive illustration. So large al
G army as the Government has ROW Oh foo
e was never before known, without a sols!ie
O IN it who has not taken his place there o
;, his own free choice. But more than this
5 iheIe are many single regiments Whose
g members one anu another, possesses tul
: practical knowledge OF tie arts and SC.
j emces and professions, and whatever else
4 whether useful or elegant, Is known tC
n the whole world; and there IS scarcely
# one from which there could not be select
e cd a President, a Cabinet, Il Congress, anC
G perhaps . Court xbundan;iy competent Il
/ administer the Government. Nor DO
g say this Is no. true OF oar iate friends
n NOM enemies III this contest but it is Il
n much the better reason why the Gove:n
S ,nent which has conferred such benefits
n on both them and on Us should not b'
J. broken up? Whoever in any section pro
5 poses TO abandon such q Government
d would 10 well 20 consider in Difference Il
- what prin.ii,!e is tha. he dees it; whe hel
: the substitute will give or be intended Il
II give so much good to the people. There
G Is some toresLadowing on this subject
@ Our adversaries have adopted some decla
:r i.,,ions or independence, i'll which, unii.'
f. the good old one penned by Jefferson
5 they omitted the words ARE created
e equal" Why2 They have adopted TEN
f porary national constitution, in the pre-
e ainble Of which. unlike our good old ore
T. signed by Washington, t!.ey omit, We
r the people, and substitute, We. the depu