Daily Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1860-1862, 1861-12-20
Ihe Message of The Federal Pre.iaen.

Of March last, President Lincln in his inau-
gural address. indicated his political polic5
as follows - b. SA
.'one section of our country believes that
slavery is right and ought to be extended,
while the other believes it wrong and ought
not to be extended. A.
This Is the only substantial dispute. Shall
fngitiSes from labor be surrendered by ma.
tionai or State authorities The constitu-
ton does not expressly say. Must Congress
protect slavery in the Territories !:
The constitution does not expressly say.
May Congress prohibit slavery in the Terri
teFiess The constitution does not expressly
say. @ e9-G9CTEs las TaI.T e--s
Hi From questions Of this class spring all our
constitutional controversies, while ace decide
them by majorities or mihorities.
If the minority will not aoquiesce the ma
jority must, or the government must cease.
A majority changing under the calm views
of popular sentiment is the only true SOW
ereign of free people. Plainly the prime
There is no alternative for continuing the
government but by scquiescenee on the one
side or the other.
do not forget that soma assume. consti-
tutional questions are TO be decided by the
Supreme Court; nor do deny their decisions
are binding between the parties in any spe-
ciic case; and while it may be evidently
erroneous in the special case, it can be over
ruled and never become precedent for other
cases. If decisions in personal cases should
direct the policy of government on general
vital questions affecting the public rights,
the people would be surrendered TO t'Nf fri6anaol
and must cease being rulers Of their own
highest interests. Nor is there in this view
any assault upon the Court or the judges. 1t
is their duty to decide cases, rightly brought
before them, and it is not their fault, If 9TH
ere seek to turn their decisions 20 p plitical
uses. t.-s
Physically speaking the North and South
cannot seperatc their sections from each
other; nor build an impossible (tarifD wall
between them. Suppose that you, my dis
satisfied countrymen, go to war, you cannot
fight always. In your hands and not mine
is the issue of civil war. The government
will not assail you. you can have no conflict
without yourselves being the aggressors.
You have no oath registered in Heaven to
destroy the Government; while shall have
the most solemn one, to p'e,erve, protect and
to deenda." These foregoing extracts from
the Inaugural, are avowed in his message to
Congress of December 4th, saying, "My for
mer address to the called session and my
Inaugural were both devoted to, the insurrec-
ton and dde consequent secr, and nothing has
occurred to add, or subtract from the prin-
ciples or general purposes Sdfed ta those 6ocu
mems. The Union must be preserved By
every practical means, and we must not hest
tate, because some measures may reach the
loya! as sceN q, the Gisloyal. After the cap
ture of Fort Sumter it was unprecedented that
the rebels would derive aid from their par
tizans in the North, but noble little Delaware
led off on the right side. Maryland was made
to assume opposition, but now she has given
seven regiments TO the Union. Kentucky is
unchangably right, aud Missouri is quieted.
Western Virgins is safe for the winter, and |
80 is the section east of the Chesapeake, with
promising movements in Tennessee and
western North Carolina. / am DESTROYS that |
the inevitable conflict, fos closing this civil |
war, should not degenerate into a 1remorse-
less struggle. Therefore, have made the |
istteTity of the Union prominent, as the prim'l
airy object of the contest, on GIT part, leaving |
questions to Congress which acre not of gital
military in1pOrtaaes. -.-....s. -
At my best discretion Ienforcedt the blockade,
instead of closing the Southern ports by |
as the act of Congress sug-
gested.
But in reference to the act of Congress for |
confscating rebel property have carried |
put the lag, and if q new law upon the |
same subject shall be enacted, its enforce |
nent will be duly considered. s-gs
The Instruction, more and more msnifests |
hostility to all popular rights-in the docu-
nents of the insurgents we find the denial of |
suffrage rights in selecting public officers, ez
,ept for the Legislative body; and even mon
srchy is limited at, as a refuge from the |
power of the people. ,saE z9lbs5as
They assume that capital in the
structure of government should be pat on
higher ground than labor, and conclude that |
labor should be done either by slaves OF: men
hired for1a lJain,e.2 But free operatives are /