Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1845-01-28

all others which may enter hereafter, are "Ne1c
States" in the sense Of the clause have quoted
We'll. within what degrees Of latitude and loHG-
tudc are these "I.r States" 10 be situate and he
Nothing informs us; but the Constitution leaves
all 10 the discretion Of Congress May Foreign
States be admitted into In; Union Yes, 10 be
sure they may, II Congress says so. Thus says
the Constitution, and thus say l.. Au States ont
of The Union are fvreign TO il, and will continue
so until they get IN. Let the New States" come
with a Republican form OF Government, and
Congress is enporcrcd mot Obliged, mind ye, un1
less By Treaty the Government has atTcady bee'l
bound) TO take them by the hand and inlroduca
them into the Union 1t is vast discretion ceI
tanly and full OF responsibility, but it exists, aT
may be exercised, and binds The nation when rs
done. The power 10 declare war also involv4
vast responsibility. Itmay resultin the overhRw
and ruin of the Union OF the States. Yet lis
all coniided 10 the discretion of Congress, and we
become The foes or the friends OF nations, asl il
shall decide.
But, (all thanks to Mr. Madison for his inc III
mabe legacy to his country Of the "Debates \ol
the Convenlion"D We have something more than
the naked isolated power 10 ''admit new States,
to guide us 10 the real purpose OF the Convention
in making ii absolute and unqualified as il IS.
"The Madison Papers" give us graphic history
VI UlU1IeSS VI lHdl W.
venton bul, as il has been much quoted OF late,
need not cite more than will be sufficient 10
show the thing proposed, and the thing done.
The Committee of Detail (who had charge of
Mr.. Edmund Randolph's proposition 10 restrict
the new States 10 be formed within the MsR limits
OF the States) reported thus:
"An. XVIII New States lawfully constituted
and established rithin The limbs Of lie United
States, my be admitted by the Legislature into
this Government, but TO such admission, two
thirds OF The members present in each House
shall be necessary" &c. &c.
Mr. Gouyerneur Morris moved The following
as a substitute Tor the 18th article:
INV STATES MAY BIZ ADMITTED DY THE
GIsLATuRE INTo THE UNION; but no new Siax
shall be created within the limits of any of ths,
present States, without the consent of the Legisla-
ture OF Inc Stale, as well as of the General Le-
gislatnre. The .ffa partto Union" inctuSrc, lcas
agrCcd 10 man. con. The motion 10 substitute was
agreed 10: ayes q, noes s."
This substitute (amcnded in its las; clause, on
motion Of Mr.. Dickinson) was then referred to
the Committee Of Style, arrangement, &C., who,
without The slightest change of its substance re-
ported il in the language in which il now stands
in The Constitution.
Thus, il is seen, that a proposal was delibe-
rale!y and explicitly made in the Convention, 10
sion Of "new States, 10 such only as should be
formed Out Of territories then 1rithin The limits ~
The Uaited Statcs-and that when scrutiny and de-
bate had elucidated the facts and prognosticaed
the consequences, that proposal was deliberately
and explicitly rejected But this was not all
for, not only was the substitute carried, but The
first clause, ltrtirt cut atray all restriction as 10
The ts7ritor9 out Of rhieh The nem States wcyc u he
hrmfG, and hh he po1rcr absolute and unquaEfcd)
bpLac anaAim0nS roic Of Attic States represented IN
the Conrenti0a!
In The face of these well-auhen;icated facts,
with MIR Madison 10 avouch their truth, land he
being within eye-shot and ear-shot Of all that oc-
Cured in the Convention, and who freshly record
cd every thing worth the pains in the very mo-
menl i, ranspred, as he assures us h;mseil) Mr..
Daniel Webster, III his famous Worcester letter
of last year. after quoting The clause to admi. new
States rad the temerity 10 make this very extra
ordinary statement
at would seem very reasonable 10 c0afRc hi,
jnor,son. 10 States 10 he iotmcd oM If I,yritoric.
airecdV Lcion.tag 10 Mc TTi,Cd States and ia re-
gard 10 wh:cli The old Congress, by accepting
the crsson Of Territory from Individual States
aud agreeing 10 the proposed terms OF cesson
had already stipulated that they might be created
and admitted into The Union. Ann o'iu ran
Srnc,iOa wcuid be forted mi rnaoturai,' 81.
