St. Cloud Democrat. [volume] (Saint Cloud, Stearns County, Minn.) 1858-1866, 1861-03-07


eiens slave trade, are rs we'll enforced per-
TAPS as any law can ever beiin q commu-
nifty where the moral sense Of the people
imrertectly supports the law itself. The
great body OF the people abide by the dry
legal obligations in both cases, aud few
violations occur in each. 800
This, 1think, cannot be perfectly cured
and would be worse in both cases after the
separation Of the sections than before
The fo,ei gn slave trade now imperfcctly
suppressed would tie Immediately revived
without restriction in one section, while
fugitive slaves now only partially surrepd-
cred would not be surrendered at all by
the ether. Physically speaking we can
not separate. We cannot remove our
respective sections from each other, nor
build an impossible wall between them.-
A husband and wife may be divorced and
20 out Of the. presence and beyond the
reach Of each other; but the different
parts Of our conutry cannot do this.
They cannot but remain face to face,
and intercourse either amicable or hostile
must continue between them. Is it posi-.
ble then, to make that intercourse more
advantageous or more satisfactory after
separation than before. Can aliens make
treaties better than friends Can make laws :?
Can treaties be more faithfully enforced
between aliens than l,ws can among friends?
Suppose you 60 to war, you cannot fight
always, and when, after much loss on both
sides and no gain on either, you cease
fighting, the identical questions as to terms
Of intercourse are again upon you. This
country, with its institutions, belongs to
the reop'e who inhabit it, Whenever
they shall grow weary Of the existing Cow
eminent they can exercise their constitu.
t:onal rights in amending. or through the
revolutionary right to dismembcr or over
throw it. cannot be ignorant be ignorant
OF the fact that many worthy and patriotic
citizens are in favor Of amending tn: Con-
stitution. While make no recommends
ton, fully recognize the full authority Of
the people over the whole subject, to be
exercised in either of the modes provided
in the Constitution itself. and l should un-
der existing circumstances. Mvor either Of
them If offered A fair opportunity being
offered the people to act upon it, | will
venture to add, that to me the convention
al mole seems pref rable, in that it de-
mands amendments to originate with the
people themselves, instead Of only permit
ting them to take or reject propositions
originated by others, not especially chozen
for the purpose, and which might not pre-.
cisely suit, as they would wish others to
accept or refuse. I understand e proposed
amendment to the constitution, which
amendment, however, have not seen, has
passed Congress, to the effect that the
Federal Government shall never interfere
with the Domestic institutions, including
that Of persons held to service.
To avoid any misconstructicn of what
I have said, l depart from my purpose no,
to speak Of particular amendments, so far
rs to say, that holding such provision,
now to be implied as constitutional law
[ hope nobody will cater to its being made
expressly irrevocable.
The chief ma istrate derives all his au
thority from the people, AID they have
Conferred no authority upon him to fix thu
laws tor the separation of the States. The
people themselves can do this if the,
choose; but the executive, as such, ha'
nothing to do with it. His duty is to ad
minister the present government rs it c,'me.
into his hands, and to transmit it unimpair
ed by him to his successor-why shoulG
there not be patient confidence in the ul
tilaate justice Of the peoplc
Is there any better or equal hope in the
world, i'll our present differences Is the,
party without faith Of being in the right
If the Almighty Ruler Of the Universe
with his eternal truth ond justice lie o,
your sid ;, you will surely prevail, by thi.
Judgment Of this great tribunal. The grea,
American people, by the form of. the Gov.
crnmcnt under which we live, have wisely
given their public servants but little power
for mischief: and have with equal wisdom
provi led for the return of that lit g tt
their hands 1T very short intervals. While
the people retain their virtue and vigilance
! no administration, by any extreme wicked
ness or folly, can very seriously injure
the government in the short space Of four
years.
My countrymen, one and all, stand calm.
" and dwell upon this whole subject
Nothing valuable can be lost by taking
time. If there can be any objectto hurry
any ofyou in hot haste 'tos. step which
you never would have t:ken deliberately.
that object will be frustrated by t, king
time; but no good' Object can be frus rated
by it. Such1ofyou as' are now dissatisfied
still have the old Constitution unim paired.
and on the sensitive point Of the laws Of
your own framing under, it. the new Ad-
niui,tration will have no immediate cause,
it it would. to change either.
II it were admitted THAR van, xho .ro