The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1862-11-01


10 strongly Distinguished by their inst
tutions. geographical character. Prooac-
ton. and uursnits. Hsd this been seen
:, CLEARLY peseeived. rs Il now is. The SINE
icaloosv which so vigilsntly watched ana
rua,ded against the danger OF the larger
ss.t.s oporessiuQ the smsiler, would have
,sken equal precaution to guard against the
eame danger between the two sections. Ii
Ia for us, vho see and feel 1t, to do. what
the trainers cf the constitution would have
done. had key pOssessed the knowledge,
in this respect, which experience has given
to us that is, ~ provide against the dan
gers which the system Las practically de-
veloped; and which, had they been fore
seen at the time. and left without guard,
would undouttedly have pretented the
States forming the Southern section Of the
confederacy. from ever agreeing TO the
constitution and which, under like cir
cumstanccs. were they now out Of. wonld
for ever prsreat them entering into the
Union. How the constitution could best be
modified, 81 as to effect the objeci, can only
be authoritalively determined by the amend
ing power. 1t may be done in various
wsys. Among others, it might be effected
through a re. organization OF the Executive
Department SO that its powers, Instead of
being vested, as they now are, 10 single
officer. shonld be vested in two. TO be so
elected, as that the two should be constitu
ted the special organs and representatives Of
the respective sections in the Executive
Department OF the government; ard requir-
ing each to approve of ell tbs acts of Con
gress before they become laws. One might
be charged with the administration Of mat
tiers connected with the toreign relations OF
the country /; and the other, OF such as were
connected with its domestic institutions
the selection to be decided by lot Indeed
it may be doubted. whether the trainers Of
the constitution did not commit Q great
msstoie, in constituting a single, instead OF
a pln,ai executive. Nay. II may even be
doubted whether \ single magistrate, in
vested with all the powers properly apper
tsining to the Executive Department OF the
government, rs is the President, is compa'i
Bile with the permanence OF popular gov
eminent; especially In a wealthy and pop
ulous community, with a large revenue, and
n numerous body OF officers and employ ees.
Certain it is, that there is no instance Of
popular government SO constituted which
has long endured. Even ours, thus far,
furnishes no evidence in its favor, and rot a
little against it for, TO it the present dis
turbed and dangerous state of things, which
union. may be justly attributed.
The observing reader. who may have
looked over the two volumes Of this View,
in noting the progress of the slavery agita-
ton, and its success i've alleged causes Tor
disunion, must have been struck with the
celebrity with which these causes, each in its
turn, as soon az removed, has been sue
ceeded by another. Of different kind
which ignores them all, and End a new
reason Tor disunion in the constitution it.
self in that constitution. the protection of
which had been invoked as sufficient, dur.
ing the whole period of the alleged "aggres-
sions and encroachments." In 1885, when
the FIRST agitation manifesto and call for
Southern convention, and invocation to
unity apd concert of action, came forth in
the Charleston Mercury, entitled j" TIE
Crisis the cause of dsunion was then in
the abolition societies established in some Of
the free States, and which these States
were required to suppress. Then came the
abolition petitions presented in Congress
then the mail transmission of incendiary
publications then the abolition of slavery
10 the District of Columbia then the abo-
lition OF the slave trade between the
States then the exclusion of slavery from
Oregon then the Wilmot Proviso then
sltution. Each of these. in its day, was
cause Of disunion, to be effected through the
inssrumentality of Southern convention
forming a sub confederacy. in Aasrant VIC
lation of the constitution, and etfecting the
disunion by establishing a commercial non
intercourse with the free States. After
twenty years agitation upon these points,
they are all given up. The constitution,
.aae" from the beginning-an error in their
origin, and an impossibility in their future
existence. and 10 oe amended into another
impossib,iity. or broken up at once.
The regular Inauguration of this slavery
agitation dates from the year 1885; but it
had commenced two years before, aud in
this way: qualification aud disunion had
commenced in 1880 upon complaint against
protective tariff. That being put down in
1893 under President Jackson's proclama-
ton and energetic measures. was immedi-
ately substituted by the slavery agitation.
Mr. Calhoun, when he went homs from
Congress in the spring Of that year. told
his friends. That tie Soath could Meier be
1nitsd against tie North on the tar.F qxes-
fios- That the sugar interest of Louisiana
rould keep her oMs-aa3 that tie basis Of
So&fhers xnios mxss be shifted TO tie Stare
question:. Then ali the papers in his inter-
est, and especially the one at Washington.
published by Duff Green. dropped tariff
agitation. and commenced upon slavery !;
and, in two years. had the agitation ripe for
Inauguration on the slavery question. And,