Year: 1861

is obviously possble that such decision ay be eIrone
ous in any given case, stl tho evil eec following H.
being limited TO that particular case with the chance
that it may be oveuulej, and never become "a
precedent for other cases better be borne than
could the evils of different practice. Atthe same hme
the candid citizen mnst coniess that If the policy OF the
Government upon the vital questions affecting the
whole people is 10 be revOcaby fixed by the decisions
of the Supreme Court the instant they are made III
ordinary litigation between parties i'll personal actions
the people will have ceased to be their own masterr,
having 10 that extent practically resigned their
government into the hands Of that eminent tribunal
Nor is there in th view any assault upon the Court or
the Judges Ii is a duty from which they may not
shrink to decide properly brought before them,
and il is no fault of theirs if others seek TO turn their
decisions TO political purposes. One section of onr
country believes Slavery IL right and ought to be en-
tended while the other believes il is wrong and ought
not 10 be extended. This is the only sub
stantial dispute; and the Fugitive Slave clause
of the Constitution and the law for the suppression oi
the foreign slave-tade are each well enforced per
haps az anv law can ever be in a community where
the moral sense of the people mperfecy supports the
law itself The great body of the people abide by The
dry legal obligation in both cases and few break
over in each This think, canno, be perfectly cured,
and il would be worse in both cases after the separa
ton Of the sections than before. The foreign slave
trade now impereeiy suppressed, would be ultimately
revived without restriction in enc section, while efug
tive slayes, only partially surrendered, would
not he surrendered at all by the other.


Physically speaking, we cannot separate-we cannon
remove our respective sections from each other, nor
build IN impassable wall between them. A husband
and wife NAV be divorced and 20 out Of The presence
and beyond the reach Of each other but the different
parts of our country do ths They cannot but
remain face to face and intercourse, either ami
cable or hostile, must continne between them
IL il possible then 70 make that intercourse more
advantageous or satisfactory after separation than
before Can aliens make treaties easier than friends
can make laws Can treaties be more faithfully en-
forced between aliens than laws among friends
Suppose you 90 to war you cannot fight always and
when after much loss on both sides and no gain on
either you fighting the identical questions az 70
terms of intercourse again upon you


This country with s institutions, belongs 10 the peo-
ple who inhabit it, Whenever they skall grow weary
of the existing Government they can exercise their
constitutional right Of amending their revolutionary
night 10 dismember or overthrow it, i cannot be igno-
rant Of the fact that many worthy and patriotic citizens
! are desrous of having the national Constitution
| amended While make recommendation OF amend
ment fully recognize the full authority Of the people
over the whole subject to be exercised IN either OF
the modes prescribed in the instruments, itfelf, and
should under existing circumstances favor rather than
oppose fair opportunity being afforded The people
10 act upon il. | will venture to add that TO Inc
the Convention mode seems preferable IN thai 1t al
lowe amendments 10 originate with the people them
selves instead Of only permitting them to take or


H.,
reject propositions originated by others not especially
chosen for the purpose, and which might mol De
precisely such they would wsh either to accept or
refuse. understand that proposed amendment 70
the Constitution, which amendment however, have
not seen, has passed Congress- to the effect that the
Federal Government shall interfere with the
domestic institutions Of staes including that Of per
sons held TO service To avoid misconstrucon OF what


bave said depart from my purpose not 70 speak of
particular amendments 80 far as TO say that holding
such provision TO now be implied constitutional law,
have no objection to its being made exp 'nd
irrevocabe.


The Chief Magistrate derives all his authorfI I ON
the people and they have conferred none upon him 10
fix the terms for tie separation of the States. The
people Themselves also d. this if they choose but
the Executive, SUCH has nothing 10 do with IT. Hh
duty is TO administer the present Government az It came
10 hs hands and TO transmit il unmpaired by him TO
bis successor Why shOud there not be patient con
fdence in the ultimate justice OF the people Is there
sny better equal hope in the world In our present
differences s either party without faith of being IN the
right II the Almighty Ruler Of Nations, with bic
eternal truth and Justice, be your side ii the North
or on yours Of the South that truth and that justice will


surely prevail by the Judgment Of this great tribunal
the American people BY the frame Of the Govern
meut under which We live, this same people have
wisey given their public servants but little power for
mischief and have with equal wisdom provided for the
return Of that little 10 their bands at very short
intervals. While the people retain their virtue and
vigilance no Administration, by any extreme wicked
folly, very seriously iDure the Government
| in the short space Of four years.


! Ny countrymen, one and all, think calmly and well
upon this whole subject. Nothing valuable can be
Lost by taking time. If there be object 70 hurry any
of you in hot haste, to step which you would
/ take deliberately, that object will be frustrated by
! taking time-but good object can be frustrated
! by il. Such of you as dissatisfied still
have the old Constitution unimpaired, and on the
sensitive point, the laws Of your own framing
under it, while the new Administration will have
no immediate power, if it would to change either.
IL It were admitted that you who dissats
fed hold the right side in the dispute, there IL still
single for precipitste action. Intelligence, patr
otism Christianity, and firm reliance Him who
has yet foraker this favored land sill com
peten adjust, in the best way, all present Diff
Guilty. In your hands, my dissatisfied feow-coun-
trymeD, and not in mine, s the momentous issue Of
civil war. The Government will not assail you. You
can have no conflict without being Yourselves the ag
gressors. You have oath registered in Heaven to
/ vvlI Lain kuy 4 th.