The Jeffersonian Democrat. [volume] (Chardon, Ohio) 1854-1865, 1861-03-15

INV 'nS passage VI tue intervening pIalns,
and all the desperate measures resorted to
by the people upon the northern borders
OF The slave States, had the energy TO
enter there and TO supplant the emigrants
from the slave States. Tha. was a crime
that has never yet been forgiven, on the
part OF southern men to ward the North.
1t is one OF those injuries, as they call il,
which they cannot forgive.
Sir, this struggle would never have
come upon us had we left that Territory
open under the Missouri restriction. Un-
der that restriction. there never would
have been struggle between the slave
States and the free States. Yet, sir, the
South. with few noble exceptions, IoincG
TO man, with a minority OF our own
Democrats in the free States, and repealed
that restriction, and threw the Territory
open 10 the influx Of the STAKEHOLDER and
his slaves. Because the free States sent
out emigrants, and furnished them with
facilities for their sustepance and labor
| while taking possession, and finally oI
outnumbering and out-voling those who
were sent thither from the slave States
we have had the struggle which has cul.
minated in the admission OF Kansas into
the Union as a free State. Were the
South 10 blame for that? Were they moi
eager and grasping for that which they
ought to have left TO tho peaceful settle.
ment Of the people OF the free States p
Would there ever have been this extreme
and dangerous contest which is going for
ward now, il The South had faithfully
maintained that Missouri restriction p
, Never, sir, never There never would
, have been a single murmur between the
. North and the South, had it not been for
, that violation Of faith ol the part ol
r northern Democrats in completely will
e southern Shareholders. l will not cas-
unmeriled censure upon the South. They
S did in that thing. probably, wha; We
: would have done if we could have found
{ instruments upon their side as utterly
, reckless OF and treacherous 10 the trust
I con6ded 10 them, as they found in the
great body of the free State Denocracv p
Now, Mr.. Chairman, there are signs o!
, vitality in another element which has Jain
/. dormant hitherto, so far as have had ex.
, perience in these controvt rsies, and that
, is. the right oi secession. Where did that
originate How came it into the heads
of men that there was, under the Consli.
, ,ution, a right TO secede and break up the
Government created by the Constitution
, do not know the origin OF it. l have
: never investigated this pernicious beresy
, But, sir,there never was devised an illegal
or wicked measure in favor Of which
; bad men may not raise a show of argu.
: ment. The greatest evil under which the
slave States now labor, seems TO be the
unequal growth and prosperity of he free
/, and slave States. AT first thought, this
/; evil would seem TO be remediless, but
human genius seems adequate TO meet
all the emergencies Of its conditions ; and
TO check this evil Of the overgrowlh OF the
, free States. the slave States are TO sccede
from the Union.
But, while speaking Of secession, let us
examine for a moment This "RIGHr OF sE-
cEssloN," about which SO many speak SO
wisely. II a State has right 10 abandon
the Union, by asserting that il wilhdraws
, from :he Union, then, evidently, there il
, no Union. Under this childish dogma
! the Union framed by our ever-gloriou:
fathers, was, and is, a humbug and g
, cheat, and those who framed 1t FOOLS =
1t State without prorocation, can with
| draw when it has received and acknowl
D edged the Constitution 10 be the supreme
law, and its people have bound themselves
by the obligations Of the most solemn oathl
, to support that supreme law, then there i.
nohing by which human being can lay
himself under moral obligation; there i.
, no faith to be reposed in human nature
itself Law is mockery, and constitutions
a delusion and sham. To say lha,
, citizenship can be thrown OF at will, and
tha, all the laws of the Federal Govern
ment can be AT once cast aside, as mes.
merizer dabbles over his subject by tos:
OF the hand or the snap Of his fingers is tc
say that our fathers were fools, and lheiI
, descendants have remained fools up 10 the
present session of Congress. Why, sir
you could not hold school district to-
gether, in any one Of the free States,
under any such bond as that. The Con.
siitution declares that it, and all the laws
made under it, are the supreme law of the
land bu: il this right Of secession be
. TCCOSHlACuJ AuCu tuo NOholtutlOH hnu tuC
laws made under it are no laws at ALL
They are obligatory apop no one; and n
any body Of men, gathering themselves
together in what they call convention,
may divest themselves Of every obligation
of citizenship, then the Constitution OF the
United States, said 10 have been The work
of body OF the wisest and best men read
of In history, must have been congre-
CATION of the merest charlatans which
ever excited the ridicule or contempt ol
mankind.
Mr.. Chairman, there has not been a
solitary individual upon the opposite side,
so far as l have listened, who has even
taken the trouble 10 call in question the
right Of secession. Coerce State, say
they. Why, you canno: eoerce State
And in moment the entire southern del
egations are in blaze Of excitement
But not man of them calls in question
the right OF State 10 coerce the Confed
eracy. What is coercion ? To compel q
man to DO his duty; is that coercion p
No, sir; il is simply holding him to bis
legal and moral obligations. Why, civil,
zed nations are those only who hold men
and nations 10 The DISCHARGE of .heiT ma.