Year: 1861

use OF such Offices.


+ The mails, unless repelIed, will continue
TO be furnished in all parts of the Union so
far as possible. The people everywhere
shall have that sense of perfect security
which the most favorable and calm thought
and reflection can give The course here
indicated will be followed, unless current
events ar d experience shall show a rnodi-
fcation or change 10 be proper, and in
every case and exigency my best discretion
will be exercised, acc cordine TO circumstan-
ces actually existing, and with a view and
hope of a peaceful solution Of the Nation
al troubles, and the restoration of fraterra
sympalhies and affections.


Tha; there are persons in one section or
another, who seek to destroy the Union at
all events, and are glad of any pretext TO do
it, ! will neither affirm or deny, but If there
be such, need address no word 10 them
To those, however, who really love the
Union, may not speak. before entering
upon so grave a matter as the destination
its memories, and hope, would it not be
wise to ascertain previously, why we do So
Will you hazard so desperate step while
there Is any possibility that any portion of
the ills you fly from have no real existence!
Will you think the certain ills you fly to are
greater than all the real ones you fly from !?
Will you risk the commission of so fearful
a mistake All profess TO be content in the
Union if all Constitutional rights can be
maintained Is il true then that any right
denied think not. Happily the human
mind is constituted that no party can reach
TO the audacily o. doing this.


Think, i! you can, of single instance in
which a plainly written provision of the
Constitution has ever been denied II, by
the mere force of numbers, majority shall
deprive minority of any clearly written
Constitutional right. it might, in a moral
poiEt of view justify revolution. 1t cer-
Nainly would, If such right were vital
one. But such is not our case.


All The vital rights of minorities and OF in
dividuals are so plainly assured to Them by
affirmatves and negatives guarantees and
prohibitions in the Constitution, that con-
iroversies never aIise concerning them.
But no organic law can be framed with a
provision spec lficably applicable TO every
question which may occur in practical ad-
minislraton


No President can anticipate, nor any doc
ument Of reasonable length contain express
provisions for ali possible questions.


For instance, why may not any portion
of new confederacy, year or two hence,
arbitrarily secede again, precisly as por-
tions of The present Union now claim to
senlinen are now being educated to the
exact temper of doing This.


Is there such perfect identity Of interests
among the States to compromise new
Union, as TO produce harmony only, and
prevent renewed secession : Plainly, the
central idea of secession is the essence OF
anarchy.


/ A majority, held in restraint by consiitu-
tonal checks and limitations, and always
changing easily with the deliberate changes
OF popular OplulOnS anu eoltith SitS, 10 Tue
only true sovereignty of a free people.


Whoever rejects it, does of necessity fly
to anarchy or despotism. Unanimity is
impossible The rule of a minority as a
permanent arrangement is wholly inadmis
sable, so that rejecting the majority princis
pie anarchy and despoiism in some form
is all that is left.


do not forget the position assumed by
some that constitutional questions are TO be
decided by the Supreme Court. Nor do
deny that s1ch decisions must be binding
in any case upon the parties 10 a suit as 10
the object of that suit, while they are also
entitled TO very high respect and consider
alton in all parallel cases by all other De-
partments of The Government.


And while it is obviously possible that
such decision may be erroneous in any Civ
en- case, still The evil effect of following il
being limited to that particular case. with
the chance that 1t may be overruled, and
never become precedent for other cases,
can better be borne than could the evils OF
different practice. At the same time the
candid citizen must confess that IL the poll.
cy of the Government upon vital questions
effecting the whole people is to be irrevo
cably fixed by the decisions OF the Supreme
Court, The instant they are made in ordina-
ry litigation between parties in personal
actions, the people will have ceased 10 be
their own rulers. having TO that extent
practically resigned their government into
the hands of that eminent tribunal.


Shall fugitives from labor be surrendered
by national or State authority The Con-
slitution does not expressly say.


May Congress prohibit slavery in the
territories ! The Constitution does not ex.
pressly say. Must Congress protect sla-
very in the territories! The Constitution