The Jeffersonian Democrat. [volume] (Chardon, Ohio) 1854-1865, 1862-02-14

touch OF the finger Of Cod They looked
70 the President for o leader; thee. nlmost
expected to see him towor up ill he cauob,
a raw OF inspiration, and became their
prophet. They see no is no pronhet. and
mr. that he is no leader. He coldly and
timidly seats himself on tho narrowest lotter
Of the Constitution. and hositatingly app,irs
its feublest and shortest iustrutnsf,,ajitios
20 events bearing upon slavery, wholly out
OF iis scope. These rebels have gone out
Of and a~ay from the Constituiios and If
you would deal with them, you must 90 out
after them.
VIII not gentlemen comprehend this =
Tho 'Cohstiiutiou is predicated upon tho
idea that all the Staies will remain in the
Orbits II defines. and. when they break away
from them, il furnishes no remedy. Under
u you may arrest, iudict aud try hui.
these rebols have wrenched up and carried
off :bis whole legal machinery. and IL is
cowardfy to stand sbivering over mere con.
constitutional names whom its arms are oone
Up and after those iraitors with any and
oil means. Like Millions angels. when thew
encountcsed tho masked battories OF tho
seeded devils, tear up tho mountains. lift
the islands by thoir tree tops, and over W helm
them rovere and yenerate the Consti.
tuition. but l love my country million
times moro. Tho one was formed and NAV
be dissolved by the breath of men. The
other is the creation and growth OF God !;
and. rather than that more copstjtutionai
names should stand in tho way of the ma :
tons salvation, better q thousand times
solemo'y roll the Constitution M and Law
Il reverently away. These, too, are not the
sentimonts of my party. .....
1t is said we have a policy on this sub.
ject, such as II is, wei! defined. which goes
as far as prudence should GO. | remem.
Der, sir, we passed law by which we
might capture enemy's property on
The battle. field, in his forts. or camps,
actually employed in war. What law
When an enemy thrusts bis property into
the forefront OF the battle, where you may
seize it if you can. do you want law Of
Congress TO enable you TO hold IL? 1t is
the spoil Of war. and you hold il by The
hrst rule OF that code that looms SO vague
and shadowy in the imaginaiions Of gen
ilemen.u Call the scope of that law
policy! that poor, feeble. .emasculated
thing. And it was not made eunuch of
"for, the kingdom of righteousness sake"
either, or rather, It was born without sex.
lt'has only provided a legal barrier be.
hind which an over cautious limidiiy shell
tiers ITSELF and has become the hiding place
of positive mischief. Sir, we have seen
a general at the head Of his army disarmed
By Il. and one 81 Inc great Secretaries las
soed in and tetbered with il. The Presi-
dentis not TO blame for this. The thing
was furnished him by us. as the cons,iiu.
ilonai embodiment Of the nations will
Aud he now suggesiyely hints that the
whole matter is open for further consid-
GRAFTON; and regret most profoundly that
we have not the benefit Of his sagacious
suggeslians upon ii. almost feel that
we were entitled to them. They might
al least save the misfortune of differing
from him. 's ee A -
LAS an element bearing upon this poll.
cy. we are invited TO experiment 10 a
small way. We are asked 10 buy little
land somewhere, and plant new crop oil
negroes, and my distinguished colleague
from Cincinnati benevolenlly proposes to
drain the surplus of that article into the
swamps Of Florida. Sir, il we were in a
state OF profound peace with plethora
OF wealth, il might be well for us 10 sit
down and deliberate upon the vast project
Of plucking up oy the roots five or six
millions ofour subjects, and transplanling
lhem 10 another cline. Is this lime 10
enter upon it? Sir, grudge every mo-
ment and dollar not devoted to the one only
purpose we can have-S restoration oi our
sovereignty over all the States. Buy landl
Why. one-half OF our own is wrested from
US. Bid The angel roll the stone from the
sepulcher where lies 10 icy sleep the en-
ergies of a nation. Huh your blue le.
glons upon the foe. and sweep them into
The sea, and settle your negroes in ter.
rilory once called South Carolina, if YOU
will; and. il we possess not. then land
enough, buy another half continent, or
take the whole OF it. Besides these, the
President gives us no indication of his
views on this subject. He is ample and
exhaustive on other comparatively trivial
subjects, important in themselves in the
eisurely days OF profound peace. to which
they might well be adjourned; but, par
don me. they seem out of place in the
ierce conflicts and hungry, devouring de.
nands of to day.
know the United States statutes at.
arge need colIa,ing and codifyins and
l know this annual foliage
of the dead Congresses lies in withered
heaps, with its texts obscure. and some-
ines contradictory. and as involved as
he inscription on the Sybilline leaves;-I
ind have no objection. mo more fitting
ime can be found, to sit down learned
under the boom of the rebel
batteries, to codify. adjust and harmonIze
hem into a symmetrical whole, if you
will. But who now cares much for these
superficial enaclmenls. when the deep
foundations underlying our Constitution
tseif are being broken of? This contest
crates harshly on the eternal granite, and
hreatens the earth's crust, on which rests
he pillars Of the State. Who is 10 say
whether the forms Of our system are moi
o be changed, and our very civilization
econsIrue;ed and nodded anew? Amid
his creaking Of the frame Of our Govern.
nent, Who cares much for these dead stat
lies? Who now can anticipate The needs
{ to morrow? The coming day must
meet lis own wants; we cannot legislate
or H. But make up your hook: get ont