The star of the north. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1849-1866, 1863-08-26


what is past and irrevocabe, were ii not
that il is against the same men and the
same influences, still dominant in the coun-
ellis OF the Administration, that an appeal
is now TO be made to the intelligence OF the
people. The Abolitionsts deprecate these
illusions 10 the past. To cover up their
own tracks, they invite as to spend all our
indignation upon Southern traitors - but
truth compe!s us 10 add, that, in the race of
treason, The Northern traitors 10 the Con-
sitution had the start. They tell as that
slavery was the cause oil the W ar; therefore,
the Union is to be restored by waging
war upon slavey. This is not true or only
true in The sense that any institution, civil
or religious, may be cause OF war, II war
is made upon it. Nor is it a just oonciu-
sion that if you take from your neighbof
his "man servant or his maid, or anything
that is his" you will thus establish har-
mony between you. No danger 10 the
Union arose from slavery whilst the people
of each State dealt calmly and intelligently
with The equestion within their own State
lliUitS. w HClC lltsiO POiNohNO
to it, it soon yielded to moral and economi-
cal considerations, leaving the negro in
position of social and political subOrdinaion
no where more clearly marked than in The
Constitution and laws of Pennsylvania
The strife began when people in States
where it was an mmaterial question under
took 10 prescribe the course o. duly upon it
10 States in which ii was question of great
importance and difficulty This interfer-
ence became more dangerous when at
tempts were made 10 use the power of the
General Government, Instituted for the
benefit of all the States, 10 the injury and
prescription OF the interests OF some OF the
States II was not merely danger 10 the
institution OF slavery, but our whole politi-
cal system, in which separate and distinct
colonies became by the Declaration of Inde-
pendence, ''iree and independent States"
and afterwards established Federal Un-
ion Under the Constitution Of the United
States. That instrument. with scrupulous
care, discriminates the powers delegated
to The General Government from those re-
served go the States respectively, or to the
people," And let il be noted, that in
speaking OF the powers SO delegated and
reserved we refer TO no vague doctrines or
preteutions, but 10 the clear provisions OF
the written ins trument which it is the duty
OF every citizen, and especially of every
public funciionary, to respect and maintain.
The protection of American liberty against
the eneroachmenls OF ceniraiization was
left 10 the States by the trainers OF the Con-
| stituton. Hamilton, the most iEdulgent of
them to the Federal power, says: "It may
| be safely received as an axiom in our politi-
cal system, that the Stale Governments will
in all possible contingencies, afford com
| plele security against invasions of public
| liberty by the national authority" Who
| can be blind 10 the consequences that have
| followed the departure from the true prin-
ciples. of our Government "Aboiition"
| vies with secession" in sapping the very
! foundations OF the structure reared by our
| forefalhers In Pennsylvania, the party on
whose acts you will pass at the balot-box
has lrampled upon the great rights of per-
sonal liberty and the freedom OF the press,
asserted in the Constitution OF the Stale and
the Con stituion OF the United States. The
| dignity OF our Commonwealth has been in
suited in the outrages perpetraled upon her
citizens. At Philadelphia and at Harris
burg, proprieiors of newspapers have been
seized at midnight and hurried off 10 mill
tary prisons beyond the limits o! the State.
Against acts like these, peTpetra,ed before
the eyes o. the municipal and State authorl.
ties, here IS neither protection nor redress.
The seizure of journal al West Chester
was afterwards The subject of suit for
damages in the Supreme Court of Pennsyl-
vania. II came 10 trial before Chief Jus.
tice Lowrie. Rehesrsing the ancient prin-
cipIes Of English and American justice, he
condemned the acis OF the Federal officers
as violations of the law that bind alike the
private citizen and public functionary. He
said "All public functionaries in this land
are under the law, and none, from the high
esl and lowest, are above il" Impatient at
any restraint from law, partisan majority
in Congress haslened 10 pass and 10 take
from the State courts TO the United States
courts, all suits or prosecutions ''ior tres-
passes or wrongs done or commilled by
virtue or under color of any authority de-
rived from or exercised under the President
of the United States )" and such authority
was declared TO be full defence for the
wrongdoer in any action, civil or criminal.
The American Executive is, as the word
imports, the executor of the duly enacted
law Yet the preiension is made that his
will can take the place of he laws. The
liberty, the character of every citizen, is bnt
al the mercy of new iunctionaries called
'sprovos. marshas.n Secret accusation be-
fore these officials takes the place of open
hearing before lawful magistrate, and no
L L. : IL