The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1851-10-06


that instrument. il has no resting place in tin
h minds or imagnatons Of men.
81 Let the States withdraw the Constitution, IN,
where is the government Can you hnd it any
where! Withdraw the Constitution and wher,
is your Congress- Can you find member o
il, from Henry Clay down to the lowest fodera
parasite who sits 10 its halls? Withdraw you
Constitution. will you find the President! Ans
if he should remain at Washington, who vii
feed him! He would have To pay his own ex
penses In hunting up a government that does
not exist
Without your Constitution, where is is you
Supreme Court of the United States? Has 4
resting place on the globe! Stripped of it'
ermine, without bench to sit upon, or an ex
chequer to support it. What would be the con
dition of your honor If you attempted TO hold
circuit court! What marshal have you The
power of his staff becomes as impotent as your
order,--aN Is gone.
| have INDUCED in these playful enquiries not
for the purpose Of ridicule but to prove that the
Constitution is the only foundation of the gov.
erDment, and that all Of its parts are necessary
and indispensable to that foundation, and that
there is no government without it.
The United States government is wholly IN
like State government, and is inferior to it in
dignity and power. The latter is substantial il
has boundaries. it has people, and il the form OF
its government was destroyed, those people have
sovereignty, and could make another government
There is substance in tire State government, and
whenever they choose to destroy the general
government they made, there is not then man
left from whom Ph@nx-like, another govern
ment could be regenerated There is nothing
intrinsic in the government of the United
States under a withdrawal Of the Constitution.
1t has no boundary, no jurisdiction, no popula-
| tion not foot of land to rest on, nor a single
man, woman, or child to act or be acted on, and
and yet, in its attempt to pervert its power and
become greater than its creator,
ssDressed In little brief authority.
Plays such fantastic TRICKS before high Heaven,
AS make the angles weep"
Being tenant at will, its authority ceases the
instant that will is determined.
These positions are too clear to be contested
by the most reckless Federalst or AboItionist,
and yet Seward and his coadjutors say that they
are governed by higher law, their conscience.
Conscience Conscience never gave a scat to a
senator He holds that seat by virtue of the
Constitution alone, which he has frequently
sworn to support. What mani and mrable
dictu" what a set of men who act with him!
The Constitution grants power to the United
States government, and makes perfect govern
ment Of it, but it is at the same time a limited
government, which limitations are to be regarded
and obeyed. Let us examine, for illustration,
few clauses Article lst, section 2d-' All le-
gislatve power herein granted, shall be vested
in Congress of the United States, which shall
consist of Senate and House of Representative
Mark, unlimited Legislative powers have not been
granted. but only the legislative powers herein
granted, which are found to be specific when you
refer to the powers of Congress. Same section
provides, q No person shall be a representative
who shall not have attained to the age of
twenty five" This is a restriction as to age.
1t is the law, and must be obeyed; but know
young gentlemen from eighteen to twenty three,
who would make much better and more patriotic
members than many Of our Southern represent
tatives,
SECTION Sd. The senate shall be composed of
two senators from each State.
| ARTICLE ID. The executive power shall be
vested in President of the United States Of
America He shall hold his office during the
term of four years. +
ARTICLE Sd. The judicial power of the United
States shall be vested in a Supreme Court, and
such other inferior courts as Congress shall
| from time to time 0rdain and establish.
/ Very we'll: We have all the departments of
a perfect government granted, but the powers
ally particularly described and defined.
In article first, SECTION 9Th, it is declared that
Congress shall have power TO lay and collect
taxes, duties, imposts and excuses to pay the
debts and provide for the common defence and
general welfare Of the United States" The
above power is clearly granted, and is the main
section which the Federalists and Abotionists
prevent, to give them absolute power over every
subject and every intei est. The States rights
party of former days commended that the clause
was only intended to confer upon Congress the
power TO raise money for the purpose Of paying
the debts, providing for the common defence and
general ,oelfare of the United States and they
we're certainly right, for if Congress had been
clothed by this clause with an undef fined and
general power to legisate upon all subjects
which 1t might conceive for the general melfare,
such power would destroy every limitation and
restriction in the Constitution. They might
overturn the State governments, and convert the
United States government into an oligarchy or
absolute monarchy There would be no necss-
sity for any limitation, if that clause was 10 be
so construed, indeed under such construction
that clause would have been all the clause in the
Constitution, "a it repeats all Others. The last
clause in the section enumerating the powers Of
Congress, declares that Congress shall have the
sary and proper for carrying into execution the
foregoing powers vested by this Constitution in
the government of the United States or in any
department or officer thereof" This is all right
and proper and which all Constitution abiding
men are willing to grant, but mark it Is re-
stricted TO laws to carry into effect only the
powers granted. ur r.s.g,g
There are other clauses of the Constitution
equally obligatory as the foregoing, viz: "The
enumeration in the Constitution Of certain rights
shall not be construed to deny or disparage
others retained by the people" Again" The
powers not delegated to the United States by
the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the
States, are reserved TO the States respectively,
or to the people," Again, article fourth, sec
ton Cd, declares that no person held to service
or labor In one State under the laws thereof
escaping into another, shall in consequence of
any law or regulation therein, be discharged
from such service or labor; but shall be de-
livered up on claim Of the party to whom such
service or labor may be due" Again, Congress
shall make no laws respecting an establishment
of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise
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