Union County star and Lewisburg chronicle. [volume] (Lewisburg, Pa.) 1859-1864, 1861-03-08


Constitution, that controversies never
arise concerning them. But 10 or
ganic law can ever be framed with Il
provision specifically applicable &c
every question which may occur in
practical administration. No fore
sight can anticipate, nor any docu
ment of reasonable length contain eN'
press provisions for, all possible qacs'
tions. Shall fugitives from labor he
surrendered 10y National or by State
authority? The Constitution does
not expressly say. May Congress
prohibit slavery in the Territories
The Constitution docs not expressly
say. Must Congress protect slavery
in the Territories The Constitution
does not expressly say.
From questions Of this class, spring
all our constitutional controversies,
and we divide upon them into MAJOR
i!ics and minoriticS. II The minority
will not acquiesce, the majority must,
or the Government must cease here
is no other alternative for continu-
ing the Government is acGnlcsccncc
on one side or the other. Ii minor
ity in such case will secedc rather
than acqUicsce, they make q precedent
which, in turn, will divide and ruin
them for Il minority of their own
will sccede from them, whenever a
majority refuses TO be controlled by
such minority. For instance, why
may not any portion of new Con
iederacy, a year CT two hence, arb
trari Y seccde again, precisely aS por-
tions o! the present Union now claim
to seccdc from it ? All who cherish
Disunlon sentiments are now being
educated 10 the exact temper Of doing
this.
Is there such perfect identity Of in
tercsts among the States to compose
a new Union, as to produce harmony
only, and prevent renewed secession?
Plainly, the central idea of scccs-
sion is the essence Of anarchy. \
majority held in restraint 10y cOnstitu-
tionai checks and limitations, and, a.!
ways changing easily with deliberate
changes OF popular opinions and SEN
timcuts, is The only true SoyrCIgn oi 4
free people. Whoever rejects II does,
OF necessity, tly 10 anarchy or dcSpot
ism. Unanimlty is impossible the
rule Of Il minority, as permanent ar
rangement, is wholly inadmissible;
so that, rejecting the majority princI-
pie, anarchy or deSpot!sm i'll some
form is ali that is left.
| DO not forget the position assumed
by some, that Constitutional questions
are 10 he decided by the supreme
Court nor do | deny that such dcci-
slonS must ur binding, in any case,
upon the parties 10 Il snir, as to the
Object uf that suit, while they are also
entitled to very high respect and CON
sidcration IN all parallel cases by all
other departments of the Government.
And wailc it is obviously possible
that such decision may be erroneous
in any given case, still the evil effect
following it, being limited TO that
particular case, with the chance that
it may be ovcrrulcd, and never be-
come precedent for other cases, can
better Dc borne than could the evils
o! different practice. At the same
time, the candid citizen mast confess
that if the policy of the Government
upon vital questions, affecting the
whole people, is TO be irrevocably
fixed by decisions Of the supreme
Court, the instant they are made IN
ordinary litigation between parties
i'll personal actions, the people Will
have ceased to be their own rulers,
having TO that extent practically re-
signed their government into the
hands OF that eminent tribunal.
Nor is there in this view any as
sault upon the Court or the Judges.
1t is a duty, from which they may not
shrink, TO decide cases propcrIybrought
before them, and it is no fault of theirs
if others seek to turn their decisions
to political purposes. One section of
our country believes slavery Is right,
and ought to be extended, while The
other believes it is wrong, and ought
not to be extended. This Is the on.y
substantial dispute. The fugitive
slave clause of the Constitution, and
the laws for the suppression Of the
foreign slavc-tradc, are each as well
enforced, perhaps, us any law can ev-
er be III "a community where the NOR
al sense Of the people impcrtcctly sup
ports the law Itself. The great body
OF the people abide by the dry legal
obligation in both cases, and few
break over in each. This, think,
can not be perfectly cured !; and it
would bc worse, in both cases, after
the separation of the sections, than
bcforc. The foreign slave trade, now
imperlectly suppressed, would be ulti-
matcly revived, without restriction,
in one section; while fugitive slaves.
now only partially surrendered, would
not surrendered at all, by the other.
Physically speaking, We can not
separate. We can not remove our
respective sections from each other,
nor build an impossible wall between
them. y husband and wife may be