Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1861-01-24

Mr.. President. Congress adjourned last sum
| mer amid auspices of national abundance, con-
| tenrment. tranquility and happiness. It re
| assembled this winter in the presence of derAnge
| ment of business and disturb ance of public as
we'll as private credit and in the iare of seditious
| ordinations TO overthrow the Union. The
| alarm is appalling for Union is not more the
| body than liberty is The soul of the nation The
! American ctizen has been accustomed to believe
| the Republic immortal lie shrinks from the
| sight of commissions indicative of its sudden
| death. The report Of our condition has goEe
over the seas, and we who have so long and with
| much complacency studied the endless sgita.
| tions of society in the Old World. believing our
selves exempt from such disturbances. now, in
| "Ur turn, seem 10 be falling into momentous
and disastrous revolution
| know how difficult it is to decide, amid so
many and so varied counsels, what ought 10 be
| and even what can be done. Certainly, however,
II is time for every Senator to declare himself -
1 therefore, following the example OF the noble
Senator from Tennessee nr. Johnson ayow
| my adherence to the Union in It's integrity and
with all its parts with my friends, with my party.
| with my State, with my country, or without Ell
| ther, as they may determine, in every event,
| whether of peace or of war, with every conse-
| quence of honor or dishonor, of life or DEATH
| Although l lament the occasion, | hail with
| cheefulness the duty of lifting up my voice
| among distracted debates, for my whole country
and its inestimable Union.
| Hitherto the exhibitions of spirit and resolu
| non here. elsewhere, have been chiefly mad.
| IN the side of disunion. do not regret this
| DIsunOn is so unexpected and unnatural that il
| must plainly reveal itself before its presence can
| he realized. | ike best also the courage thar
rises slowly under the presence of severe provo
auon II II be d Christian duty to forgive to
| he stranger even seventy times seven off nsrs,
i IS the hghest patriotism TO endure without
! complaint the passionate waywardne~s of polit
| cal brethren SD long there is hope that tney
may come Il better mind
think II IS easy TO pronounce what measure
or conduct will not save the Union. agree wi b
he honorable Senator from No tn aroIlna Mr.
hngmar that mere euiogiums will not save It,
Iet 1 think that as prayer brings Us nearer u
| God, though it cannot move him towards u.s. 80
| / ere is healng and saving virtue in every wort
Il tevotion TO the Union that is spoken. and ~
very Sigh that Its danger dra So forth. / know
ieas, that, like virtue, it derives strength from
very lrrevcrent act that is committed and ever,
'ia~F henous phrase hat is uttered against IT,.
The Union cannot be saw by mutual crim-
atoms concerning our respective share of re
'tonsIbiiity for the present evils. He whose
conscience acquits him will naturally be slow To-
accuse Others whose cooperation he needs His
cory only can ad just the grea, account.
A continuance of the debate on The constilu
0nal power of Congress over the suhj.ct O.
'lavery m the Territories will not save the I'm
on. The opinions of parties aud sections on tha
question have become dogmatica and 1t is this
Ircun stance that has produced the existing
d1enauon truce at le"st during the debate
the Union, Is essential TO reconciliation.
The Union canno. be saved by proving tha,
ecesslon Is Illegal or unconstitutional Persons
'eHt o" that fearful step will not stard long
nough on forms of law TO be dlslodgeh ano
'yal men do not need such nar ow ground IL
land upon
fear that little more will be gained from d.,
cussing the n ht tf the F :dcra Government t.
"erce secedil < States into obedience. Il di--
tnion Is To 20 on thu elua>finn will viwa pIa.,
. the more practical un-, whether many Sece,i.
az States have right TO CO. re- the relnainin-
members 10 aCquresce in dissolution.
