Weekly national intelligencer., 1850-03-16

purvleW oil conSutullonal leglsiduoH tclc HAS ueeh
no system of political measures by which the
character of the Government has been changed
from its original design and intention.
That there has arrived in the course of events, a
change of the relative power of the South and the
North (and West is undoubtedly true. But that
change has been in the course of nature; no more
cause of Just complaint by the South than the alter
nation of the seasons, the rising and setting of the
sun, the ebb and flow of the oceanic tides. Nor is
this national progress just cause of complaint by
the South against the Union for it is the work of
the Constitution, in precise fulhlment of its great
design and contemplation, that the United States
would increase and multiply and become great
and popuous nation. The idea of an equilibrium
established by the Constitution is theory, how
ever Ingenious that has no foundation in the Con-
stituton, nor any warrant in history. The Const.
tuition recognises, in its distributions of power no
distinction of races, geographical divisions, but
one power and one interest-that one, the interest
of the People of the United States; not the men
and women then living, but them and their sue
cessers in all time to come.
Nor does it follow, from any or all the premises
of the distinguished Senator, that the character Of
the Government of the United States has been
changed, by its legislative or judicial action, from
that in which it originally came from the hands Of
its trainers 6 into the form of great consolidated
democracy That it is great CONSOLIDATED
UNION, true: but it is equally true that it came
such from the hands of its trainers, and was adopt
ed as such by the People in the several State Con-
ventions in which it was ratified. This is point
so clear that it is surprising that any mistake should
exist about it in the minds of intelligent men.
1t lies at the very foundation of the structure of
Government The trainers of the Constitution, in
presenting the work of their hands to the People of
the several Sates explicitly stated it to them, il the
letter signed, by the unanimous order of the Con-
vention, by GEORGE WASHINGTON, the President
of that body, under date of September II, 1857:
/" In all our deliberations on this subject said
: they, "a0e kept steadily IN our uiec that ohich
appears to as the greatest interest Of eUery true
8 american, THE CONSOLIDATION OF OUR UNItN, IN
,chich is inuolved our prosperity, felicity and
safety-perhaps our national existence This
important consideration, seriously and deepy i'm
pressed on our minds, led each State in the Con-
vention to be less rigid in points of inferior mag
nitude, than might have been otherwise expected;
and thus the Constitution, which we now PRESENT,
is the result of spirit of amty, and of that mutual
Difference and concession which the pecufarity
Of our political situation rendered indispensable.
That it will meet the full and entire appreciation
Of every State, is not perhaps to be expected
but each will doubtless consider, that, had her in
terest alone been consulted, the consequences
: might have been particularly dsagreeable 0. in
. furious to others. That it is liable to as few
q hove baap /,
2 ed, we hope and believe that it may promote the
lasting welfare of that Country dear to us all,
and secure her freedom and happiness, is our most
ardent wish
From the theories, however, let US turn to the
practical conclusions of the Address of the great
Southron. His conclusions are, that /" there is but
one way in which the Union can be saved;'' and
that is, by adopting such measures as will satisfy
the States belonging to the Southern section" that
i" they can remain in the Union consistently Wifh
their honor and safety" If the Union is only to
be saved by this process, it is indeed in danger.
If can be saved only by surrendering all the poll
cy of the Government, and all the interests of the
People, to the caprice or momentary pleasure Of
half dozen States, it cannot last long. For, were
the Union 10 be saued now, what security would
the Union have that the Southern section will
not be discontented" again next year? Among
the several concessions demanded for the South is
one known to be impossible; that is, an amend
ment to the Constitution (which will restore to the
South in substance the power she possessed Of pro-
tecting herself before the equiiibrins between the
sections was destroyed by the action of this Gov
ernment." No amendment Of the Constitution,
were it practicable, could restore" state Of things
which never had any existence. In the past, far
from there having existed any actual equilibrium
the South through the Presidents which it has fur
nished, has ruled the Government for forty-eght
out of the sixty years of its existence, and pre-
sent Chief Magistrate is also as South even as his
first predecessor, the iustrous Southerner whose
mortal remains repose on the western bank of
the Potomac" During the three single terms Of
Northern Presidents, moreover, Southern influence
predominaed in the Legislative Halls, if not in the
Cabinet. All this power, all this influence, resulted
from the concession made by the North to the
South, the West being then yet unpeopled, in the
formation of the Constitution.
An amendment to the Constitution, now said to
be demanded by the South condition of remain
ing in the Unioa is, have said, known to be i'm
possible 1t would besides, if its features are cor
recty reported, could it be adopted not only be i'm
practicable, but, ipso yfacto, disruption of the
Union.s