The southern press., 1850-09-02

lion have been given--by such they will abide,
To that which is reasonable and righteous
thing, have sworn a rational and righteous de-
votion. In this sense, l love and venerate the
Union--not for its name, but for what 1t is and
what 1t does--for the truths it asserts, for the
rights it guards, for the interests it protects. Re-
tain its name, if youplease, and, yet, change ITS
character What claim has it to my regard
Instead of truth, let il assert He-instead OF
guarding rights, let It compass iorong-nstead OF
projecting interests, let it destroy them! Where
fore should either love or venerate IT. IL would
be worthy Of neither. should yield neither. Nor
would you.
In this view, which is the only rational and al
lowable one, whether Of our own, or any form
of government, hold that the Union can never
be dissolved If fulfil the purpose for which it
was formed, it must and will be perpetual. The
people are not fools; and they will see that this is
so. Neither any man, nor any number OF men,
| nor Congress, nor the Executive, nor any State
can dissolve it. Ii was formed by all the
States, and they alone can undo that which they
have done. M 80 gi
/ Silly and contemptible then do those men APP
pear calling themselves statesmen, ,stoo) who have
fallen into the habit Of calculating the value OF the
Union, and naturally end in fippant diatribe
upon its dissolution! What strange notions they
must have of the nature OF our government!
What curious fancies they must entertain OF the
powers of Congress- Hear them, and one, who
| knew no better, might suppose that to dissolve
this Union, and break up this government, were
to be done as easily as break this little straw,
which is accidentally in my reach Or, at most,
that If Congress should disband, and the Presi-
dent go home, the Union would be at an end! !!
How absurd, how utterly preposterous! 1t is
surely waste of time and words, yet must be
permitted, for the benefit of the persons allude
to, to ask if they have, really, ever considered
what would be the effect of the disbanding Of
Congress, and, even of every federal department
ut Washington For an extreme case, let us
suppose that every federal officer, including both
| Houses of Congress, to be in their places at the
| capItal; and, IN an instant that the whole, even
to the extent Of the ten miles square, should be
| sunk thousand fathoms, and forever, out or
| sight Would the Union be dissolved, Not at
all--not for moment. The States, by and be-
tween whom, the Union was formed, and IN
whom sovereignty, and all its functions OF gov
ernment reside, still in existence, intact and
unimpared. The Union continues, saddened it
may be by sucha loss, but unbroken, ,undissolved,
and strong as before the catastrophe. Now elec-
tlons would be held, under competent authority,
the places of the missing servants be supplied,
ana all, again, s'go merry as marriage bell. ~
So much forwhat cannot dissolpe the Union. Eslo
pe,pet,ta
But, there are causes which can, not only weak
i
wicked, 70 disguise or deny the fact. Those
| causes have existed, and at times been actively at
work, ever since the Union was formed. They
consist IN the tendency of power, wherever itmay
| be found, whether in the hands OF individuals or
governments, to cumuate itself, and strengthen
It's own functions. l repeat, those causes have
been at work, and this tendency been manifested,
from the beginning. An instance is seen, when
ever, and wherever, power is exercised, which
the Constitution has not granted. Many such
instances, mere or less serious, and sometimes
alarming from their magnitude, might be citeC..
But the time is not at my disposal. will only
| remark that one aspect of this tendency, and the
most fearful under which il has ever been eXhib-
tied is that which now so disturbs the country
it is the exercise of federal power over the sGpery
question This IL fearful enough, even in relation
to the States, In which the institution exists. But
in that relation, 1t sinks into insgnfcance, in
| comparison with its danger to the Federal Gov
| ernment. will not dwell upon it further, now,
than to say fear more from it, in that regard,
than IN all others, from all other causes COM
bIned II the Union shall ever be destroyed, this
will be the cause and instrument. Overriding the
Constitution, dsregarding rights, and crushing
interests, it will grasp and absorb all other func
tons of government. Towering up, as a great
central power, it will overshadow the States and
swallow up their sovereignty. And then, nothing
Of Union will be left, but its nanle; while one
great consolidated despotsm will fill its place.
Who will love and venerate it then? In this way,
If ever, the Union may be, not dssored, but con-
solidated and destroyed.
| Whether all this shall be, or otherwise
whether hopes,of good, or fears of evil, shall
be realized, no man. whatever his forecast or his
| wisdom. can pronounce But this do know,
| and take occasion now to say-and trust it will
not be deemed inappropriate to arkansas
belong. To her, alone. is due my allegiance; and
all the duty, as citizen or senator, owe to any
earthly power, is consecrated to her. Within her
borders, is my home, and the home and birth
place OF my children. Beyond her, look not
for interest nor for honors. With a generous
confidence, far outgoing any poor merits, she
has filed, to overhowing, the measure of my ani-i
bition. A life Of grateful devotion cannot cancel,
in my heart, the obligation her kindness has inn
posed. Her interests shall be the pole star of my
exertions, and her will the compass of my public
career. Where she leads. will follow--where
she commands, will go. The voice of her APP
proval shall be my highest earthly reward for
devotion to her services. And when death shall
come to sever the ties which bind me to her, in
life, desire to close my eyes within her borders,
and find my last resting place under the green sod
of her generous soil. ,