East Saginaw courier. (East Saginaw, Mich.) 1859-18??, 1863-09-02
The Question Constitutional Law or
Revolution.

hit lou loI dciliiS WltuiH puic VI
Constitutional law? or are you for
launching into revolution? This is the
question of the present momentous
hour. 1t is fast narrowing down to
just this issue: law or revolution.
Let our columns attest how faith
fully we have met, seriatim, and ex-
posed the train of meoVes known as
radical measures, as they were each
proposed, testing each by the Consti-
tuition, and early and constantly draw
ing the distinction between u support
of the Government Of the fathers,
State aud Federal, as decreed by the
people as sovereigns, and as, compos-
ed of executive, Legislative, and judi
cial functions and a support Of meas
ures Of administration that tended di-
rectly to subvert this government; the
ono being fixed and the other tran
sient. These radical measures cannot
be justified on any sound principle
under the Constitution, and because
of this have we characterized them as
revolutionary. The radicals, every
day becoming more and more auda-
cious and bold, are proclaiming that
this IS the character of these measures.
Our readers will remember that long
ago we quoted the averment of the
radical leaders IN Missouri, to the cf-
feet that the country was in revolu-
ton, and saying, '@e are the rerOl1t'on;
that avowal has got to be as COM
mon as the day; and in the New York
Tribune of Monday, August H. the
whole map of the revolution is spread
out and the position which the Cabi-
met hold as to it, in following terms:
During a revolution nation has
right to ignore all questions of poll
cy and become absolutely just. Rev
olutions are simply insubordination to
conventionalities, wretched comprom-
ises, and pacifcatory policies. That
is genuine revolution. In looking
toward a restoration of the Union, the
Government is every day becoming
more firmly convinced that that resto-
ration must take place on the founda-
tions of absolute justice. 1t were not
worth the while, in times of peace, TO
disturb country, even for Justices
sake, but when war is upon us we can
afford to be just. The Cabinet are
united on this opinion, The end of
the Emancipation Proclamation, which
is..absolute justice, will not be defeated
nor will there be an attempt by the
present Cabinet TO change its work
ings. With the end of the war will
come the annihilation of the cause of
the war, and until this cause of the
war is removed, there can never be q
perpetual peace. Slavery and Free
dom are antagonisms. One will eat
up the other. Eeither slavery must
20 to bunker IIill y, hcvdvIn to IluI-
ida, or there will be fighting, anarchy,
and chronic discord forever. The
present Cabinet knows this. Mr.. Sew
ard knows it, and they will act upon
it. F"
The important letter of Solicitor
Whiting of the Administration tho
elaborate report of Robert Dale Owen,
appointed by the Administration, on
the detail of managing the labor of
the negro By the General Government;
the address just made by George s.
Boutwell,, claiming political rights for
white and black the tone of the Off
cial organs at Washington-all sus-
tain this general view put forth in the
Tribune. Slavery, great as this is, is
only one of the things met in all these
utterances; bit tie profound question Of
the relations of the t,co raceS-the deluge
after slaveIy--is encountered and de-
cided, as is alleged, on the basis of
equality and abolition justice. This
is revolution. 1t is deeper and might
Ter Than the Amurlcun revolution ever
began to be; and let it get headway
and the spirits who. summoned it will
be as powerless as so many babes, to
conline its mctes and bounds. 1t will
necessarily extend to the old funda-
mentals, as to the small States and
large States; the commercial and agri-
cultural interests; and will turn and
ovorturn. Whoever supposes these
can be met and settled anew without
volcanic heavings knows absolutely
nothing of that best of all books to
know, the volume of human nature.
The body of Conservatives, whether
called Republicans, Wings or Demo
Gratis, deny that the remedy for the
terrible calamity that is on our
country is through this Golgotha of
revolution; and contend that, with the
foundations of our deep thus broken
up. the evils, whether the rebellion of
secession on the one hand of the as
sumption of arbitrary power on the
other hand, would be immeasurably
increased; and hence they deny that
the country is i'll a state of revolution,
much less that an impudcnt radical
ism is in the country. The theory acted
on is, that there is an insuirection, or
: a rebellion, rot m States, but of individ-
uals, against the national authority
Beyond question the case, in all its
bearings, is met in the SUPREME LAW
of the land, solemnly ordained by the
whole people; there arc paths of legal
ity laid out 10y which this rebellion can
be met and put down; and Conserva-
tives support the policy of supplying
men and money, all that may be re-
quircd, to put this rebellion down
The people deny the right of a frac-
tional part of the country, as the pco-
pie of a town, or city, or county, or
State, TO sccedc; but they agreed to
; strive for future changes in the way
laid down in the sSrRlME LAW that all
solemnly ordained. No statesman, as
we have repeatedly shown, put this on
a moro imprcgndblo basis than Jno. c..
Calhoup---for he held that tho States
parted with a portion of their sover-
eighty when they created the Fede-
ral Government stipulated that the
supreme law should be valid until the
power that made it--threc-f -fourths of