Richmond daily Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1842-1861, 1861-04-06

his actions by considerations of policy and exrediency
and takes merely lawyers view of the subject. No
State has the power by the constitution to withdraw
from the Confederacy therefore he cannot recognize
such Withdrawal He will not employ violence 10 com
pei any of the seeding States to rescnd their resou
tion but he will treat the Southern States if the
cessiou had not taken place. He will enforce the laws
of the Union in ell the States; he will forwsrd the mails
as usual He will hold occupy and possess all pro
perty and places belonging to the government, and VIII
collect the duties inn osed" Beyond what is necessary
for these purposes there will be invasion or force
When the hostility the United States is so great as to
prevent citizens from holding Offices hc will not force
obnoxious strangers amolg the Inhabitants He has no
objection amendment of the Constitution pledsne
Cor gress not to interfere with the domestic institutions o
the South and con1ents that such amendment shall be
irrcvocabe. The speech concludes With these words
which may be forgiven for thinking scarcely can
ceiyed in vein worthy Of the occasion -" The mystic
"chords OF memory stretching fom every battle Held
"and patriot grave to every living heart in this broad
land will yet swell chorus of Union when again touch
led they surely viii be, by the better angels Of
I" our nature" We read this piece OF iue writing with
some impatience when consider the momentous mat
ters to which it is the eplogue. Mr.. Liuc0ns express
sons studiouy cautious and moderate but they re-
ally amount 20 thsthat he viii enter into negotiation
with the South-tha' he will hold much Of the prop
erty of the United States Government is still in his
power will posses aud occupy"-:hat is Ipuro the
c;ade arseua and Other property of the United Sta
which have fallen into the hands OF the SOut; and fur
ther that he will collect the from te seeding
States which, if done in the mdest manner implies very
strict blockade In making these announcements PTeS
dent Lincoln may be doing nothing than his duty
hut conceal from ourselves that such policy
is neither nor less than declaration of civil
Nobody supposes for instant that, even il South Car
olina should refrain from attacking Fort Sumter, and
Florida from attacking Fort Pckens the Southern States
e likely to submit to reoccupation of the citadels
and srsenas which they have seized that they will al
low without a struggle import duties for the benefit OF
what they consider foreign Government to be levied on
goods landed on their shores. Whether the President
announces his intention to invade the South no s
matter C little consequence except for the satisfaction
of his own conscience. The will not be levi.d
nor the property the forts occupied without the
poymen Of armed force and the first resistance which
that force ScatteIs to the Winds all the fair procs
sions about uuwiInguess to invade TO coerce. War
once commenced and thata civil war will be carried on
may be well assured in Judicial compunclious
spirit.
The position of the American President calls for every
allowance from persons who from distance crcse his
actions; but should have had much hope for the
future had his speech been founded the actual
position of affairs aud less upon formal requirements OF
the Constitution We have always thought that the steps
proposed BY Mr. Lincoln might possibly have checked
secession had they been taken In the first Instance Dlt
time has been allowed to eapse reb lon to consolidate
itself and n is to r3 With great danger TO attempt Ia
limit the means OF puttng II down 10 te exercise OF one
constitutional tuuc Would IL not be better
recoguzs the formation of the Southern Con-
federlcy and 10 think little less of constitutional pow
aud decorums which end in nothing but vii war
and little Of negotiation and arrangement, by
which alone the civil be averted: l. would he
ineligible we're the President to say that he
going negotiate for peace that he is going to
force return TO the Union by arm. but TO say that lac
s going to exercise the powers Of the Constitution, g
norng altogether the fact of Secession is TO make
certain while cutting oil any opportunity for neGotia'
ton.