Year: 1861

the utmost attenti0n-we have formed an opinion
upon il, and we intend to express that opinion
We shall do this fearlessly and firmly.


Our opinions in relation to the Chicago platform,
Abraham Lincoln, and the black Republican party
are we'll known. We are as hostile to Mr. Lincoln
and to the sectional party that elected him as any
reasonable man in the South. We will never sub
nit 70 the ADMINISTRATION of the government on the
principles oftbat party far as they relate to slave
ry in the Territories but while say this for the
hundrsdth time, also hold that justice should be
done even to Mr.. Lincoln and his party, and that he
who would deliberately fan the the fame of section
al strife instead Of doing all he can to put out the
fires Of dscord which threaten to consume the tenn.
pie of the Union, is guilty Of an inexpiable crime
We want peace, not war. We want Union, not dis
union. Wewant justice for the South, but we must
do justice to the North We long for light not
darkness. We believe that the Union can be pre-
served, and We are willing to bear and forbear-to
watch and wait-to labor in fraternal spirit to
achieve this most desirable result When the ene-
my offers us the olive branch We will not reject it.
When he approaches US pointing to his oath, yet in
spirit of amity, We will not rush upon him with
the sword. When he pleads for the Union we will
point to the Constitution; and if both of US should
then pause we would then 60 with him to the foun
tain Of all power the people of the States and seek
there, and establish there if possible, new founda
tions for equality and brotherhood


So far as coercion is concerned Mr. Lincoln occu-
pies the very ground occupied by Mr.. Buchanan
We have compared the Inaugural in this respect
with Mr.. Buchanans message, and the fact is so.-
We cannot, as an honest man. denounce in Mr. Lin
coin what we approved in Mr. Buchanan. The man
had just taken an oath to support the Constitution
and to enforce the laws. What was he to do? Was
he to say to the seven cotton States you out of
the Union? Who gave him that authority? Has
Congress said its No. Have the American people
said it. No. The mails are still furnished to these
States, and Mr.. Lincoln says he will continue to
furnish them unless they are repelled. But he
| says he must execute the laws, and in the next
breath he virtually omits the cotton States as Mr..
Buchanan omitted South Carolina, for the simple
reason that he has no officers in those States and
! cannot execute them. He says that in "interior
localities" where competent resident citizens will
not or cannot hold the Offices, there will be no at
tempt to force obnoxious strangers" on the people
But he says he will collect the revenue in the cotton
| States How? He must do it if at all, at the Gus
tom Houses, for he has authority to do so on
shipboard The law provides only for the collection
of the revenue at the Custom Houses. Congress
has made no other provision. What then? Why
he can do nothing in this respect. Mr.. Buchanan
could do nothing in this respect in South Carolina
! ho NJ that tho 1awc
be enforced


IfMr Lincoln were mad enough to attempt to
subjugate the Southern States if he were dis
posed to do so-as his Inaugural shows he is not
he has no army at his command. He might spare
thousand troops from tie forts and frontiers, but
what could these do against the armies Of the fifteen
slaveholding States! irhen he has no money. The
Treasury is empty. Then he has no authority for
raising troops, even if he had money to pay them
with The "force bill so-called, was defeated in
the House of Representatives. What then? He is
powerless He is not only poweress at present. but
the tone of his Inaugural shows that he is alarmed
in view of the caamities that impend- Will he be
stronger in futures We do not believe he will
His party is already demoralized and in addition to
| IlS, lue great UOuy VI VIC pcOPiS Will
never consent to an aggressive war on the South
the seven cotton States had remained in the Union
both branches of Congress would have been against
Mr.. Lincoln by large majorities, and the Senate
could have dictated all his important appointments.
3ut they abandoned the Union-abandoned it sci.
fshly and for sufficient cause, and left at the
mercy, as they say, of dominant sectional party.
Shall we go out simply because they did? We
| trust not Have we of the middle States no self
respect-no will of our own We think we have
some will of our own, for we are still in the Union
Mr.. Lincoln will have no more power to enforce
the laws in the "Confederate States than the late
President had and we all know that Mr. Buchanan
enforced no law in South Carolina after that State
assumed to secede and the only coercion he attempt
ed was in the shape of letters and newspapers which
heshowered from his mail batteries all over that State


Mr.. Lincoln is inclined to favor Convention o
all the States. We think the condition Of the coun
try and the progress of events will compel him to
assemble Congress at an early day. If he should
do that Convention of all the States could be call
ed, and such body, we make no doubt, would be
able to reconstruct the Union enduring basis.
Failing to do that, however, it could at least provide
for peaceable separation of the States;


We do not propose to comment further on this
document. 1t is before our readers and each one Of
them will read and study it carefully for himself


I'VE approve portions Of it, and we disapprove
other portions. 1t is not a aar message. 1t is
not, strictly speaking black Republican mes.
sage; for while he recognizes slavery in the States
AZ nernetual and as never to be interfered with in
any way by the aboltonists he deliberately refrains
from pressing the main principle in his platform, to
wit, the exclusion of the South from all the Terrific
ries of the Union 1t is not uniendly to the South
1t deprecates war; and bloodshed and it pleads fol
the Union. That any portion Of it will be approved
by the Disunionists we have no idea. If it had
breathed violence and war-if it had claimed the