Randolph County journal. [volume] (Winchester, Randolph County, Ind.) 1855-1862, 1861-01-24
COMPROMISES NOT LIKELY TO SAVE rHr usror.

know, inQeeu, that tradition IaVOrs TINS form
Of remedy, but II Is essential 10 its success in any
case that there may be found preponderating
mass of citizens 50 far neutral on the issue which
separates parties, that they intervene, strike
down clashing weapons, aud compel an accOmmo-
dation. Moderate concessions are not customa-
rily asked By force with guns in their battery,
nor arc liberal concessions apt to be given by an
opposing force not less confident Of its own right
and its strength. / think, also, that there
is prevailing conviction that legislative com
promises which sacTafice honestly cherished pr.n-
oiples, while they anticipate future e1iseneies,
even if they do not assume extra constitstional
powers are less sure TO avert imminent orils than
they are certain to produce ultimately even great
er dangers.
Indeel, Mr.. President, think it will be wise
to discard two prevalent ideas or prejudces, viz
First. that the Union is to be saved by somebody
in gartculari and secondly, that it is to be saved
by some cunning and insincere compact of pacf-
cation. If remember rightly, I said something
like this here so long ago as 1880 and afterwards
in 1854
CHARACTER OF THE PRESENT CRISIS.
The present danger discoses itself in this form:
Disconnected citizens have obtained political
power in certain States, ana they are using this
authority to overthrow the Federal Govern
ment. They delude themselves with The belief
that the State power they hare acquired enables
them to discharge themselves from allegiance to
the whole Republic.
CONFLICTING VIEWS.
The honorable Senator from Illinois, Mr..
Douglas says we have a right to coerce State
but we can not. The President says that no
State has a righ, to secede, but We have no con.
stitutional power to make war against State.
The dilemma results from an assumption that
those Who in such a case act against the Fed
eral Government, act lawfully as State, al
though manifeStIy they have perverted the pow
er of the State to an unconstitutional purpose.
\ class of politicians in New England set up this
theory and attempted to practice upon it in our
war with Great Britain. Mr.. jefferson did not
hesitate to say that States must be kept within
their constitutional sphere, By impulsion If they
could not be held there by attraction. Secession
was held to he inadmssable in the face Of 4 pub
lie enemy.
SECESSION covsTiTuTIGNALLY IMPOSSIBLE.
But if it is untenablo in one ease Il is neces-
sarily so in all others. fully admit the orr
ginality, the sovereignty and independence OF
the several States within their sphere, but hold
the Federal Government to be equally original,
sovereign and independent within its sphere, and
the Government Of the State canno more absolyc
the people residing il its limits from allegiance
to the Union, than the Government of the Union
can absolve them from allegiance to the State.
The Constitution OF the United States, and the
laws made pursuant thereof, the supreme
law Of the land, paramount to all legislation OF
the States, whether made under the Constitution
or by even their organic Conventions. The
Union can be dissolved, but only by the voluntary
consent Of the people Of the United States, col
lected in the manner prescribed by the Constitu-
tion of the Unit ed States.
DUTY OF CONGRESS-
Congress, in the present case, ought not to be
impassive; it ought, if it can, redress any real
grievances of the offended States, and then il
ought to supply the President with all the meai s
hibtion and discree exercise Of its authority.
TIE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE PEOPLE.
Beyond this, with the proper activity on tie
part of the Executive, the responsibility of saving
the Union belongs to the people, and they are
abundantly competent to discharge it. propose,
therefore, with great diffidence, to address my
self to the country upon the momentous subject:
asking hearing, not less from the people within
what are called the seeding, than from those
who reside within the adhering States. Union
is an old fixed, settled habit of the American
people. resulting from convictions of its neces
sity and therefore not likely to be hastily dis
carled.
LESSON FROM HISTORY.
The early States, while existing Colonies,
were combined, though imperfectly, through a
common allegiance to the .5ritisl crown. When
that allegiance ceased, no one was so pre-
sumptuous to suppose political existence com
patihle with disunion and, therefore, on the same
day that they declared themselves independent.
they declared themselves also confederated
States. Experience in war and in peace, from
1916 until 1857, only convinced them of the
necessity of converting that lose conicderacy
into a more perfect, aud perpetual Union.
MODERATION or OUR ANCESTORS.
They acted with coolness very different from
Tie Incorporate conduct of those who now on
one side r4lgsa,en and those on the other rashly
defy disunion. They considered the continuance
of the rnier A. a SUBJECT comprehending moth.
ing less than the safety and welfare Of all parts
Of which the country was composed, and the fate
of an empire the most interesting in the world
DISSOLUTION SUICIDAL.
enter upon this subject OF containing the
Union now, deepl, impressed with the same
generous and loyal conviction. How could Il be
otherwise. when instead Of only thirteen. the
country is now composed os thirty three parts,
and the empire embraces. instead of only four
millions, r0 less than,th thirty millions Of 10
habitants' The founders o. the constitution,
norco, or. regarded the Union as no mere
Eational or American interest. On the contrary,
they confessed with deep sonsibility that il
seemed 10 chem 10 have been reserved for the
people of this country. 10 decide whether
societies et moa are really capable IF establishing
good governments upon reflection and choice, OF
whether they are forever destined to dcpend for
their political constitutions OF accident and
force.
They feared. therefore. that their failure 10
continue and perfect the Union would be mis-
fortune TO the nations. How much more. sir