/ dread, a. III my inurriut st rOui | alhor, civil
var, do not know what the Union would b.
worth If saved by the of the sword Yet, fUr
at thus, DO not agree with those who. with L
fire 10 avert that great calamity, advise u con,
|entonaI or unoppOsed separation, with view
10 what they call reconstruction. IL IS enough
or me, first, that IN this plan, destruction g0e.
etore reconstruction and secondly, that the
tfength OF the vase in which The hopes of the
ration are held consists chiefly in its remaining
an lroken
Congressional compromises are not likely TO
ave the Union | know indeed that tradition
avors tins form of remedy. But it is essential
" It's success, in any ease, that there be found II
pr ! ond ha,ng miss of eitiz MS, so far neutral
the issue which separates parties, that they
ran intervene, strike do~n clashIng weapon, and
compel an commodation. Moderate conc,s
ions are not cust0mar'ly asked by force with
Is guns in battery nor are liberal concessions
apt to be given by an opposing force not less
.onfdent OF its own RICH; and itsown strength.
think, also, that there Is prevailing conviction
hat legislative comprom ses VIII ch sacrifice hon
I'D
uture exigencies. even if thy do not assume
extra constitutional powers, are less sure to aver
mmInent evils than they are certain 10 produce
Ultimately even greater dangers.
Indeed, Mr.. President | think it will be wise
70 discard TWO prevalent ideas or pr judicrs,
namely: first, that The Union is 10 BE- saved BY
somebody in particular, and secGndlg, that it is
TO he saved by some cunning and insincere com
pact of pacihcatlon. If | remember rightly, |
said something like This here long ago IS! u.
and afierwar in 1854.
The present danger discloses itself in this form.
DISCONTINUED citizens have obiaIned political
power in certain STATES, and they are using this
authority to overthrow the Federal Government.
they delude themselves with belief that the
State power they have acquired enables them 10
discharge themselves of allegiance TO the whole
Republic. The honorable Sena' or from Illinois
Mr. Douglas says We have right 10 coerce
state, but we cannot. he President says that
no State has right 10 secede, but we have no
constitutional power TO make war against State
The dilemma results from an assumption that
those who, in such case, act against the Fed'r-
al Government. act lawfully State; altho Igh
manifestly .hey have perverted the power of the
State 10 an unconst tutional purpose. A class
of politicians in New England set uD this theory
and attempted TO practice upon IL III our war Win
Great Britain. Mr. j. ferson did not he'itate
10 say that States must be kept within the con-
srI+ut;onal anharp hv ImnnISlOn If thew COulI
not be held there by attraction. Secession was
then held to be inadmisSbe in the face of pub
ic enemy But if it is untenabIe in one case, IT
ts necessarily so in all others. fully admit the
originality, the sovereignty, and the indelend-
ence of the several States within their sphere
But | hold the Federal Government to be equal
ty original sovereign, and independent within
IT'S sphere. And the government of the stare
can no more absolve the people residing within
its limits from allegiance to the Union, than the
Government of the Union eau abso We them from
allegiance to the State. The Constitution OF
| the United States and the laws made in pursu-
| ance thereof are the supreme law OF the idnd,
paramount TO all legislation Of the States ,wheth-
.r made under the Constitution, or by even theIr
| organic conventions The Uuion can ne diS-
| soiyed not nv secession with or without armed
| forre but only by the voluntary consent OF the
neople OF the United States, collected in the maj
| ner prescribed by the Constitution oil the United
| States.
| Congress, In the present case, ousht not W oo
| impassive. Ii ought, if it can, to redress any
real grievances Of the offended States, and then
it ought to SUPPLY the President with all the
means necessary to maintain the Union in the
full exhibition and discreet exercise of its .au-
rhority Beyond this, with the proper activity
| on the part of the Executive, the responsibility
of saving the Union belongs to the people, and
they are abun,lantly competent to discharge it.
| Propose therefore, with great Differences, to
address myself TO the country upon the moment
Gus subject, asking hearing not less from the
people within what are called the seeding than
from those who reside within the adher'ng
| States.
Union is an old fixed, settled habit OF the
| American people, resulting from convictions OF
i,r uanasity and tharefare not k ey TO he hastily