Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1838-01-09
'Fwemty-saGth aongrcss---2d sess.
In SENATE.
Thursday, December %, 1887.
INTERFERENCE WITH STAIE RlGuTS

III TellilOUS, luNCtiDHs, Inc Qulle5 Oh the IeneTai JD-
vernrneut and the several States, coming up in their or.
der a.
Mr.. Calhoun said, il was not his intention 10 discuss
these resolutions. now or hereafter, except il should be-
come necessary i'll order To repel objections. The reso-
lulIonS spoke for themselves. They had been drawn up
with the ut,nos. care. All, he trusted. would agree in
their correctness. who regarded this as u Federal Repub-
lie, of which Tie Statet were the component pnrts. Those
wIu entertained q different opinion, and regarded this
Government as a great National Republic, whose Gle.
mcnls conssted mt al The several States, but Of The col.
leotiue nassSof j. ~:viduals belonging 10 all the States
taken in the aggregate, would, he supposed, withheld
their assent from these resolutions.
MIR. &. said he presented them rs a test, 10 ascertain
whether there was any one Common ground, OIL which
all that were opposed 10 abolition might be rallied,
and which WIS Ill the same time sufficiently elevated and
strong 10 resist their assaults. All professed 10 be op,
posed 10 abolition; but, it 50 happened, that they had
heretofore been unable to rally a majority on any one
ground against them. When we objected 10 receiving
petitions which insulted every Southern Senator and
the whole of the Southern STATES, we are told that they
could not be rejected without violating the right of Pc
tition; and thus many, Mr.. &. doubled not, who were
opposed 10 the abolItIunisIS were found unfortunately on
their side. il had been s0 on every other particular
question. The result Of the whole was, that Congress
was constantly recedlng beinre the ahohtionlsis. IT wns,
Us he had anticipated, in effect to tell them To go on with
more and more vigOr. In this state of things, all who
were sound. lie would suppose, would see the vast i'm.
porlance of finding some common ground on which all
who were in reality opposed to the wild and dangerous
spirit Of ianaiicIsm now abroad could be rallied. This
he had sought in the higher elements Of our system, and
The necessary relations arising lhcIeirom, passing above
The questions which had heretofore divided this body
He had in these resolutions presented the result OF his
research. They presented a brief ana ysls OF our sys-
TEN, MS far as il related 10 this subject; and what must
be the inevitable and certain tendency of The present
state of things on our institutions. lie hoped he had SO
far succccdrd, that when the Senate came 10 deliberate
on The resolutions, they would sanction them BY a large
majority.
The vote he should regard as testing their views on
The subject of abolition. II The resolutions should be
| rejected, he would consider it as throwing down all con
siilutipunl barriers in the way Of the abolitiorists,
aud laying open the domestic institutions of the
South and West 10 thct attacks. If, III the contrary,
| they should be adopted, he would consider il as 4 pledge
on the part of the Senate, 10 maintain the great prlncl.
Pile, that each State should manage and regulate its own
Institutions, in its own way, without interference from
other States, aud that il stood prepared In GO as far az
the Constitution would permit. 10 carry out their pledge.
If the resolutions were eluded. Mr.. G. would consi-
der it no: only as an admission Of their truth, but also
that Il dread OF diSpleaslng constituents, and putting tn
hazard party prospects, were deemed By the body Of
greater Importance than the obligations OF the Cvnsti.
lut!nn, or the safety Of the Union.
These resolutions, should they be adopted, would be
found, lie trusted, highly salu'ary, in %rectIfying the pub.
lie sentiment, and in putting al rest the fanslrcaI spirit
which threatens so much danger to our Institutions
The idea that this was one great national republic, 10
which the States hore the same relation that counties do
IN n State. and in which, OF course, the voice OF an alb.
soluIe numerical majority WIS without any practical re.
straint, he had long believed, if not the source Of that
fanalical spiri, which had rnised this crusade against our
institutions, wus The cause tina. had excited it into action.
