New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1871-02-24

Do then bclieve-haNc O'D' -
ctote rs State, has "A reserved ilsht' Sore-
roicn mower, to dissolve tins kepuHiic ny
n,to, - called an Ordinance of Secession
W., ~" never, The right which | maintain Is
.ot If thc State, nor in the state, nut ogof
~, sit and aboro the State. IL would have
oyistcd intact il States had never been organ
lied nor heard OIL
Conorcss has power only To enact laws IN
harmony with the Constitution. The Prcsi-
don't must obey aud enforce those laws-hc
has no dispensing pOwer-no discretion IA to
what shall bo enforced and what shall be null
lifted Neither could he without perjury suffer
tbo Federal laws to be deiied, the Federal
authority subycrtcd, on any square mile OF
"the Union as it is." Hence all applications
TO them TO recognize Secession rs legally
accomplished fact, or treat with ats agents as
foreign ambassadors, are simply prcposterouS
You might as well ask police justice to de-
eide the Federal Constitution invalid.
Let me show by an example precisely what
/ did aud do hold:
There lies, north Of these United States,
southwark Of the frozen. regions which half
cncilcle Iudson's Bay, selyagc of arabic,
habtable country which has, for more than
century, been governed by Great Britain. 1t
now contains nearly or quite -Four Millions of
civilized people.
| firmly believe it the interest," of this people
to cast in their lot with us-to bring their
country within the circle of our Republic. |
believe that every mine, every forest, every
field, every structure, in the Dominion, w0nld
be worth more absolutely and in cash, II the
Canadas were States Of our Union. And l
hold this truth so obvious that cannot doubt
their ultimate Annexation. 1t seems to me
quite ~ inevitable as was the Union OF Scot
land with England.
Now, suppose the partisans of Annexation in
Canada were by preconcert to choose ma
iorty to the Dominion Parliament, and there
upon Ordan the separation OF The Provinces
from Great Britain, seize tho Government
funds in the Dominion Treasury, las the
Rebels did with the Suh-1roaSIry ut New
Orlcms,l corrupt the British MllitrIy officers
on service there, and thus dsarm and capiule
their commands, las was done with our little
army in Texas before NJ. Lincoln was inau-
guratcd,1 and proceed to bcsicgc and lombard
the citadel at Quebec, las our Rebels did with
Fort Sumlcr1 hold that it would bo The right
and duty of the British Government to give
these cntcrprising Seccssonsls just The loyclie-t
thrasling thai ever people caught, from the
DAVIS OF Nimrod to those of Won MOtke. hold
it cminenty just and necessary that the fast
men who engineer seccssiOns should be taught
that established governments ore not TO he
overturned and set aside in that nccFtmnllouS
slap-dash, gO-ahead fashion.
But. on the other hand should he people OF
the Canadas have attained the conclusion that
their true interest would bc subScryCd and
their welfare promoted 10y seq ration from
Great Britain. | hold that they should COM
municatc the fact to her Government in some
authentic, inOffensve manner, aud that said
Government should thereupon say, BE patient;
"ayoid violence; let us take time 60 determine
"beyOnd the possibility of mistake, that what
"you propose is really desired 10y your people
that this is no scheme of "a party to III
"creasc its power, no dodge Of faction to
"achieye sinister end, but the decided, we'll
considered conviction of the great body Of
"yuur people. Should this prove to be the
cease, means will doubtless be found for
giving effect to their wishes
Such understand to be the Jchcrs0nian,
the American idea of Popular Rights, ~ dis
theory of unchangeablc obligation, which we
have just broken down in the matter OF The
right of cmigrants to rcnOunce their allegiance
TO their mother country. What is your obicc-
ton to it'll
! cannot suppose you 10 hold that the Cana
dian who desires the separation of his country
from Great Britain thereby confesses culpabil-
ity or violates any moral obligation, any re-
quircment of good citizenship. Bat, suppose
that country actually separated from Great
Britain and united with our own, and, upon
full experience, her people should be dissatis-
fed with the change and DESTROYS of returning
TO their first love, would this be % crime? Must
the tracks all point one way1 You have yolun-
teered to arraign and condemn me may not
know Oh what platform you choose TO place
YOURSELF If my view is wrong, what is the
antagonist right?
As YOU were perfectly aware that held the
pretended secessions of 1S60-Gl the acts of n
violent, bullying, tcrrOrizing minority, and le-
ealy invalid for this if no other reason, | nat
urally supposed that you would feel con
strained TO take issue with me on this point
But no. in your second attack on me, you ex-
pressly say:
at Is matter ~ history that al Orcrrheting major
yof The peope Of the south cere ia JGeor ~ he Union
But the secc tsonists active armed and held the
state Governments In their hands Their arms were FUR
Dished by aud captured from the Government of the
United States. Tie Union men OF the South received
neither arms suocOr cOunienanoc, from the Govern
nent In their efforts maintain it aud its authority but
nevertheless when Conventions called In the South
TO separate from the Union they voted for men to repre-
sent them those Conventions who were Ia favor of the
Union and cast Overwhelming majority Of cotrS for IFS
,resetafon That these delegates msrepresentod their
wishes was not tho fault Of the people. They were DO