Democrat and sentinel. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1853-1866, 1864-11-02
EBENSBURG, PA. WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 1856

than even an Abolitionist would ask me
to 60. | deny what is called the sacred
right of revolution. | believe in that di-
vine revelation which pronounces rebel
lion under any circumstances to be as the
sin of witchcraft. No Government can
concent-no constitutional ruler has a
right to consent-that the empire under
his authority shall be dismembered.
But a war for this purpose, if war
there must be, under General Mcclellan,
would be conducted with an object, and
that object would be the simple restora-
ton OF the laws TO their just supremacy.
Its character, as we'll as its object would
be changed, and the brutal atrocities
which have dlsgraced Us in the eyes of
the civilized world, would be wholly dis
continued.
Indeed, there is no subject on which
the characteristic difference between Dem
ocrats and the Abolitionists displays it.
self more clearly than on this question ::
How shall an insurrection or a rebellion
against the laws and Government of the
Union be dealt with 2" Both the parties
have had an opportunity 10 put their
views on record, and both have given an
official exposition Of their respective
creeds Perhaps | have some special
knowledge of the way it was done on our
side
Abolition and secession began TO make
their mutual preparations for an irrcpressi-
bic conflict before the close of the last
Administration. OF course. we said 20
the former that they ought 10 concede 10
the Southern States all their legal rights,
and that peace, though possible, was not
probable on any other terms / speak
what do know when | say that if the
President elect and his party had given
an express assurance and safe pledges TO
govern according TO tie Constitution,
and all disputed points to be guided by
the exposition of the proper judicial,
authority, there would and could have
been no war. But they refused this
hatly and defantly, and even went so far
as TO have their refusal inserted in the in
augural speech.
To the South We said that secession
was no remedy for any evil, actual or APP
prehended-that division of the country
was an uncomfortable wrong to us-that
they were bound to fight out their battle
against Higher Law inside of the Union,
with the vantage ground of the Constitu-
ton in their favor. We hold that scccs-
sion was a nullity, and the Federal Co
vernment was as much bound to execute
its laws after secession as before, and that
if any considerable number Of persons
would oppose the laws by force, the mill
tary power not only might be lawfully,
such opposition.
But we declared that the General Go
vernment was sovereign within its sphere
directly sovercign-and acted upon indi-
viduals, not upon States. In executing
the laws, State lines were no more TO be
regarded than county lines in the execu-
tion of State laws Therefore, the force
that sustained the laws, must be directed
against the force that opposed them, and
the individual insurgents were personally
responsible for any insurrection-not the
State in its corporate capacity. We re-
pudiate utterly the whole idea that war
could be declared by the President, or by
Congress, against 4 State. We had no
right, authority or power to put all the
people of State into the attitude Of pub
lie enemies merely because some persons
within the State had done or threatened
to do certain things inconsistent with their
Federal obligations. On the contrary,
the innocent people-those who were no
way concerned IN the rising-were as
much entitled to the protection of the
Federal Government as if they lived in
any other State.
This view was not only faaltless in
theory and unanswerable in reason and
law-and no answer TO il was ever at
tempted--but it was practically point of
the most transcendant Importance that
ever was submitted TO the judgment of any
human being. 1t is perfectly certain that
nine-tenths of the people of the Southern
States, take them from the Potomac 10
the Gulf, were devotedly attached TO the
Union. Mr.. Lincoln, four months after
his inauguration, declared, in a message
to Congress, that there was not a majority
for secession in any State, except, perhaps,
South Carolina. Yet war was made on
the States and the innocent were contound-
ed with the guilty-the friends of the
Uniou were compelled in self-defense. to
unite with its enemies, and now, instead
of dealing with tenth of the people, We
have deadly and terrible conflict with
all of them. They are not only unani-
nous against US, but driven to desperation
and maddened by the most brutal outra-
ses on their property, persons, and farni-