The Tipton advertiser. [volume] (Tipton, Cedar Co., Iowa) 1856-1962, 1861-02-14

itself overtt rown four years hence, if v,
amend the Constitution, rs We should b,
ii We now stand firmly BY our principles
aud uphold the authority Of the Govern
ment !!
The question before the country, i
seems to me, has assumed gigantic pro
portions. 1t has become something NOR,
than an issue on the slavery questio,
growing out Of the construction Of th'
Constitution. The issue now before u,
is whether We have = country-wl ethel
or not this is nation. IL this Gov
ernmcnt which Florida, With 80, 900 peo
pie, can destroy BY resolving herself ou,
Of the. Union and seizing the forts and
arsenals within her borders! That il
the question presented for our decision
Can great aud prosperous nation of 33, =,
600, 900 Of people be destroyed by an &C,
of secession Of some Of its members?-
Florida and her sister revolutionary
States answer in the .si6rmative. W.
deny it. They undertake to act upon
their professional belief, and secede, or,
as term it, rebel against the Govern
ment. While they are in this attitude
of rebellion, = compromise is presented
to US for adoption by which it is propos
ed, not to punish the rebellious States,
but to entice them back into the Union.
Who docs net see that by adopting these
compromise propositions We tacitly re.
cognize the right of these States to Sc.
cede? Their adoption At this time v. uld
completely demoralize the Government,
and leave it 10 the power of any State to
destroy If Florida and South Caroliu,
eau secede because of the slavery ques
tion, what shall prevent Pennsylvani.
from seeding because the Governmen,
declines to adequately protect her iron
and coal interests, or New England be,
cause her manufactures, or New York
because her commerce is not sufficiently
protected? l could agree to no compro-
mise until the right to secede was fully
renouucel, because it would be a recoe.
nition of the right of one or moro States
to break up the Government at their will
Iowa has peculiar Interest in this
question. If this right of State revolu.
tion be conceded, her geographical posi-
tion is such as to place her completely
in the power Of revolutionary States
Will she agree that one State can secede
and take rom he- the mouth Of the Mis-.
sissippi river, shat another can take from
her the mouth of the Missouri, and that
others shall be permitted to d prive her
OF the right Of passage to the Atlantic
ocean! If she will not agree to this, it
becomes her people to insist that the
Constitution Of the country shall be up,
held, that the laws of the land shall be
enforced, and that this pretended right
of a State to destroy our National exist
ence shall be sternly and emphaticalIy
rebuked. l know the people of Iowa
we'll enough to believe that appeals to
Il cir magnanimity, if not successful, will
be kindly received and considered, whilst
appeals to their fears will pass by them
all things, and and endure ali things, III; IL
maintaining the honor of the National
dag and in preserving the National
Union.
One word more and close this letter,
already too long. At the commencement
Of the session, before revolution had as.
sumed its present gigantic proportions,
before any State had pretended to secede
except South Carolina, before the forts
and arsenals Of the United States had
been captured, thc flag of the country
fired upon and the Capital of the nation
threatened, l assented, as a member of
the Senatorial Committee of Thirteen, to
three propositions, which were to the
following effect, viz:
lst. That Congress shall never be per.
lnitted to interfere with the domestic in
of any State, or to abolish
slavery therein.
I'd. That the several States should be
advised to review their legislation 10 re.
gard to persons Of color, and repeal or
modify all such laws as might conflict
With the Constitution Of the United
States or with any Of the laws Of Con-
yress made 10 pursuance thereof.
I'd. To admit Kansas int. the Union
lnder the Wyaodotte Constitution, and
hen to admit the remaining territory
belonging to the United States As two
states, one north and one south of the
parallel Of $50 3O', with the provisions
hat these States might be subdividcd
md new ones erected therefrom whenev.
r there should be sufficient population
or one Representative In Congress upon
ixty thousand square miles.
These propositions, if adopted, would |
'ave quieted the apprehensions of the
southern people as to the intention of
he people Of the Free States to interfere
nth slavery 10 the States, and would
ave finally disposed of all the territory
belonging to the Government. They
'ould have made two very inconvenient
states, but they would have settled
cry inconvsnient question. They could
rave been adopted without any surrender
# principle by anybody or any section,
nd therefore without any party and per-
onal humiliation. But they were spurn-
d by the Disuuionists. They preferred
o plunge the country into revolution,
nd they have done it. 1t only remains
or US now to obey and enforce the laws
nd show to the world that this Govern
rent is strong enough to protect itself
rem rebellion within as well as from as
ault without.
The issue now made up for the decis-
on Of the people Of this country is be.
ween law, order, the Union and the Con-
on the one hand, and revolu-
ion. anarchy, dissolution aud bloodshed
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