Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1833-03-26

wv security ~ our nnerleS IS, and we mean to maintain
ana TO defend it, in its plain sense and unsophisticated
meaning.
The sense of the gcntleman's proposition, therefore, is
not al an affected, one way or the other, by the use OF this
WORD. That proposition still is, that our system of Co
vernment is but a compact between the people of separate
and sovereign States.
Was it Mirabcau. Mr.. President, or what other master
u the human passions, who has told us that words are
things They are indeed things, and things of mighty
influence, not only in addresses TO the passions and high
wrought feelings OF mankind, but in the discussion of le-
gal aud political questions also; because a Just conclusion
is often avoided, or a false one reached, by the adroit SUBJ
su'uuoh OF one phrase, or one word, for another. OF this
we have, l think, another example in the resolutions be-
fore us.
The first resolution declares that The people of the Sc
veral States I" dcceded' to the constitution, or to the con-
sutuuonal compact, as it is called. This word ' occede,'
not found either in the constitution itself. or i'm the rati6ca-
ton OF it by any one Of the States, has been chosen for use
here doubtless not without a well considered purpose.
me natural converse of accession is secession and,
therefore, when IL is stated that the people of the States
dcceded 10 the Union, it may be more plausibly argued
lhat they may secede from il. If, in adopting the constitu-
uon, nothing was done but a~cceding to a compact, nothing
wou'a seem necessary, in order to break it up, but 10 Sc
cede from the same compact. But the term is wholly out
oil place recession, as a word applied TO political associ-
atons, implies coming into a league, treaty, or ~confedera-
cy, by ono hitherto a stranger TO it and secession implies
departing from such league or coniederacy. The people
oil The United States have used no such form of expressions,
In establishing the present Government. They do not saw
mat they dccede 10 a league, but they declare that they
OrdGin and establish a constitution. Such r the very
words OF the instrument; itself; and in all the States, with
out an exception, the language used by their conventions
was, that they ratified the constitution - some of them
"iWlh Nt AlAlJu hOIuo - ~ente d m - auODt-
ed but all OF them g ratiiying." There is more impor-
lance than may, at first sight, appear, i'm the Introduction
0 ''s new word by the honorable mover of these resolu-
uons' lis adoption and use are indispensable 10 maintain
those premises, from which his main conclusion is 10 be
afterwards drawn. But, before showing that, allow me 10
remark, that this phraseology tends TO keep out OF sight
the just view OF our previous political history, as well as
10 suggest wrong ideas as TO what was actually done when
the present constitution was agreed TO. In l7e9. and be-
lore us Constitution was adopted, the United States had
already been in a Union, more or less close, for fifteen
years. AT least as lar back as the meeting Of the first
Congress, in l77l they had been, in some measure, and
20 some hauohai purposes, united together. Before the
confederation OF 1871, hey had declared i'm 'ependenco
Jointly end had carried on the war jointly, both by
sea aud land and this, not as separate Stalee, but as
one people. When, therefore, they formed that COME
deration, aud adopted IS articles as ar icles of per.
pelual unicn, they did not come together for the first
time; and, therefore, they did not speak OF the States as
dccedtnS TO the confederation, although il was a league.
and nothing bat a league, and rested on notbing but nIiSbt''
ed lain Tor It's performance. Yet, even then, the States
were not strangers o each other; there was a bond Of uni
on already subsisting between them; they " ere associated
-; and the otjec OF the confederation was TO make a s,rou-
ger ana oeueroond oil union. Their representatives DELHI
Grated together on these proposed articles of coniedera-
eon; ano' oeieg authorized by their respective States,
hhaHy "rGfYIed and cGiJfrmed'' them. Inasmuch as
they were already in union, they did not speak of acced-
ing 10 the new articles Of confederation, but of ratifv.
ing ana cohYTnltnS them; and this language was not
used inadvertently, because, in the same instrument. acces-
SION Is used in IFS proper sense, when applied TO Canada.
which was altogether a stranger TO The existing IJnion
" Canada" says the llth article, "Gcceding 10 this o
federation, and joining in the measures OF the United
States, shall be admitted into the Union"
Having thus used the terms rGt1y and CON firm, Won
IN regard TO the old confederation, it would have been
strange, indeed, if the people of the United States. o1,cr
It's formation, and when they came to establish the present
constitution, had spoken OF the States, or Of the people of
the States, as Gcceding 10 this constitution. Such ian.
