New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1861-06-05
HAS A GOVERNMENT THE RIGHT TO De
FEND ITSELF


inevitable necessity Sucbls the declaration OF Mr.
Seward in his dispatch 10 the American Minister al
Paris. The Secretary Of the United States Govern
ment must have ponSered well those words before ne
consigned them in document 10 be land before the
first power OF Continental Europe. Bot they express
fact, one which has not received sufficient attention
in England. IL is often lightly asked here why the
two sections of the American Union cannot separate,
and live peaceaby side by side Those who thus
speak have bestowed but slight and superficial alien
ton upon the nature Of the causes OF disagreement
The question may be met by another: If nothing him
ders them living peaceatly rice by eide, why should
they separate and sacrifice the Union, which IL their
! common strength and glory3 The statesmen OF the
North know full well that, however quietly they
might acquiese in the separation OF the South there
could be no peace between governments founded on
principles 20 radically antsgonistc those embodied
in the respective Constitutions OF the Couederacy and
of the United States The PROMISE if seIionfly gwen,
would not and could not he kept. We have heard a
good deal Of the Monroe doctrine, and the deerm ma
ton Of The czcns e the United States TO allow
any European Government 10 transfer lie instuo
To fresh PORTION OF the American Continent; but the
United States Government might with much less dan
ger 10 it's tranquility allow this than permit the lorna
ton of great Slave Power stretching
from the Ohio to the Gulf. There is nothing
in the forms Of European Governments more
nimca to the peace and freedom OF the non-sayehod-
Ing States than the political doctrines openly pro
claimed by the Secession leaders II the COnfederacy
could establish ise IL would manifest itself 20 the
world on the very morrow as prolagandst, aggres-
siye, freebOoting State, perpetualy menacing ITS
neighbOrs and embrUiling them in hOstilities. lis
large idle population Of poor and turbulent whites
form the appropriate material Of hb lsterng forces,
ard would be ever RnneXng somebody. Inc extern
zion Of the Of slavery, it should be remembered,
was the very question which the present rupture
has taken PLACE. Severed from the Union, the South
would send s bands in all directions, and carry
slavery far and wide The acqui iion OF Mexico is
one OF he commonest promises made TO their adner-
ens by tie Secession leaders. IL the first naon Of the
American continent 10 permit that Certainly, 1t
could not Il il therefore better to meet the mischief in
i,s early stage. The only object the South have in
separating il, that slavery, hitherto limited by conn-
teracting principles msy heuceioth become sovereign,
expanding itsel, and peryading and molding every
institution Of government. And experience proves
that the growth OF Negro Slavery IL the measure Of
the decrease OF the white mans freedom. Where the
black man is held IN bondage, the white man is de-
urived OF the comuOnest hbeties and must Lether
speak his mind exercise his industry.
Ii President Lincoln prevents the execution OF the
Southern programme, preserving the abundant constl-
tutional rights OF the Southern States members OF
the Union we Il all say that lie has defended the cause
of liberty; ard not a whit the less because the domi-
nan party in the South has It's projects for airing
empire Of tyranny and Oppression. ii y beco
necessary for that purpose 10 draw the sword we stall
say that until The uillenniGl day come when tie sword
shall he beaten into the lOwsiaTe ard the spear into
the pruning boOk, war can be waged Tor no hlgner
object than 70 maintain the Constitution OF the United
States over the length and breadth Of the Union.
From the fret Dir. Lincoln has uniformly declared that
he will 90 This Every new declaration he has made
has illustrated HE consistency and steadfasness IL
seems 10 be manta aimed in quarters that because
the Government Of the United States 10 80 free, Its
Head ought not % defend II. We do not see why
GOOD Government should have denied 10 1t rights OF
,elfdofense which conceded as matter OF course
10 bad one. The general common Government OF the
United Saes was created for this purposeo maintain
and defend the Union. The notion that minority OF a
naton is 10 be allowed 10 secede when II cannot have
It's way although its rights have been respected is de-
structi,e Of every prindie Of government, aud hss
never been recognized by Any he Saes that
now petend night 20 out Of the Union have severay
rtlinauished their claim 10 independent existence, In
order 10 share the sovereignty of their territories
and those Of the Union with the other States compActed
In one Elective boy under the General Government.
They cannot Iesume tier full sovereignty Of right.
Ii any o. them could do IT, 1t would be, not States
which like Louisiana, ArkaBsas, and Missouri, occupy
territory acquired by the dil lomacy Of the Union,
without reie ence the wishes Of the inhabitants bat
STATES like yrgna for instance which helped to form
the Union Yet Virgins, in the articles by which she
ratified the Union used language which implicitly dis
claimed the r1ht OF secession. Her words are that
the powers granted under the Constitution are de-
rived from the people Of the United States" IL is this
sovereign BODY tie people Of toe United States, and
not the Governors or Legislatures of the separate
States who have decide the question OF union or
dlsnuion And with them rests also the question OF
peace or war. III the vast majority Of the people de-
eide that the Union and its full Constitution shall be
northumberland the population OF the Free States is to
that of the Slave States us 20 10 9-they have tho
means of carving out that decision without trenching
upon any rights ia 30 doing; and they will this
generation from shame and bequeath their children
q blessing Instead Of curse.