Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1861-07-05

been occupied for thirty year, IN th" work
OF scvcrinc South Carolina from tho Union.
When General jackson crushed nullifca.
ton bo said IL would revive again under the
form OF the slavery agitation, and We have
lived to see his prediction verified. Indeed.
that agitation during the last fifteen or
twenty years, has been almos, the entire
stock In traic Of Southern people, known to
be as generous In their impul.cs as they are
chivalric, wcro not wrought into frenzy
OF passion by tho in,empera,e words OF q
few fanatical abo!ition. (; for these words
II left to themselves. would have fallen to
the ground as pebbles to tho sea, and would
have been heard OF no moro. But IL was
the echo OF those words, repeated with ex.
agcrra.ions for the thou.andth time by
Southern politicians in the halls Of Con.
eres. and IN the delibcratvc and popular
assemblies. and through tho press OF the
South. that produced the evaporation
which has proved so potent lever in the
hands OF the con'pirators. The cloud was
fully charged, and the Juggling revolution
i.,s who held the wires, and could at will
dircc. i,s lishtnincs. appeared a, Charles.
ton. t~okc up the Demora,ic Convention as
sembled 20 nominate candidate for the
PRESIDENCY. and thus secured the election
Of Mr.. Lincoln. Having thus rendered this
certain, they t once set TO work 10 bring
the popular mind OF the South 10 the poin,
OF determining in advance that the election
OF republican President would be pr Sc
cause for dissolution OF the Union. They
were bu, too successful. and 10 this result
the inaction and indeci.ion Of tho border
states deplonbly contributed. When the
election OF Mr.. Lincoln was announced
there was rejoicing in the streets in Charles.
ton. and doubtless a, other points in the
South for !, wa. believed by the ccu'pira.
tors tha, this had brought, tide in the cur
rcn, Of their Vaccinations which would bear
them on to victory. The drama Of seccs.
sion wa, now open. and state after state
rapidly rushed out Of the Union. and their
members withdrew from Congress. Tho re-.
yolu,ion was pressed on with this hot haste
in order tha, no time should b. allowed Tor
reaction in the Northern mind. or for any
adius,men, OF the slavery Issues by the ac.
ton OF Congress or OF the state legislatures.
Had the southern members continued in
their seats, q satisfactory compromise would,
no doub. have been arranged and passed be.
fore the adjournment OF Congress. AZ IL
was. after their retirement and after Con.
gross had become republican, an amend.
men, 10 the Constitution was adopted by n
two-,hirds vote. declaring that Congress
should never interfere with slavery IN the
s,a,c-, and declaring. further, that this
amendment, should be irre,ocable. Thu.
wa. ial.ifed tho clamor 40 long and 80 in.
siiiou.ly rung in the ears Of the southern
people, iha, the abolition OF slavery in tho
states wa. the ultimate aim OF the rcpubli.
can party. Bu, even this amendment. and
all Others which may be needed TO furnish
the guarantees demanded arc now defeated
by the secession OF eleven state-, which,
claimin. TO be out OF the Union. will refuse
10 vote upon. and. in enec, will vote against,
any proposition 20 modify the Federal Con.
s,i,u,ion. There are now ,hirtyfour states
IN tho con,ederacy. thrce.four,hs OF which,
being twenty.siI, mus, concur in tho aiop'
ton Of any amendment before ~ can be-
come part OF the Constitution (: but the Sc
ce.,ion Of eleven states leaves but twenty
three whose vote can possibly BE- secured, /,
which /, less than the constitutional mum.
ber.
Ou,rages on the Government.
Thu. We have the extraordinary and dis.
creditable spectacle Of n revolution made by
certain states professedly on the ground that
guarantees Tor the safety OF their ins,itu-
tiou- are denied them, and a, the same time,
instead ol cooperating with their sister
states in obtaining these guaran:ees. they
desisnedly assume hostile attitude, and
thereby render it con,titu,ionally impo-si.
bic to secure them. This profound dissim.
ula,ion shows that il was not the safety OF
the south but its severance from tho Con.
iederaey. which was sought from the begin.
ming. Contemporary with, aud IN some
cases preceding these acts Of secession, the
greatest outrages were committed upon the
Government OF the United State. by the
states engaged in them. It' iort., arsenal',
arms, barracks, custom houses. po','oficcs.
moneys, and, indeed, every species Of its
property within the limits OF these states.
were seized aud appropriated. down to the
very hospital stores for tho sick soldiers.
More than halt million Of dollars was
plundered from the mint at New Orleans.
United States vessels were received from the
detled hands OF their officers in command.
and, as if in the hope Of cOn.ecratins Off
cisl trcacbery as one OF the public virtu es
of the age. the surrender Of an entire mill.
,ary department by a general to tho keep.
ing OF whose honor it been conGded, was
deemed worthy Of the eommenia,ion and
thanks Of the conventions Of several states.
All these lawle.s proceedings were well IN.
dsr.tood to have been prompted and dircc.
ted by men occupying seats in the capitol,
some Of whom were frank enough to declare
that they could not and would not, though
in q minority, live under q government
which they could not control. 10 this dec
laration is found the key which uniocks the
whole Of the complicated machinery Of this