guage would have been ill-suited TO the occasion, IL
would nave implied an existing separation or disunion
among the States, such as never has existed since I771
NO such language, therefore, was used. The LANGUAGE
actually employed is, ADOPT, ratify, OJdain. establish
Therefore, sir, since any State, before she can prove
her right to dissolve the Union, must show her an,bori,S
10 undo what has been done, no State is at liberty TO Sc
Egng ON la uTnInI that cl. .~1 III. g..
nothing but decede. She must show that She has a rioht
to reueTSe what has been ordained, 10 unsenTe and orer.
MTOt0 what has been established, to reject what tho neo
pie have adopted, and to 6redk up what they have ratified:
because these are the terms which express he transactions
which have actually taken place. In other words, sho
must snow her right to make a revolution.
IL, MIR. President, in drawing these resoIuions tho
honorable member had confined himself TO the use of con.
stituiiOnal language, there would have been a vyido and
awful hiatus between his premises and his conclusion.
Leaving out the two words compact and accession. which
are not constitutional modes OF expression, and stating the
matter precisely as the truth is, his first resolution ,Sould
have affirmed that The peOpie If the several States yoi.
bed fhiS Constitution. or firm of Government. These
are the very words of South Carolina herself in her Nv
act oil ratIhcalon. Let then, his first resolution tell .be
exact truth; let it state the fact, precisely as il oxists. let
1t say tina. the people of the several States ratified a con.
sutuhon, or form OF G~overnment; and then, sir. what win
become OF his inference in his second resolution. which
IS IN these words, viz: " that, as in oil other eosss
Of compact, among sovereign PARTIES. eoch has nm
equal right TO JUICE fer itseD, as ,eeH of the in.
Traction as Of the made and measure of reJ,ess3'
II Is obvious, Is 1t not, sir, that this conclusion re-
i""NS w ~ SuPpOlt qute olDeF premises, II TcQuiros
premises which speak OF accession and of comDncf be-
tween sovereign Powers, and, without such premises il
is altogether unmeaning.
MIR. President, ifthe honorable member will truIv st,to
what the people did In forming this constitutions. and thon
state what they must do II they would now nndo what
ihey then did, he will unavoidably state a case of reyolu.
ton. Let us see il IL be not so. He must stale. in tbe
hrst place, that the people Of the several States adoptcd
and rau1ed this constitution, or form Of Government: and.
IN the next place, he must state that they have = riSbt IN
undo this; that IS TO say, that they have a right to disc,rd
me form OF Government which they have adopted, and
to break up the constitution which they have ratified
Now, sir, this is neither more nor less han saving that
ihey have a right 10 make a revolution. To reject an es.
taOhshed Government, 10 break up a political constitution.
is revolution.
J deny dat any man can state, accurately, what was
done by the people, in establishing the present conshtu.
uon' aud then state, accurately, what the people, or any
part OF them, must now do 10 get rid Of its obligations.
without stating an undeniabe case Of the overthrow of Go.
yerhmen' admit, Of course, that the people may, if
they choose, overthrow The Government But. then tbat
Is revolution. The doctrine now commended for is. tbat.
by nuHyteafioH or secession, the obligations and aud,ori-
~ oil the Government may be set aside or rejected. with
~ revolution. But that is what I deny; md what saw
IS That no man can state the case with historical accuracy.
aud IN constitutional language, without showing that lie
honorable gentlcman's right, as asserted in his conclusion.
IS Revolutionary right merely; that it does not, and can
nor exist, under the constitution, or a~grecably to The con-
shluton, but can come into existence only when the ron
sututOn - ovefthrown. This is the reason, sir. which
language for q new vocabulary, and 10 substitute. in ts
place Of plain historical facts, a series Of assumntons
This Is the reason why u is necessary 10 give neg names
TO things, 10 speak OF the constitution, not as a constitution.
but AZ a compact, and Of the notifications BY the peopje.
not az rahhcdhons, but as acts Of accession.