The untldote was TO lie found in the opposite view of our
system; that it was n tcderate republic; that the States
composed its parts, and that the Union was formed and
entered into for the purpose Of their mutual advantage
and security. He felt confident that State rights wuu!G
be found in this, as in all other cases Of difficulty and
danger, the only conservative principle in The system;
The only one that could i~nterpose an efrcluai check to
the danger, and restore harmony and concord 10 the
Union.
MIR. c.. would not urue the Senate 10 4 vote on the re-
solulions now; and If no Senator desired to shy anything
at present, he would move TO postpone them till Wcdnes.
day next, with an understanding that the Vermont rrsn.
lutions should come up on Thursday. He wished these
to he considered in advance Of the Vermont resolutions;
the reason why he would state on llut occasion. lie
wished them to undergo a solemn considerations; il e was
due TO the country generally, and the section he in part
represented in particular.
Mr.. Preston said that, having for the first time seen
these resolutions in the Globe Of this morning, he had
had no opportunity Of examining them with the alien.
lion lie should have wished he could not but approve,
az of course. of the abstract princip pies they contained, SO
lar as he could Judge from a hasty perusal they were
principles which, as it was well known. he (Nr. P) had
nlwavsasseried. and was always ready al every time 10 as.
sprt. He wns very doubtful however, what success would
flow from mere resolutions Of This description, however
jusl and correctthey might be in the abstract. lie was rsa.
DIV TO admit that abstract principles were in themselves
Of very great Importance: there could be- no doubt Of that.
But when il vas found by Oft experience that abstract
principles were not attended with conformity in practice,
but, on the contrary, were either tranpled under foot or
argued away, then it appeared 10 him that the mere re.
assertion of abstract primer pies To those who have shown
that they do not regard them, is, TO say the least, but
labor lost Asa proof of the futilily Of abslractinEs and
mere professions, he wonfd say, IL had fallen 10 his LOT
TO have been uniformly the advocate of State rights on
this floor, and. in advocating those rights, he had repeat.
edly found Himself placed in direct opposition to that
yery party which professedly advocated and pretended
10 assert The same rights. and that was the so styled great
"DEMOCRhTIC JE~FFERSONlAN REPUBLICAN
PARTY" This was, perhaps, enough to show that the
observance of abstract principles, and The declaration Of
assent 10 them, are two very different things, and that
they are most often violated where they are most loudly
proclaimed. Under Hi, impression, he felt no conf
dence whatever in again resort'ng TO mere creeds and
distractions for The protection Of Southern rights. Mr..
p. declared himself 10 be most willing to 90 with his col.
league (hir. Calhoun) in these resolutions, or in any
other measure. provided he could see n reasonable pros
pect of benefit 10 the South; but he felt obliged to de-
clare. that he could not see any advantage likely Ia be
gained by the mere reiteration OF trnisms, acknowledged
on all sides. TO him it appeared that united action on
the parl Of Southern gentlemen was chiefly 10 be desired
an action on which they should proceed, not indivi.
dually. but conformity and with unanlmity' Al this mo-
menl there was a prospect OF snch action; measures were
now in cnnte mplaiion, and unaniInily was The only thing
required to give effect to these deliberations.
Three years ago (said Mr.. P) this very same plan was
recommended, viz. that of having recourse to an expo.
si,ion Of fundamental principles. II was tried, and II
signally failed. How did il result? What were its con-
sequences: we now witness lis effects in the increase
OF this agitation. The disease was becoming more inve'
terate; j, has increased, instead Of being checked; and it
is entirely attributable to this proceeding. But until the
Senate, instead of giving countenance 10 ogi,ating dis
cussions and useless reasonings, shall follow the exam
pie of The other House. and put a stop decidedly and al
once 10 the whole subject and It's entrance here, the dis.
order will only increase, and that ienfold. He (Mr. p
was clear in his idea, notwithstanding the contrary sen.
timent of his honorable friend from Kentucky, (Alr.
CLAY) This thing (snid MIR. P must be ended, and
not argued; this wound must be closed, and not at every
moment torn open afresh.
He denied that the Senate was a competent jnrisdic-
ton he would mol have the rights Of the South argued
before il he would not stand here to be outraged and
insultcd; the Thing should be treated as eoram non JUDGE;
49,. = question M, IN he tried here. Such resolutions as