Weekly national intelligencer., 1847-05-29
FROM THE CHARLESTON MERCURY.
REMARKS OF Mn. CALHOUN

THE CHARLESTON MERCURY.
REMARKS OF Mn. CALHOUN,
Al Meeting Of the Citizens of Charleston, on IueSday
March 8, ls47.
In complying with the request of your
committee address you the general of our affairs in
connexon with the Federal Government, shall restrict my
remarks to the subject OF peculiar domestic institution
not only because by far the most important u.s. but also
because have fully expressed my views my place in the
Senate, on the only other important subject the Mexican
fully in the address of your committee and the re-
solutions accompanying it, The facts are unquestion-
BILE and the conclusions irresistible.
Indeed after all that has occurred during the last twelve
months would be almost idioc doubt that large mao
y of both parties in the savehoing States have come
to fixed determination TO appropriate all the Territories
the United States possessed hereafter be acquired
to themselves to the entire exclusion the savehouing States
Assuming them that to be beyond doubt the grave
vital question is presented for consideration Have they the
power to carry this determination into effect
II will be proper to premise before undertake to
this question, that is my intention to place before you the
danger with which threatened from this determination
plainly and fully, without exaggeraon or extenhaton and
also the advantages have for repelng it. leaving you
to determine what should be adopted for that purpose
now return to the question and Yes they have
the power, as far as mere numbers give it. They will
have majority the Congress- in every department Of
the Federal Government The admission of Iowa and Wis
consn will give them two additional States and majority OF
four in the Senate which heretofore has been shield against
this and other dangers of the kind We already in mi
noiy in the House of Representatives and the Electoral Col
ege that with the loss of the Senate shall be in mi
norty in every department of the Federal Government and
ever must continue if avehoing States should carry
into effect their scheme OF approprang to their exclusive
all the Territories Of the United States. But fortunately u-
der system of Government numbers the only
element of power There others which would give
Vie OF defending ourselves against the threatened danger
if we should be true to ourselves
We have, in the first place, the advantage Of having the
constitution side, clearly and uuquesonably and in
its entire fabrc SO much that the whole body of the in
strument stands opposed their scheme Of approprang the
territories to themselves To make good this
only necessary to remind you that Federal and
National Consolidated Governments distinction essential
to correct understanding of the constitution and our safety
1t ought TO be forgotten overlooked As Federal
Government the States composing the Union its constu
ens and stand In the relation 10 it, in that respect
the individual citizens of State do to its government As
constituent members of the Unon all the territories and other
property of the Union belong hem joint owners or part
ners and not TO the Government as enormously supposed
by The Government is bat the agent entrusted with
the management And hence the constitution expressly de-
clares the territory to be the property Of the United States
that the States united the States Of the Union which
but And hence also Congress has
right to appropriate the territories of the United States
the of any portion of the States to the exclusion of the
Others than has to appropriate in the way the FORTS
other public buildings the navy any other property of the
United States That it has such right, no would
iue 70 assert and yet the one a placed o1act the
ground with the other by the constitution.
Ii this solid foundation that placed the right tbe
saveholdng States full and equal participation in the
territories of the United States opposition 10 the ctermi-
nation Of the avehodng States appropriate them ex
cusvely to themselves II my intention urge them TO
vote, but unable to do consequence of the great
pressure of business during the last few days of session
II felt by those opposed to u.s. that if the foundation on
which placed my resolutions he admitted the conclusion
could be successfully assaed and hence the bold but
unsuccessful attempt sssa the foundation ITSELF by con-
tending that National Consolidated Government
in which the States would stand the Union the counties
do the Sates and be equally destitute of all political rights
Such ba ,,1o.
place and our peculiar domestic institutions the mercy of
the non-slavehodng States but fortunately be main
aned without subverting the very foundation of our entire
political system, aud denying the nconoverble facts
connected with the formation AMI adoption of the constitution
But may be asked what do gain by having the consti-
tuition clearly side when majority the non
savehodng States stand prepared TO deny Possibly such
may be the still fail gain much by the ad-
vantage il gives speak from long experience have
known truth, promptly advocated in the spirit Of truth
fail TO succeed in Tie end. Already there many highly
enlightened and patriotic citizens in those States who agree
with this great and vital point. The effects the dis
cusson will not mprohably greatly increase their NUMBER and
what IS OF no little Importance, induce still greater number
to hesitate and abae somewhat in their confidence former
opinions and thereby prepare the way to give full effect to
another advantage which possess To understand what
is will be necessary plain what is the motive and
object Of this crusade the Of the savchong States
against our peculiar domestic institution.
1t Is clear that does not originate in any hostility Of nte
rests The labor Of slaves does conflict with the profit
of their capitalists the wages their operatives or in any
way njurousy affect the prosperity of those Staes either
as 1t relates to their population wealth On the contrary,
IL greatly increases both sproducts which mainly slim
uate and render their capital and labor proftabe while
saves furnish at the time extensive and profitable
market for what they Annhatc the products their
labor; strike from the list the three great articles which
most exclusively the products Of their labor cotton rice and
tobacco and what would become Of the great shipping nav
eating, cemerca and manufacturing interests of the non
States What Of their Lowels and Walthams
thp New York and Boston, and other manufacturing and
commercial cities What, to enlarge the question: would be-
Of the exports and imports of the Union itself its ship
ping and tonnage its immense revenue, in the disbursements
of which millions in those States, directly indirectly, live
and prosper Fortunately then, tue crusade against do
mcsic institution does not originate in hostility OF ineress
II did The possibility Of arresng the threatened danger
and saving ourselves short Of dsru pon of the Union would
he altogether hopeless predominant is the regard for nte
rest in those States all other considerations
Nor does il originate IN any apprehension that the slave
holding States would acquire undue pepondeance in the
Unon unless restricted to Their present limits II full
share Of the territories should a TO our lot we could
States, the great prepopdeqnce which their population gives
to the savchoing States tho House Of Representatives
and the Electoral College All could hope for would be
preserve equality in the Senate or at most TO acquire
pTeponderance in that branch Of the Government
But originates neither the one nor the other Of these
what the real moGyes and objects Of their crusade against
our intutonf To answer this will be necessary
plain what the feelings aud views OF the people of the
slavehong States IN reference IT, with their effects their
party operations especially IN relation the Presidential
They may reference to the subject under consideration
be divided into four classes OF these the Abotionists pro-
perthe ahd fanatics, who regard slavery as SIM and thus