Year: 1861


as to who is to exercise, and as the pro-
vision was plainly made for dangerous
emergency, it cannot be believed that the
trainers of the instrument intended that
in every case the danger should run its
course till Congress should be called to-
gether, the very assembling of which
might be prevented as was intended in
this case, by the rebellion. No more ex-
tended argument is now offered, as an
opinion, at some length will probably be
presented by the Attorney General, wheth-
er there shall be any legislation on the
subject, and if SO, what, is submitted en-
tirely to the better judgment of Con-
gress?


The forbearance Of this Government has
been so extraordinary and so long contin-
ued as to lead some foreign nations to
shape their action as if they supposed the
early destruction of our national Union
was probable. While this one discovery
gave the Executive some concern, he is
now happy to say that the sovereignty
and rights of the United States are now
everywhere practically respected by for
eign powers, and general sympathy is
manifested throughout the world.


The reports of the Secretaries of War,
Treasury and Navy, will give the lntor-
nation in detail deemed necessary for your
delibcration and action, while the Execu-
tive and all the Departments will stand
ready to supply omissions, or to commun-
icate new facts considered important for
you to know.


1t is now recommended that you give.
the legal means for making this contest a.
short and decisive one. That you place
in the control of the Government at least
100000 men, and $4O0,0OO,000. That
number of men is about one tenth of those
of proper age within the regions where
apparently all are willing to engage, and
the sum of money is less than twenty
third part of the money value owned by
the men who seem ready to give the whole
A debt of 100000 now is less sum
per head than was the debt of our revolu-
tion when we came out Of that struggle
and the money value in the country bears
even Il greater portion to what it was then
than does the population. Surely each
man has as strong motive to preserve
our liberties as each had then to establish
them. A right result at this time will be
worth more to the world than ten times
the men and ten times the money. The
evidence reaching us from the country
leaves no doubt that the material for the
work is abundant, and that it needs only
the hand of legislation to give it legal
sanction, and the hand of the executive to
give it practical shape and efficiency.


One of the greatest perplexities of the
Government is to avoid receiving troops
faster than it can provide for them. In a
word, the people will save their Govern
ment if the Government itself will do its
part only indifferently well.


1t might seem at first thought to be Of
little consequence whether the present
movement in the South be called secession
or rebellion. The movers, however, well
understood the difference. At the begin
ming they new they never could raise their
treason to very respectable magnitude by
any name that implies violence of law
They knew their people possessed as much
of moral sense and as much of devotion tc
law and order, and as much pride 10 its
reverence for the history and government
of their common country, as any other civ
ilized and patriotic people. They knew
they could make no advancement directly
in the teeth Of these strong and noble sen
timents, accordingly they commenced al
insidious dobauching Of the public mind
They invented an ingenious sophism
which if conceded, was followed by per
fectly logical steps through all the Incl
!, dents Of the complete destruction of th'
Union. The sophism itself, is that any
, State of the Union may consistently will
, the nations constitution, and therefor
lawfully and peacefully Withdraw from th
Union without the consent Of the Uniol
or Of any other State. The little disguis
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