Democrat and sentinel. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1853-1866, 1862-03-26

J-th - 81 pttJ ti4e CONSTITUTION, the LEgSi- .
Dent Of the United States held the following
Z have no purpose, directly or indirectly,
Il Interfere with The :ustituti. n OF slavery In
the States where it exists. ! belize I have
no lawful right to do so, and ! have n inc,i-
nation to do So"
This position was assumed at q time when
every word spoken by the new Executive
was carefully weighed by an anxious coun>
try; and when in a brief space afterwards
the nation was convulsed by actual couGics,
this definition Of his constitutional power
over the subject Of slavery was remembered
and trusted by a patriotic people They
saw in It a solemn pledge, given in tie most
deliberate manner, and under circumstances
the most imposing, that their energies were
not to he called upon by this Administration
to overthrow the laws and the guarantees Of
the Constitution. But thC President did not
stop there. He went further on that occa-
Sioa. and used language on the suhiec: of
the fugitive slave law, and our duties under
it, which gave hope to the friends Of law and
order, but which. ! fear. viii scarcely be
considered now as the utterances Of q loyal
man by the jealous gentlemen on the oppo
site side Of the Chamber lie spoke on that
subject, as follows:
There Is much controversy aI-u: tie
J de,ivou.E uq oG ir-itsves lrru. sess.re or ll-
/ Dor. the clause lg-~ read D. g. f#l--.v
/ written IL the Constitution as a=- other oi
I ITS VT,visj.us. No person held O. service
! or labor in Jne State under lie laws thereof
/ esCaping into another, shall, in consequence
{ u any law or Regulation therein. he dEscLaT~
| gel from such service uT labor, but shall lie
! delivered up n claim of the party & whom
{ such service or laj0r may be due i i.-
scarcely questionable TINT .l-;s provision was
| Z-aaei 10y those who made 1t FOR the re-
claiming Of what we call fugitive slaves
and tie attention. Il the laE-iE,r is tie law.
All members Of CONGRESS swear their .uppari
to the whole Constitution. TO this provision
as much as any oinsr- To the fr1Hcs--iau
chen. taat slaves whose c1=gs come within
tie terms Of this clause shall b. delivered uI
thli- oa:Ls are unanimous
How strange all jh:s sounds here u.w
and in what startIiu- contrast with iLe TTiI
! ciTlcs daily announced by the great leader
Of the party whieh made Nr. Lincoln H-ssi
dent! No power to touch the institution @
slavery in the States, and faithful enforce
mcnt Of the fugitive slave law! Llevec
months ago such was tho doctrine proclaim
on the Eastern steps + Of this Capitol by th
, President. Such tie honest. coufiGing peo
rle believed 1t would continue to be wau
they threw aside ihe implements of peace
5 f,.l industry, aud rcsorted to the sword.
But these positions Of tie President ar
tuow rc7rdtat-j, because as It Is asserted
7 they Were assl.ael under c;rcums.alc-= e.
| different from those which exist at present
D The shortest answer to this feeble excuse e
@ a fragrant violation Of the Constitution ezis'
@ in the following extract from the message
b the President Of July ith TO tAe extra sssaio
: ! of Congress.
Let there be some uneasiaess in T.
. mind of candid men IS = what Is II be I'll
course Of the Government towards SoUthcE
4 States after the rebellion shall have bee
: suppressed. the Executive deems il prop
= to say it viii be his purpose then. as eve
=, 20 he guided 10y the Constitution and Il
I laws: and lhlt he probably viii have 1
y different understanding Of the powers an
= duties of tH,. i'.i.rl, Government rea-tjval
.s .a tie rights o. size States AMI the pcap
. under tie Constitution t-an that express
in the inaugural address
,f Thus was the p'e7ga which was made
the inaugural a '3ress, on the zth If Mar
!, renew 81 in explicit terms on the 4-h Of IN
>, The fires # civil war which were smou'ds
H. ing and hid in March were leapir- mp
= the very heavens in July. The rebelii
,o which in March cooked ike distant sPe
:, had spread until it had darkenel half :
=, sky by midsummer It's boundaries we've
r. large then as now, and It's flag was faati
r in defiance in sight of the presidential ma
n sion. Battles had been + ught, lives lo
,af property destroyed, treasures robbed, 70
N taken. the flag torn and dishonored, a
-ce the authority OF the Government driven
he Of eleven States of the Union with insult q
,ed scorn. Yet in the face of all this, y
Dle the full proportions Of this great rebellion
civ clear view, the President reasserted the ,
AN icy of the inaugural and in doing so, az
in announced that he had neither the pO'
the nor the inclination to interfere with slav
,or. in the States where it exists. and that
me fugitive slave law must be onforced
ich obeyed.
lee Sir. where then was the Indignant Ga
Iast der that has shook this Ball during