Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1861-03-02

it is unimpeaclable. Is the candidate
personally offensive? No; lis is man
of unbiemished virtue and amiable
manners. Is an election Of President
an untrequcnt or extraordinary transact
ton? No; we have never had Chief
Magistrate otherwise desi gnated than
by such election and that form otchoice
is renewed every four years.
Does any one even propose to change
tic mode Of appointing a Chief Magis-
trate? No: election by universal sui
frage, as modified by the Constitution,
is the one franchise of the American
people. To save it they would defy
the world. Is it apprehcnded that the
new President will usurp dcspotic pow
ers? No: while he is of all men the
most unambitious, he is, by the partial
success of those who opposed his clcc-
ton, subjected to such restraints that he
cannot, without their consent, appoint
IL minister or even Il police agent, ne
gotiate treaty, or procure the passage
of Il law, and can hardly draw musket
from the public arscnals to defend his
own person.
What, then, is the ground of tliscon-
tent! 1t is that the disunionists do
not accept as conclusive the arguments
which were urged in behalf of the sue
ccSstul candidate in the canvass. This
is all. Were their own arguments
against him more satisfactory to the
other? No: that is impossible. What
is the Constitutional remedy for this
inevitable dissatisfaction. Renewed
debate and ultimate rchcaring in Il sub
scqucnt election. Have the now unsuc-
ccsstul majority perverted power to
purposes OF oppression! No: they
have never before held power. Alas.
how prone we are to undcrvalnc priv
ilcgcs and blessings.
Gov. $. then exhibits the t,llacy.
weakness, and untcnablc positions Of
the disnnion party, and in the follow
ing final extract. gives expression to his
own lofty and pure feelings:
Beyond doubt, Union is virtually
important to the Republican citizens of
the United States: but it is just as i'm
rortant to the whole people. Rcpuh-
icanism and Union are, therefore, not
convertible terms. kclmhlirani-m is
subordinate t" Union. as every thing
else is, and ought to bc---Rcpuhicani>ln.
Democracy, every other political name
and thing; all are suhordinatc--and
they ought to disappearin the presence
of the great question of Mon. SO far
as am concerned, it shall be so: it
should be so if the question were sure
to be tried rs it ought only to be deter
mined, by the peaceful ordeal Of the
ballot. 1t shall he SO all the more since
there is on one side preparedness to re-
fer it to the arbitralncnt of civil war.
have much faith in this republican
system of ours, that there is no political
good which desire that am not con-
tent to seek through its pcac,iil forms
of administration without invoking rcv-
dictionary action. II others shah i'll
woke that form of action to oppose and
overthrow Government, they shall not,
so far as it depends on me, have the
excuse that | obstinatcly left myself to
be misunderstood. In suc! a case can
afford to meet prejudice with conciia-
ton, cXaction with concession which
surrendcrs no principle, and violence
with the right hand Of peace.
Therefore, sir. so far as the abstract
question whether, by the Constitution
Of the United States, the bondsman,
who is made such by the laws of State,
is still man, or only property, | an
swcr that, within that State, it's laws on
that subject arc supreme that when he
has escaped from that State into another
the Constitution regards him as a bonds
man who may not, by any law or rcgu-
lation Of that State, be discharged from
his service, but shall be delivered up on
claim to tho patty to whom his service
is due. While prudence and justice
would combine in pcrsuading you to
modify the acts of Congress on that
subject, SO as not to obi ge private per-
sons to assist in their execution, and to
protect trcemcn from being, by abuse
of the laws, carried into slavery, | agree
that all laws of the States, whether free
States or slave States, which relate to
this class of persons, or any others re-
Gently coming from or resident in other
States, and which laws contravenc the
Constitution of the United States, or
any law of Congress passed in conform
ity thereto, ought to be repealed.
Secondly. Experience in public af.
fairs has confirmed my opinion, that
domestic slavery, existing in any State,
is wisely left by the Constitution of the