Holmes County farmer. [volume] (Millersburg, Ohio) 1857-1926, 1864-05-05

ion right to scccdc from the Confcdcratcd Un-
ion ITSELF Thus stands the right. But the indis-
soluble link of union between hepeople of the
several States of this conicdcrated nation Is, af-
ter all, not in the right, hut in the heart. II the
day should ever come may Heaven avert it b
when the affections of the people oftheSe states
shall be alienated from each othcr when the
fraternal spirit shall give way to cold inditlcr-
ence or collisions of Interests shall tester into
longer hold together parties attracted by the
magnetism of conciliated interest and kindly
sympathies; and far better it will he for the
people of the disunited States to part in friend
ship from each other than to be held together by
constraint Then will be the time for reverting
To precedents which occurred at the formation
and adoption of the Constitution, to form again
"a more perfect Union, by dissolving that which
parts to be reunited by the laws ofpolitical gray
itation to the center"
Thus, Mr.. Chairman, spoke John O.
Adams, in an address delivered before the
New York Historical Society, on the 3Oth
of April, 1889, in commemoration of the
fiitieth anniversary of the inauguration Of
George Washington as President of the
United States. Mr.. Adams was a believer
in the doctrine therein set forth, and the
leaders of the party to which he belonged
shared i'll that belief and continued to do so
until the present unnatural civil war. If it
was sound doctrine before secession took
place and the war began, what is there in
either to change the principle ?
Andrew jackson, in his farewell address
to the American people, has solemnly warn
ed them that the citizens Of one section of
country arrayed in arms against the other
would be the end Of the Union and an end
Of the hope Of freedom. He says:
"If such struggle is once begun, ana the citi-
zcns of one section of the country are arraycd
conflict let the battle result as it may, there viii
be an end of the Union and with it an end of the
hope of freedom. The victory of the injured
q a. gitlY- 4 I,-
crty; IL would aVcngc their wrongS but they
Would themselves share in the common ruin.
Union preserved, in opposition to public feeling
hy the mere eXertion Of the cocrcivc power OF
the government
But this opinion, that the Union cannot
be preserved by the cOcrcive powers of the
Government, was not confined to the de-
parted statesmen Of the country
William II. Seward, in his letter of April
II, 1861, to Mr.. Adams, our Minister to
England, said
"For these reasons the President would not
be disposed to reject cardinal doctrine of theirs
! Uhe Rebels namely: that the Federal Govern
lncnt could not reduce the seeding States {,
obedience by conquest, even though he were
| disposed to question that proposition. But in
| only an imperial or dcspotic government could
subjugatc thoroughly disalIcctcd ana insurrec
publican system of ours is of all forms of gov
crnmcnt the one which is most uuhttcd for sucl
labor
Such was the language Of the Sccretar,
of State, in April 1861, three days bcfor,
the Sunday on which the President wrot,
his proclamation calling out sevcnty-fv,
thousand troops, but after seven States hat
seeded The Secretary shared in the fear
Of the President, that the attempt to suhu
gate the South would destroy the Govern
mcnt. Three years Of civil war in Il vail
and iruitless effort at suhjugation attest an,
| prove to-day the correctness of the Opinion
then held by the President "Only an i'm
pcraI or dcspotic Government could subju
gate thoroughly disahcctcd and insulrcc
tionaIy members of the State. " Thi.
Federal Republic Of ours is of all forms OF
government the most untitled for such la
Dor. Who does not believe it? If there
is truth in the Declaration Of Independence,
and the gentlemen ON the opposite side OF
the House will certainly not dispute it, since
they incorporated it in the Chicago platform
which became a law to the President, who
ask, can deny the conclusion of the Sec
retary of State, having in view always, II,
he and the President undoubtedly had, tn,
great cardinal truth underlying all rcpubli
can governments, deriving their Just pow
ers from the consent Of the governed" " |
the President and his Secretary Of Stat
gave uttcrancc to truth in 1861, is it an
less truth to-day? Has not rather the cx
pcrencc of three years Of war conhrmc
iR believed it then. ! believe it now
But, sir, propose to call another witncs
to testify against this cocrciye policy, VIII
also spoke in advance of the war Edwar
Everett, in his letter Of May 20, 1860, t
Washington Hunt accepting the nomina
ton as Vice President of the Union party
Of which believe the distinguished gentle
man from Maryland (Mr Henry Wntc
Davis was member, and for whom mum
ber of gentlemen upon this floor voted
said
"rhr suggestion that the Union can he main
tanned 10y numerical prrpondclancc and militia
ry proves of one section cNcrtcd to cOcrcc Tia
other into submission is in my judgement u
SclI,coniradictory rs II is dangerous. 1t come
londrd with the dCath-Smrll from fluids We
WIN brothers blood. II the vital principle {
all republican, governments "is the consent q
the governed much more does II union of cu
rgWmi, s"NrrGsh T states REQUIRE, ns ITS basis th
cooperation IN Its organic functions"
1t may be said that Mr.. Everett ha
changed his views upon the subject. Tha
may be 50, but | have not. | believed
sound doctrine in 1860, before secession oc
cured or coercion began. Three years eX
pcricnce in attempt by numerical prcpondei
ance and military prowcss Of one section cx
ertcd to coercc the other into submission
has convinced me more thoroughly that it
"as sell-contradictory as ii is dangerous =
contradictory because il violates the grca
principles Of free government, which dcl
i've their just powers from the consent {
the governed - and dangerous because h
its exercise, especially whom welded by
, weak, yassillatng and unscrupulous man,
destroys, instead of maintaining, the Union
Constitution and organic law; civil libcrt
and personal security are forced to yield t
what is claimed to bea military necessity
and the government itself, in the brief spac
OF three short years, is to day verging upo
the very brink Of ruin
am well aware, Sir, that the cry of dis
loyalty, want of patriotism and lack of d,
yotlon to the government, which is in ever
place and at all times raised against thos
who have the independence to disar
provo OF any Of the acts of Mr. Lincoln. =
An inordnate Gesirc. for Government pat
ronage, from the buila,2g OF a steam-shi
and soddy contract down To he insight
cent position of taking charge of mutili
ted and deprecated greonback in the Ikea
, sury building, has changed the opinion {
many men, but the fixed principles of fire.
Government as well aS the rules Of right
reason, justice and truth, are unchangcabl,
and although it may be unpopular, and eve
: at the risk of personal liberty in times liz
the presest to advocate them, they are, ncN
erthcless, eternal and immutablc.
The distinguished gentleman from Penn
sylyania, MIR Stevens who stands upo
this floor and before the country rs an Il,
knowledgcd leader of the Administratio