The weekly Butte record., 1862-05-03

our Government by Fepadiaging our protection
they can make no claim on Us for fugitives
and therefore the United States cannot return
them, either with the military or civil arm
without enslaving free men.
The above is Republican falsehood.-
Doubtless Jim Lane, the New York Tribune
and the Republican party, desire that the
President should pursue the course indicated
above. But be has taken an oath to support
the Constitution Of the United States. concern
ing the return of fugitives by the "civil arm,
and upon this very proposition said, in his in-
augural:
There is much controversy about the deli
veriug up of fugitiveS from service or labor
The clause | now read is as plainly written in
the Constitution as any other of its provisions.
" Ne person held to service or labor in ore
State, under the laws thereof, escaping into
another, shall IN consequence of any law or
regulation therein, be discharged from such
service or labor. but shall be delivered up en-
claim OF the party TO whom such service or la
Dor may be due" 1t is scarcely questionable
that this provision was intended by those who
made it for the reclaiming Of what We call fu-
gitive slaves and the intention Of the lawgiv-
er is the law All members of Congress swear
their support to the whole Constitution, to
this provision as much as any other. To the
proposition, then, that slaves whose eases come
within the terms of this clause shall be deliver
ed up their oathS are unanimous
The policy thus indicated in his inaugural,
was afterwards referred to at the opening Of
the extra session q Congress last summer. as
follows:
Lest there be some uneasness in the minds
OF candid men as TO what is to be the course
OF the Government towards Southern States
after the rebellion shall have been suppressed
the Executive deems it proper to say ii will
be bis purpose then, as ever, to be guided bv
the Constitution and the laws; and that be
will probably have no different uuders .anding
of the powers aud duties of the Federal Gov
ernment relatively TO the rights of the States
and the people under the Constitution than
that expressed in the inaugural address.
In July last, the President approved of the
Crittenden resolution, passed by Congress,
which is as follows:
That this war is not waged on their part in
any spirit of oppression, nor for any purpose
OF conquest or subjugation, nor purpose of over
throwing or interfering with the rights or es-
tabished institutions of those States but to
defend and maintain the supremacy of the
Constitution, and to preserve the Union with
all the dignity, equality, and rights of the sew
eral States unimpaired and that as soon as
these objects are accomplished the war ought
to cease.
\ 10 Of tl,, +la
President, in his message, makes use of this
language;
In considering the policy to be adopted for
suppressng the instruction, have been anx-
ious and careful that the inevitable conflict for
this purpose should not degenerate into a VIC
lent. remOrseess. revolutionary struggle. |
have, therefore. thought proper to keep the in
tegrity of the Union prominent as the primary
object OF the contest on our part.
Here We have the policy, marked out by the
Constitutional Government of the country. in
conducting the war. The policy sought to be
forced upon the Government by the Republl
can party may be seen in the first extract
That organization desires the conflict to " de-
generate into violent, remorseless. revolution
ary struggle" The President says he has
been anxious and careful that it should not
become such, but has . thought proper to keep
the integrity Of the Union as the prominent
object"
Under such circumstances, what is the duty
of a patriotic people in the approaching Con
gressional elections? Isit their duty 20 choose
Democrats as their Representatives, who abide
by the Crittenden resolution. the Constitution
and the Union or to elect Republicans who
assert that the rebel States" have no claims"
under the Constitution, and thus seek to turn
the " conflict into a violent, remorseess, revo-
lutionary struggle?7
1t is, undoubtedly. the firm determination of
the Republican party leaders to compel the
President to abandon the policy indicated in the
above extracts from bis messages. 1t is to
effect this change that they demand the main
tenance Of their sectional organization. They
regard the language of the President as all
well and proper in those days when the forces
of the Government had not been marshaied.
when Washington itself was threatened by
armed foes but that now that we have brot
our six hundred thousand men in the field. that
we have got an artillery alone sufficient and
efficient for the entire war. that we have exhib-
tied onr ascendency on some well-fought fields
and now that we have demonstrated our entire
power over the South. this may justify US at
this time, in the day of our triumph and in the
day of our humiliation, to impose upon them
penalties, to apply to them tortures, to make
them feel our giant strength"
The Republican leaders have not yet learned
that, to the conqueror and the triumphant
belong, as the highest virtue, magnanimity. as
in days Of peace the highest virtue is charity"
There are men in 81 the rebel States" who have
claims" under the Constitution. RepubIi-
canism says their claims are forfeited. They
have never forfeited them. And can the Re