Year: 1861

vcntinii of all the Seeding States for tn


purpose Of iuStituting some form of Govern


incnt among themselves This Genera
Convention met at Mnntgomery-tE they adop
ted Constitution, they elected officers
under it they levied taxes and laid inposts
in word. they have acted as though thi
new creation of theirs was real and sub
stantial thing. and they the proper function
aries of an established Government. It i
not apparent how the consent Of the pcopi


has anything to do with this. 1t is no
quite apparent how even the Ordinances o
Secession was valid one until ratified b,
the sober. quiet action Of the people. |
seems to have been not clearly apparent
even to these ingenious Government archi
tects themselves, how Il Convention appoin
T. to consider. and pass if they please ar
Ordinance of State Secession can. in addi
tion, institute Convention with the powe,
TO change the old Government. make new
laws. and appoint new officers to rule ovel
the people, without their vote and against
all precedent. So fragrant violation of the
rights Of the people seems to have opened
their eyes to the necessity of submitting Q
their action, in lump, at some future day,
to the people for their rati6cation-if they
choose to ratify it. But this whole proceed
ing bears upon it's face, from first to last,
an obvious mistrust of the people, There
fore it is that they have sought to precipi-
tate matters. and by haste, and pressure,
and assumptions of power they had no right
to use. they have endeavored to place the
people in such posture that they must per-
force endorce their action May it not be,
to carry out this same end, that this assum-
ed Government now sends its Commission
ers to Washington claiming a recognition
OF its existence separate from the Union, in
order that, if its claims be refused by this
Government, it may initiate a war which
will unite the Southern people upon Gov
ernment they would otherwise reject:


Wanting. then, in the essential point ne
cessary to the existence of a Government.
these sef-constituted rulers of a form of
Government confessedly, as yet, neither
ratified nor accepted by the people they
claim to representa- Government which
may, or may not, exist, as the people shall
hereafter decide-send Commissioners to
demand recognition from our Government
before their own P7oPffc 1-r-vcgr1r1v1rU-'
Suppose for "a moment our Government
should comply with so monstrous request
Suppose, afterwards. the Southern people
should reject the new Confederacy? How
ridiculous would be our position ! Might
we not be obliged to sustain this formal
Government we had recognized against the
people? Or if this formal Government were
swept from political existence, would it not
be with some humiliation we hereafter rein
stated in our Union people who, but for
our own act had never been out Of it.


It would seem, then that the simple state
ment of their position would be sufficient to
Justify the rejection of their present claims
to the mind of every fair and thinking man
of the South; and thus cannot but defeat
the schemes of war which their self-con-
stituted rulers seek to carry out. They
will see from this reason alone that there is
no need of haste. still less of war. IF they
really prefer the new Confederacy to the old
Union, let them show it by the calm deter
mined expression of the people, and such
an expression must and will be respected.
For if the South should resolve to 60, from
the principle we have laid down, can we
prevent it? When a people of respectable
numbers resolve to make a new form of
Government, and do so. can we, from prin
ciple, restrain them, or question their right ?
The true theory Of Government is not in
validated thereby. The Government has
suffered revolution by which some portion
of it's people are dsmembered from the old
but this is liability which is common tc
all Governments. and from the same cause


viz the mtW Of the revolutionary people and
their power to carry out their will. 1t tht
principle is correct one, we should recog
nize it. We cannot found il solid Govern


ment on the invasion of correct principl


fla portion of the people become dissatisfied


if we would preserve our Government w
must seek to remove the causes of the dis
satisfaction. Compromise is the only tru


policy by which human Governments cal
be maintained Interest is the only tru


cement by which States anil conmunii-.
are kept together. If it be for the create


interest OF a part that the community remaii
united while the interest Of another part t.


this end is slight. those most interested mus
offer in r,ased inducements to the other
they would secure their stay. Is this no
safer, more light, ned ana Christian thai


to endeavor to secure the saue end by arbi
trary coercion and violation Of the comedies


rights of mankind


Apply these observations to the South
If she is dissatisfied. remove the causes G
her discomfort where they are reasonable


In the calm Judgment of her ,ople can sh


ask more. and can we give less ? But


she is at all events resolved to g.. why pre-


vent her? She will find the experiment 70


her interest. or against it. Ii the latter


she will soon return frmer friend tina


ever to the old Government. Ifthe former


should we endeayor to coerce her, IL funda


mental principle of our Government is vic


lated, for we seek to hold large body c


our people without their consent and agans
their will. They will always be rebellion
and turbulent, and unless completely crush