The daily Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1841-1845, 1845-03-19
SPEECH OF MR.. DICKINSON,
or Nsw YORK,
ON THE ANNEXATION OF TEXAS.
Delivered in tAe Senate Of The United Stafea
February 22, ss45.
[continued.l


grsss TO admit Texas into The Union. This ques
ton had been fully and ably discussed that he |
would give Il only passing notice. The clause OF
the Constitution comforting this power Is In the FOL
lowing words:
"New States may be admitted by the Congress into
this Union but no new State shall be formed or
erected within the jurisdiction of any other State,
any State 10 be formed by the junction Of two or
States parts Of States, without the consent
Of the legislatures OF the States concerned, well
as Of the Congress"
This language plain, clear and unequivocal
and If il meant wha, II purported there remained no
doubt Of the power But every effort which legal inge-
nuy could devise had been put IN requsition TO IN
vent some reading establish principle OF con
struoon by which the power should rather be denied
than gwen.
Mr. Justice Story, ia his valuable Commentaries
on the Constitution, says
In the first place, then, every word employed ia
the constitution Is to be expounded ia its plain, obv-
Gus, and common sense unless the context furnishes
some ground 10 CONTROL qualify. or enlarge H. Con-
slilutons are not designed for metaphysical or log
cal subteties, fer ncees OF expression, Tor critical
proprety for elaborate shades OF meaning, or Tor The
exercise OF philosophical acuteness, or judicial re-
search They are instruments Of practical nature,
founded on the common business OF human life, adapt
ed TO common wants, designed for common use, and
fitted for common understandings. The people make
them the people adopt them the people must be
..,tI ,b. hall If
49,. and canno, h ,r.s,,,.d 10 Ami, in them any
reoondite meaning, or any extraordinary gloss"
~,
Inc CONSTITUTION, tnen, lsAiu lhr, " hectares
tnat nc" o'a'es hhy DC admiteo oy Oousrcss anu
'he Iohsu'u'ion Is 70 DC reau' UNDERSTOOD anu con
strued UPON principles of plain common sense and
upon such reading, understanding and construction
who shall maintain that no such power is con-
ferred'
bu' u Is salu, WIN mueh apparent eohhuehee' ana
80 So 60 ,ssi, g. - rTni,.d
S,a,.s =, - - =, RI I'Gis?e ~ ~. -
49,, 49, ,.o.sar,, 80 aanr',a ~ e. c.,.h.j 80,
- -, ~ r.od :, a. si'.ea, "a aans.a
~ r., H., 49, r. 80 IL ca",i,,,in
- - -, a., 49, is ~ $500 ', 'D i Ca,i
ia ,iaia - ~ ~ ;',S ~ ,Ina,s
" W, =, isSn} n.,, was % SiiSpsS
a.. 80, VI
' e ''"''' y W, ''' aseoi , a's ,,I
above
Resort had been had 10 the history Of the times 10
find some authority for .xnunging hi, pIain power
from the Constitution, or Tor introducing into the in
strument some qualifying language.
The debates of the members of the Convention,
their correspondence, public and private, al the time,
as we'll as the opinions Of individual members after
wards are now eagerly sought for to reverse and
overrule one Of the planest provisions of the Con-
stuton. He admitted that there were cases where
this mode of construction was admissible but this
not one for the language did not fairly admit Of
doubt and for this position he had also the authority
of Justice Story who SAYS:
"con,emnorary construction ia ,,onsrlv resorted
10 IN llustrate and cortrm The Tow, ., NH, do,,bt
All nbya,, ar 10 ,,no,,nd am 60, .I,, and IN nro
portion to the uniformity and universally of that con-
structon, and the known ability and talents of those
by whom it given is the credit TO which it is eu-
titled 1t can never abrogate the text; it can never
frtter away its obvious sense it can never narrow
down its true limitations il can never enlarge its ma
tural boundaries"
Ru, If con,emnor,neous b;s,or, ,,os admissible lie
whole evidence was ,ga;ns, ,bsn, na ,y.nt 10 ann
no., III. o,,ross nou,or 81 ,L ',,,,,; srt
ORIGINAL articles az Confsdsraton nrn.dsd far the
ad4iss;on or Canada INTO Tho ITn;on Mr Madsnn
in the FederaIst sneak;ny If he nmisso, to nro,
vide by the articles of Confedera,;on for The admi
s,nn IN ,bs JTn;on of nsv s,,.,s a,s thon IN. colo
mas and or ,hs aayan,aa. d.;vad ,hrh,. -, ,h |
Constitu,ion save. |
-
We nave seen inc Inconvenience Oh this omission,
snu VIC aS'uu,Po" y, power in'o which Sonsress
mas 1een leu py IT. WIN great propr'e'y, therefore
mas "e NC" system S"Pp"ea me a9ee''
The objections now raised in the Senate were I'M |
successfully urged upon the adoption of the Constitu
found to be as old as that sacred instrument They
created neither intimidation nor alarm then, and why |
should they now' They were then quieted by the |
calm and elevated reasoning Of the patriots of that
interesting period, and might now be met with few |
words from the same pure and inexhaus,ible foun-
Madison IN ~. d;snnss,on IF ,hns. vsrv nna,,;o.s
and in v,nd;c.,;ng The th,n nor Cons,;,n1,;or IA
q ,I,in;r ,ho h.n. e,s ,rh;oh ;,a oa,; ,a 80
fer saws. 40 "'r'' w"
AN mat remains "Nnh TINS pranch Oh our inquiries
IS, 10 take hotce OF an opJectlon mat may be drawn
rom Tue erea' eA'en' OF country wnich the Union
embraces re" ooser'a''ohs on TINS SUBJECT VIII be
'he moe proper as IS perceived ,na' the aaVersa
mes OF me ne" constitution are avanng themselves OF
prevailing pIfJuuce WIN regard 70 me Practcape
sphere Oh republican administration IN oiaer 10 sup
ply, by imaginary u''hcuiies' the want OF ,hese solid
objections ~h'cn 'ney ehaeaSor IN vain 10 ma.
Inc error when minus repnp,'cah government to
aharro" district mas oeeh un'oiuen ana rented IN