Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1861-01-24

bined, and are they coming in rage spon
us? No. So far from being enemies.
there is not nation on earth that is not
an interested. admiring friend. Even the
London Times. by 20 means partial to us.
says it is quite possible that the "prob-
lem Of Democratic Republic may be SOL
we'd by its overthrow in few days, in .
spirit of folly, selfshness aud short sight
edness."
Has the Federal Government become
tyrannical and oppressive. or even rigorous
or unsound? Has the Constitution lost
its spirit. and all at once collapsed into .
lifeless letter? No: the Federal Govern
ment smiles more benignantly, and works
to-day more bene6cently than ever. The
Constitution is even the chosen model for
the organization Of the newly rising con-
federacies.
THE ELECTION OF Mr.. LINCOLN.
The occasion is the election of Presi-
dent of the United States who is unaccept-
able to portion of the people. l state
the case accurately. There was no move
ment of disunion before the ballots which
expressed that choice were cast. Disuni-
on began as soon as the result was announ.
ced. The justification, as assigned. was
that Abraham Lincoln had been elected,
while the success of either one of the three
other candidates would have been acQui-
esced in. Was the election illegal? No;
it is unimpeachable. Is the candidate per-
sonally offensive? No; he is a man of
unblemished virtue and amiable manner.
Is an election of President an unfrequent
or extraordinary transaction? No; We
never had chief Magistrate otherwise de-
signated than by such an election. and that
form of choice is renewed every four years.
Does any one even propose to change
the mode of appointing the Chief Magis-
trate? No; election by universal suffrage.
as modified by the Constitution. is the own
crowning franchise of the American peo-
pie. To save it, they would defy the
world.
Is it apprehended the new President will
usurp despotic power? No: whilst he is
of all men the most unambitious, he is by
the partial success of those who opposed
his election. subjected to such restraints
that he cannot, without their consent. sp-
point minister. or even . police agent.
negotiate treaty. or procure the passage
of law. and can hardly draw q muskst
from the public arsenals to defend his own
person.
DIFFERENCE OF OPINION THE TRUE GROUND
OF THE SECESSION MOVEMENT.
What, then, is the ground Of discomfort?
1t is. that the disunionists did not accept
as conclusive the arguments which were
urged in behalf Of the successful candidate
in the canvass This is all. Were their
own arguments against him more satisfsc-
tory to his supporters? Of course they
were not. They could not be. Does the
Constitution. in letter or spirit. require or
imply that the arguments Of one party
shall be satisfactory to another? No; that
is impossible.
What is the constitutional remedy for
this inevitable dissatisfaction? Renewed
debate and ultimate rehearing in q subse-
quent election. Have the now successful
majority perverted power to purposes Of
oppression? No; they have never held the
power.
OUR OWN AN USGnATEFCL. PEOPLE.
Alas. how prone we are to undervalue
privileges and blessings. How gladly.
how proudly. would the people of any ma
ton in Europe accept. on such terms ss
we enjoy it. the boon of electing chief
magistrate every four years. by free. equal
and universal suffrage. How thankfully
would they cast aside all their own sys-
TENS of Government, and accept this Re-
public of ours, with all its short comings
and disaprointments; maintain il with
their arms and cherish it in their hearts,
Is it not the very boon for which they sup
plicatc God without ceasing. and even
wage war with intermissions only result
ing from exhaustion.
ITALY AN ExEMPLAR FOR AMERICA.
How strange are the times in which we
live? The coming spring season. on one
side Of the Atlantic, will open on gene
raj conflict waged to obtain. through what
ever indirections. just such o system as
ours, and On this side of the Atlantic.
within the same parallels of latitude. It
will open on fraternal war. waged in . mo-
ment of frenzied discomfort. to overthrow
and annihilate the same institutions. Do
men, indeed, live only for themselves. to
revenge their own wrongs or justify their
own ambition? Rather. do not men live
least of all for themselves. and chiefly for
posterity and for their fellow men?
DISSOLUTION A ROBBERY OF PosTERIrr.
Have the American people then become
all of a sudden unnatural as well as unpa-
triotic? And will they disinherit their
children of the precious estate held only in
trust for them. and deprive the world Of
the best hopes it has enjoyed since the hu-
man race began its slow and painful. yet
needed and wisely appointed progress!
ALLEGED SOUTHERN GRIEVANCES.
Here might close my plea for the A.
merican Union; but it is necessary, Il not
to exhaust the argument at least to exhibit
The whole case. The disunionists, con-
,cieusly unable to stand on their mere dis
in the recent election, have
attempted to enlarge their grounds. For
more than thirty years there has existed .
though not formidable,
mass of citizens in certain States. situsted
near or around the delta of the Mississippi.
who believe that the Union is less condu-
Give to the welfare and greatness Of those
States than smaller confederacy, embrs-
ling only Slave States. would be. This
lass has availed itself of the discontents
from the election to put into op-
Il a