With The high authority of Mr.. Madison he
fore me 90 say nothing Of the proofs already adj
dnccd and 10 be adlucei)-l confront Mr.. Web
ster 10 his face and Tell him he is wrons-mosl
palpahly wrong-and that he owes il 10 himself
10 truth, and 10 his country 10 make the aa,eDdc
AonorGbtc, By standing forth and making his H.
harit. HIS position amounts just precisely 10
this that the clause as reported by the Commit
tee ui Detail and the clause alter the excelsior OF
its restrictive adjunc;s by Mr. Morris substitute
which was unanimously adopted by the Convcn-
ton 0aoHrt identitaLiy 10 0nc and lie SQr,e Mine;
in other words, thai The phrase lawfully cox-
sTITUTEp OR ESTABLISHED IN THE UNITED STATES.
NAY DE- ADMITTED" &c, &C.. means precisely
The same Thing as the unqualified phrase, ''SEw
STATES MAY De ADMITTED" as il stands in the
Constitution shorn of that restriction! Resric-
lions rejected and restrictions adopted are, Tor all
practical purposes the same. The Convention
declares, that il will impose no restraints upon
the discretion Of Congress in the admission oi
"new States" as 10 the territory which compose
them being ri;hin or 1rithom the limits Of the
United States; and yet Mr.. Webser maintains
that it did no, TO the very thing it prolessed 10 do,
and which the journals attest il did do! defy
the very genius of sophistry TO wrilhe out OF
the poIemics OF mooed lore, a single audacity OF
Interpretation rvaling this. In all The atitndi-
marian Federalism Of the past, know not an in
stance, where the plain and authentic meaning
OF the Constitution has heen SO wrenched ont OF
joint By a tissue Of such lonuous and jesuitical
readings.
Perchance Mr. Webster, "Aie great 1etcndcr Of
The Constitution" is now 10 sec the facts have
marshaled from the "Madison Papers" for the
frs; time Very probable very probable But
this is sure, that The very Congress Of which Mr..
! Webster may boast quorum magma paJs I'M, had
these memorabilia edited, revised, published and
laid before The country the public expense, and
under its own imposing authority. There they
are, in the Library OF Congress. There they
are, in the Senate Chamber and there they have
been for years and while the great Senator
from New England, "many time and off," has
awakened its classic architecture TO the echoes Of
his historic remembrances and constitutional
lore. There they were too, in the office Of Secre-
taTy OF State while his mighty genius was pom
deling over The projected dismemberment OF
Maine, and taking gauge OF The popular endu-
rance for some future dismemberment OF the Ore
son-yes yes-lhere were "Ihc Madison Pa
pcrs," with their curious and racy pages, wooing
him ont OF his gloomy mazes and dark involve
mcnls, and challenging all scrutiny 10 cduce ont
Of the Legislative history of The Constitution
single passage sanciioning the Federal dismem-
berment of a sovereign State
Put passing rapidly on 10 close, as propose
10 do, must not omit cursory notice OF some
other proofs occurring after the Constitution was
formed, in support OF The position occupy.
10 the XIV. No. of the Federalis (Wriien in
l7ss, by Messrs. Madison, Hamilton and Jay,
with the special purpose Of urging its ratification
upon the !Slates,) attributed 10 the pen Of Mr..
Madison, We find an acknowledgment, evidently
exloued from his franhness, Gil being no purpose
OF The Federaist 10 make an unnecessary parade
Of The po,rcrs conferred on the Federal Govern
menl-for there were great apprehcnsiors enter
lained that the plan would be rejected on account
Of The multiplicity and importance Of the po~crs
delegated 10 IT'D quite pertinent 10 The matter in
hand He says:
"'Thc Immediate object of The Federal Consti-
tuition is, TO secure the union OF the thirteen pri-
lnilive States which VIC know 10 be practicable;
and 10 add 10 them snch oier States as may arle in
their olrn boSoMs, OR IN THEIR NEGHBoRnooDs,
,rhlei re cannot doubt to be equally praeticable.
In 1870, President Washington had good rea\
son 10 cXpeci that Lord Dorchester would apply