American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1851-1863, 1861-08-31

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stsnce in which Europe land the North
TOO. in this easel holds views contrary 70
American, though net to Euro
pean. ideas of government. Here. again,
il We would pursue truth and arrive n
correct conclusions. American political
questions must be Judged by American
principles were lard down three quarters
Of century ago, in the Declaration Of
independence. and every year since that
period this famous statement Of rights
has been read in every city. town, aud
village of the Union and il has been
proclaimed TO the whole world amid the
firing of guns. pistols. &c. that we
hold these truths to be self eyident-that
all government is derived from the con-
sent of the governed, and that this right
is inalienable," All this was fought for
and secured.
-
Let us examine the case as well as we
are able. Nine millions Of people de-
mand, for some cause or other, the right
so clearly announced, and once fought
for, of governing themselves. Il Is de-
denied but the diversity and weakness
of the reasons for the denial afford clear
proofs Of the perplexity Of a people con
scious of doing a dishonest thing. One
great statesman, for instance, wishing to
drink at the same moment lat the l0un-
tain and mouth of the Nile. F." asks how
the North can give up the Gulf Of Nexi-
CO to foreign power? He would have
the great lakes of the North and the
great Gulf of the South and Why not
the st. Lawrence and Amazon as wei ,
This is that selfish view of the case.
which supposes that all other nations are
forever to be penned up in their present
limits, while the States are to spread over
and own illimitable territory. Another
urges as a reason for war, the stolen -
forts, &C.; forgetting that the North re
tans, in forts, custom-houses, minis, and
other public buildings, property Of per
haps ten times the value of that taken by
the South on its own soil. to say nothing
of the whole United States navy, now
turned against those who have helped to
build it.
Another cites the firing of the frs: gun
by the South, forgetting that that gun was
not fired until an armed squadron left
New York harbor, after Mr.. Lincoln's
express declaration that be would collect
the revenue in the South and retake the
forts, arsenals, &c. a man does not
usually wait until the blow descends. II lie
sees his enemy approaching him with
raised bludgeon; the approach constitutes
the attack. Besides. if the South were
in earnest in secession. il would have
been folly TO wait until the whole navy
had arrived. from the Pacific and the
East to throttle them at their doors
Another statesman seems only DESTROYS
Of showing Europe how strong n Govern
ment republcanism may have, ana that
it is.no failure; forgetting that the oxer-
else of that power in such way IS simply
despotism, and proves the -4ilure. and
that a war for Union implies in itself dis
at1aion.
But we pass by all this to consider
the point most strongly urged BY the
President, namely, as to what would
happen if the doctrine of Secession were
acknowledged as a right. We answer.
just that would happen which would
happen by acknowledging the right Of
self-government. The last logically i'm
plies the first. An attempt is made to
evade this in the North by saying that
they acknowledge the right Of revolution.
which is an absurdity. as a Government
cannot allow or acknowledge wha; it for
bids; besides. If the revolution be
overcome, then the conquered-one or
twenty millions, as the case may be-
are Immediately denied the right of self
government. Thus we arrive at the same
and the United States Gov
eminent, in attempting coercion, have
clearly abandoned their own principles.
Indeed, we might say tha; certain
Northern States were the first seceders.
since many Of them enacted laws making
obedience to United States laws a penal
ofIense. This was partial secession and
it might have been supposed that the
whole North would have been the party
desiring to secede from the South, since
hey have so long urged their desire TO
be " disconnected from the guilt ofslave
~, and the doctrine OF self-governmert
and secession would have allowed them
% obey these dictates Of conscience with
out bloodshed.
But Mr.. Lincoln also aims to protect.
IS he terms them. a. the majority Of Union
men in the South-a solicitude which
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