, 1842-06-04

The following comprises a part of the
speech ofNIr. Allen, ofOhio, deliveredin
the Senate of the L. States, On the l7th
ut, in relation 10 Mr.. Tyler's unau-
thorized interference in the Rhode Island
difficulties.
Mr.. Allen said lie proposed, before
he sat down, TO submit two other r~esolu-
tons; and, in doing so, he would offer 10
the Senate some reasons upon which
those resolutions were founded. He be-
licycd this had been the habitual prac-
ticc in the Senate; and he hoped that, in
this case, he would not be prevented frcm
following the same practice. He would
read, in TIE hearing of the Senate, the
resolutions which he proposed to offer,
in order that the Senate might Judge of
their propricty. He found upon the files
Of the Senate, I document containing a
series of resolutions, passed by the Leg
islaturc of the State of Rhode Island, BY
which the Governor of that State was
requested 10 inform the President of the
United States, and the two Houses of
Congress, that a new system of govern
mcnt had been adopted in that State and
was now in full operation. 1t had,
therefore, been brought officially TO the
notice Of the Senate that the people OF
Rhode Island had adopted a constitution
al form Of government, and that Govern
ment is now in full operation. This
communication left the Senate no ~alterna-
tive: they could not close their ewes to
the fact that there were, at this time,
two Governments in actual existence
within That Statc-onc Of which must
be right, and the other wrong. In this
state Of affairs, the President of the L.
States had assumed to himself the power
and authority of deciding this vital and
momeutous question, by pledgiug himself
TO support the old form of government
established under the charter granted by
Charles the Second, and against that
Government determined upon and adopt
ed by the people. This being the state
OF the facts, ii wasaqucStion of proprie-
ty and Of rover with the Senate TO take
into considcration-when informed Of
these facts by authority, real or pretend
cd, Of the State of Rhode Island, and
knowing the course which the President
OF the United States had taken in the
mattcr-whether it was consistent with
the duty which they owed to the Consti-
tuition of the country, to remain quiet
spectators of Il civil war, in which the
powers of the Federal Government were
TO be brought TO bear against the consti-
tuition which the people had formed for
themselves, and in support Of that char
ter which had been rendered null and
void by the American Revolution, and
under which, since the period of the
Revolution, that State had no right to
exercise the functions of an integral por-
ton OF this Union, of a sovereign State,
or to send Senators or Representatives
this Congress. They had no more
right to take part in the legislation Of
Union, than they had to sit and leg
islate in the British Parliament. Sir,
MIR. A, the question is n of serl-s
Gus import. More-infinitely more
important is it than any question of
bank, a tariff, or any question of natiOn-
al policy which can arise under our form
government. 1t isa question upon
which rests the whole system of the
civil government of this country, and Of
civil liberties of its people. The
President of the United States has IN
dertakent to decide the question for the
American people-and that, too, against
people themselves. Well, sir,