11 in this liberty which our fathers established, shall the individual man—if not, then shall the individual neighborhood or county— if not then shall even the individual State or States—be allowed by the whole to take any step they choose, at any time and for any cause they please, (for the cause is a minor consideration, so far as the effect of their action upon the whole is concerned,) whether such step bring disaster and ruin to the whole, themselves included, or whether it does not; for even the result is also a minor consideration in comparison with the great question now to be forever decided. I think, in the above statement, I have stripped the abstract issue of each and every temporary concomitant. On this great question, of how far liberty of action rightly extends, our dear country has always been divided. As to the subordination of the individual man to the integrity and order of the whole, there has never been a question. As to the subordination of a county, or number of counties, there has never, until within the past week, arisen a question. And the fact that, practically, in this turmoil, the hitherto unraised question of the subordination of a county or counties has rolled up unexpectedly to the surface, and opened itself also out for decision, only renders more clear the fact, that the great question I have stated is the oniv real issue before us. But third, as to the subordination of a State or States, there has always been an open question. The North have generally held one view, the South have universally held another. 1 say generally, with a remembrance of the Hartford Convention Ixdbre me. Thus this question was not settled at the Revolution ; it has never been settled since; it has divided great parties; it has been ever wailing and ready on various provocations, not only in the South, but once at least in the North, to explode into an open issue. The question to be decided before November, was the further advance, nay, if you please, the continuance or ultimate downlull of slavery. But since the election, the question of human bondage has, like a conjurers touch, but raised and laid open to the quick this other greater issue ; since, in attempting to decide the leaser, States liavc been urged to asaert practically a
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