The Hancock Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Ohio) 1857-1870, 1862-08-08
The Constitution and Government.


niger, the slave, the African race &C., that
.ihcre seems 10 be necessity for a clear.
lttlef statement Of the present Government
position with the causes leading thereto.
LIST. Secession commenced under Dem
ocTatic Administration. IF concession
could. have prevented the Southern exodus,
i would not have taken place for Buchan.
an. Floyd 4 co. were ready to give oil
things 10 the South, even where they had to
steal from the North 10 do il. Does any
Democrat, does any human SIX our Govern
ment 10 play the sycophant to the South
mere than did that OF Buchsnan7 If moi,
how is the Government 10 blame for no,
having the Union restored as II VAST This
twaddle about the Union os it was, com es
with an ill.grace from the iormer supporters
OF Buchsnan's Administration, or the pres.
ent Union Democrats (as they claim to be,)
Tor when they went out Of power we had
not more Union than we have to-day, and
we lay almost at the mercy Of the South
When they speak of the Union as it was.
they must refer back TO the pufer, brighter
days Of our history, before Democracy had
gone with the African into slavery and be-
come one OF the domestic institutions of the
South.
| I'd. Neither our Government nor any
well informed Republican has ever inter.
fcred, nor aimed to interfere with the rights
OF States under the Constitution 10 retain
slavery thereiD. Thus much we have felt
bound to yield, and have yielded with salts.
faction. There is no instance on record OF
any attempt TO interfere with that right on
The part Of our general Government. The
utmost tba, has been done officially in this
direction, is found in the Presidents pro.
position, as endorsed by Congress, TO any OF
The slave states. .toavaii themselves Of the aid
OF the General Government IN throwing of
the incubus Of slavery. This proposition
leaves the choice wholly with the States,
and the Southern men who most oppose il
have not dared to say that il subverts or
aims to subvert any of their constitutional
rights.
Sd. The war was therefore caused, not
from any denial ..or even any fear Of o
denial Of the constitutional rights Of the
South in regard to slavery, but for the pur-
pose OF rendering slavery q national instttu-
tion. The South were not satisfied with
the Constitution; they wanted it so changed
that Congress should not have power to leg :
islate on slavery in the territories; and that
no State should have a right to prevent a
Southern man from settling within its Dor.
ders with any PROPERTY he might choose to
bring. This they could not hope TO obtain
fIom the North, and hence their attempted
exodus under Democratic President. Will
the Union Democrats say that they wished
us to make such concessions as these, OF
that they wish us to make them now7 BY
doing so, we can have peace with "niggers''
all over the North. Without doing so, we
can have peace only by conquest.
dth. The people would make no such
concessions ns these, the officers OF govern
ment could not, and so we were bound 10
meet force with force. The President had
no choice left but to fight or be foresworn-
he chose the former. But TO win the Union
Democrats ~ he fought on Democratic
principles. Democrats were placed at the
head OF our largest armies, Democrat was
placed over the War Department, and we
very Democraiically commen ced killing our
brethren, and guarding their property, and
feeding their families, TIL at the end Of If.
teen months we find ourselves very much in
the condition Of the amiable Fairshor, when
lie made war upon the clan MacZavish:
"But when he had gobe
Half way down Strath Canaan,
or his fighting tail
| Just three were remainin'
They were all that he had
10 back him in battle;
All The rest had gone
on to drive cattle"
Before We have half over.run the South.
all our fighting tail is left TO guard the rebel
property, and inevitable defeat meets US full
in the face. Under these circumstances all
the Democracy who really wish to see ouf
Government sustained, are ready to back
the Government in more vigorous policy,
and now for the first. and ut the instance OF
leading Democrats, Mr.. Lincoln promises a
vigorous war policy. Yet do Bright, Val.
landigham CO., with few desperate
money hunters ofour own county, W ho hone
to get office on the strength oftheir lies and
the prejudlces of their party, refuse their
aid to the Government, except on such
terms as they know must result in its defeat.
9th. The vigorous measures proposed
embrace confscation, and this is made the
subject of the most grievous wallings Jus,
now. Yet conhscalion is necessary con .
sequence OF rebellion, and has been so con.
sldeted by all nations. Had this measure
been adopted in April, 1851, the South
would have had no right to complain. We
have held or TIL the most vulgar eyes can
see that We must confscate. or yield 10 the
demands Of the South. Will the Courier
tell its patrons which its prefers Tor #
there is another alternative, will it point it
puti
One great mis- iortune, which no man de.
plores more than our President, is, that the
people OF the South own one another, and
that in conhScating we shall have to take
human property, which in our hands ceases
TO be property. VIII the Democracy say
say that we ought. as Government, to re.
tain negroes as slaves, when they have been