Lancaster gazette. [volume] (Lancaster, Mass.) 1828-1830, 1829-02-24

hsuming the doubtful power, he had bro't
} his mind to acquiesce in this somewhat
latitudinarian construction. / opposed
it as long and as far as my opposition
could avail. acquiesced in it, after it
had received the sanction of all the or
ganized authority of the Union, and the
tacit acquiescence Of the people Of the
T United States and Of Louisiana. Since
which time, SO far as this precedent goes,
and no farther, have considered the
question as irrevocably settled.
/ But, in reverting to the fundamental
Iprinciple of all our constitutions, that
obedience is not due to an unconstitu-
tional law, and that its execution may be
lawfully resisted, you must admit, that had
the laws Of Congress for annexing Lou
isiana to the Union been resisted, by the
! authority of one or more States of the
then existing confederacy, as unconstitu-
tiondt, that resistance might have been
carried to the extent Of dissolving the
i Union, and of forming a new confedera-
cy; and that if the consequences of the
cesslon had been so oppressive upon New
England and the North, as was appre-
hended by the federal leaders, to whose
conduct at that time all these observa-
tons refer, the project which they did
then form of severing the Union, and es-
tablishing Northern Confederacy would
in their application of the abstract prin-
ciple to the existing state of things have
been justi6able. In their views, there
fore, | impute to them nothing which it
could be necessary for them to disayow !;
and, accordingly, these principles were
distinctly and explicitly ayowed, eight
years afterwards, by my excellent friend,
Mr.. Quincy, in his speech upon the adj
mission Of Louisiana, as State into the
Union. Whether he had any knowledge
of the practical project of 1903 and A, l
know not; but the argument of his
speech, in which he referred to my re-
corded opinions upon the constitutional
power, was an eloquent exposition of the
justifying causes Of that project, as | had
heard them detailed at the time. The
project, | repeat, had gone to the length
of fixing upon military leader for its
execution and although the circumstan-
ces of the times never admitted of it's ex-
cution, nor even of its full development,
had yet no doubt, in 1903 and 1909,
and have no doubt at this time, that it is
the key to all the great movements Of
these leaders or the federal party in
New-England, from that time forward,
till its final catastrophe in the Hartford
Convention
Gentlemen, observe among the sign.
ers Of your letter, the names of two
members of that Convention, together
with that of the son of its president
You will not understand me as affirming
that either of you was priyy to this plan
of military execution, in 1904. Thi.
may be known to yourselves and not tc
me. A letter of your first signer, re.
Gently published, has disclosed the fact
that he, although the putatiye was not
the real father Of the Hartford Conven.
T ton. As he, who has hitherto enjoyed
unrivalled, the honours, is nov disposed
to bestow upon others the shame of its
paternity, may not the ostensible and the
real character of other Incidents attend.
ing it, be alike diversified, SO that the
main and ultimate object of that assem-
bly,, though beaming in splendor from
f its acts, was yet in dim eclipse to the
vision of its most distinguished mem.
bers
However this may be, it was this pro.
ject of 1903 and 4, which from the time
when first took my seat in the Senare o.
the United States, alienated me from the
secret councils ofthose leaders the fede.
f raj party. was never Initiated in them.
approved and supported the acquisition
of Louisiana and from the first moment
, that the project Of separation was made
| known to me, | opposed to it a determine
ed aud infexible resistance.
t 1t is we'll known to some of you, gen
tlemen, that the cession of Louisiana wa:
: not the first occasion upon which my du
ty to my country prescribed to me {
) course of conduct different from tha
which would.haye been dictated to me BY
l the leaders and the spirit OF party. More
than one ofyou was present at meeting
of members of the Massachusetts Legis
} lature on the 9th May, 1908, the day af
: ter first took my seat as member 0
t that legislature. A proposal then made
: by me, to admit to the council Of the
i Commonwealth, a proportional representa-
, ton of the minority as it existed i'll the
t two houses, has, trust, nor been forgot
| ten. 1t was the first act of my Legislative
life, and it marked the principle by which
my whole publick career has been gov
erned, from that day to this. My propo
sal was unsuccessful. and perhaps it for
feited whatever confidence might have
f been otherwise bestowed upon me as q
f party follower. My conduct in the Sen
ate Of the United States, with regard to
the Louisiana cession, was. not more ac
, ceptabIe TO the leaders Of the federal par
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