Columbus Democrat. [volume] (Columbus, Miss.) 18??-18??, 1849-03-31

OF VT. hladisun, which was addressed n Az
: PEesicenl molroe in 1870 upon the subject Off
"Missouri restriction" and which letter has ~,
recently been bmglttO light ss part Of an appen
: dig 10 speech Of an honorable Senator from
Florida, (ur Westccst) va find the followinr
{ Psssage:
, The right OF Congress to control the terrific
ries being given from the necessity OF the case
! and in suspension of,he great principle of sell
government, ought no, 10 be extended further moi
ceniiascd longer than the occasion nigh, airl,
tquile."
Here, in this declaration Of Mr.. Madison, him.
set the most authoritative and soundest Of al o.
our constitutional eJpositors. we have all the Is.
srntlal elements OF this territorial power admira.
by compressed into single sentence, and stated
with au ANALYTICAL precision which iorbids mis-.
take IL results from the general ground here
taken by Nj. Madison, first. that the right which
Is founded N necessiy should be controlled by it.
/ and hence tina, Congress should extend to the
territories 10 further control or government than
/ bat which Is demanded by The m IS, general aud
Indispensable Objects Of civil administration. 1t
results also that the government Of the territories
lly tongreS being spsps nsion Of the great RICH,
! y srA.soternmeut By he people Of the territories
themselves. y admissible only whilst the nesesi.
y leri' continues, aud should be surrendered the
moment that neSesstiy--lhe just(ying cause of
i--i' II an end. 1t is YET further deduc ion
from these grounds Of opinion, though in n much
larger and stongrI sense st,ll--a deduction from
the whole scope and tenor oil our representative
system and representative duty-,hat whenever
the ease shall arise in which the necessity for
establishing territorial government shall be met
ami fcsisted-hy a stongcr and iaienspr national
NECESSITY i"r prtermhiug il altogether, that in
thai case the stronger necessity must he allowed
TO prevail, the territorial government be given
", and The young and eGpeclant commonwealth
Instantly taken into The lamiiy OF the States,--
Nhcnever, IN the administration Of public affairs,
smaller and llIgcr interest come into una.
S2tiAhIe conflict with one another, the smaller
elre mast give way. And this is precisely the
state Of affairs before Us now.
We have, on The one hand, our national safety
'opro'eci-a duty which,ot all otheE under EIeav.
IN, II u he mos imperative upon US faithfully
aud i'lfteNbF perorm we have, on the other
hand Territory to provide with government
aud aws--a duy Of far Inferior interest, to be
sure,bu MOTTO be neSircled These are the respec.
they hale often arisen undcr the same cassifi.
cati !, and have often been discharged ID the
pas athpal 'irntiQn Of TIE Government yet nev.
rr hftHe, a, ~ Az know aud feel, did they enter
tn'o an.i o|rrd SO vita MD 30 ia di,sohb'y with
one aao'her %, they d a0w. In tie eh3r-
which we have made 70 discharge our diny 10 the
territories, plans q government for them have
been ctiafcd snd discussed here Which have
hcen prolific Of little else than public apprpheu-
4loGs and alarm, which thus far have served on,
y to auay one great geographical division of
the Lndtd states against another, and TO stir up
between them sPil ot alienation, anmosty,
and hut as utterly inconsistent with the unity Of
'hcti political relationships dangerous to the
continued maintenance oflheir common interest
and common peace.
In this gloomy conjunction Of affairs new
plan o. government for Che Territories is pfrscn.
tcd--a plan oimedis,ion and Of peace; one which
has no connection with auv sectional inteles, or
sectional feeling Of any kind whatever, which
stands aside tom all that source Of heart burn.
ing. jealousy, and disturbance, and which, hay.
ne no serious constitutional objections to en-.
counter, promises, on all these accounts TO put
an immediate and pacific end to a most angry,
harfasSing, aud portentous national dispute
These are its general aspects. As to its more
particular ones what tho Igh il be new and IN
tried aud awkward--w though il consolidate
into one political community vast unwieldy,
disconnected, aud halEpeoplcd rcgion--wha
though il admits to the immediate ennyment Of
all the rights and privileges Of american citizen.
ship, thousands Of foreigners who know nothing
about thenl--what though il conflicts with CIR
own pIecuncclved determinations and views up
on this subject, or rubs, pcradyenurc, against
any prearranged political calculations and hopes
which any Of W may entertain, --What Of all
these objections and all others that can be added
to them, making the most otlhcm and the worst
Of ,hem What are they all when gathered TO-,
geher and piled up to their topmosi aggregatee
pelion upon 0ssa, but the snail dust Of balance
when weighed against--what tmay fairly hop
q accomplish, the pacificaliou and perpetual I'm.
ION more than twenty millions of lreemenl
Let us remember, sir, that our business is no
longer the simple and cemparaiivelY easy one Of
framing the best possible government for a ter
rory considered independently and apart from
its relations TO the Union. Our true business,
on The contrary, is the very opposite Of this; it
is to provide government for the Territories
which, being constitutional and sufficient for
them, shall, at the same Time be best in its pri,
mary reference to the peaceful relations, and
\ therein to the universal welfare, of the States.
Our work IN this matiers no longer limited to
the Territories, either in its motives effects.
goes, under the force and pressure Of events to
The whole country; il goes TO all those vast and
Z unwierable ssnes for good or evil which depend
1pon maintaining that country just as il now la
oae powerful, prosperous, united whole. 1t is,
I therefore emnenlly aud above all others,
work with when no carping, nor faut.fnding,
nor bigoted nor sectional, nor pettoggIng spirit
has anything to do. 1t is one which nothing
less than the largest patriotism, earnestly, loyalty
wisely operating lot the very largest and hottest
euds Of nuhc rnnd. can ever ALTERNATELY OF