The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1851-05-05

necessary TO their happinsss Elliott's Debates
vol. !, p. 327.
Now what ia meant by the words the peo
pie" in these papers! Why the people of the
States respectively, from whom the powers ofthe
new government were derived. They could moi
have meant the people of the United States, az
one people, for such a people did not make the
Constitution, nor was there any mode by which
such people could act.
| Messrs MADISON and HAMILTON wanted the
States to ratify the Constitution without condi-
ton or qualification. They refused-and an
nexed conditions or qualifications. And now il
is pretended by the Intelligencer that because
these gentlemen were opposed to conditions or
qualifications, therefore there are none. This is
argument with a vengeance. The conclusion is
precisely and plainly the reverse. The opposi-
lion made by such eminent men as MADISON and
HAMILTON to conditional or qualified Publications
as wrong in themselves and as fatal to the very
validity of ratification ITSELF only demonstrates
the Importance and materialty of the qualicn-
tons or conditions themselves, since the States
who insisted on them not only Overruled HAM
ILToS aud MADISON, but risked their connection
with tho Union itself, rather than relinquish
them. To say now, therefore, that those cond-
tons or qualifications are without meaning or
effect, is to accuse not only HAMILTON and MApT-
SON, but Virginia and New York, of folly, in
attaching such great Importance to them.
The State of New York did not, as was con-
tempated, accede to the Union on the condition
of an immediate adoption of certain amendments
to the Constitution. That would have rendered
her right to membership questionable--at least
until the other States decided on the amend
ments. But she adopted the wiser course of
Virginia-to accede Immediately, on an express
Of a right to recede, or to re-assume
the power she granted And she improved on
the Virginia qualification. That reserved the
right Of resuming the powers granted whenever
they should be perverted to her injury or op-
preston. But New York reserved the right of
her powers whenever it became ne
cessary to her happiness. And on her admis-
sion, this condition or qualification enured at
once to all the other States.
The Constitution went into operation in 1889.
Nine years afterwards, in 1898, Mr.. MADISON
called on the State Of Virginia TO resist the
alien and sedition laws. The resolutions offered
by him in the Legislature of that State, asserted
the right and duty of the STATES, in a case of de-
liberate, dangerous, and palpable usurpation Of
the federal government to interpose and arrest
the evil Now, what did Mr.. MADISON mean by
Stale interposition? 1t has been pretended that
he meant only the right of remonstrance But
we know better. We know that the Virginia
legislature took measures to arm the State
that it authorized the governor to call out the
militia to resist the federal government in GER
tain contingencies, and it provided for loan of
$4,000 to arm Kentucky. And Gen. WASH
INGToN himself, who acted then with the Fed
era party, declared that these acts of the legis-
lature contemplated disunion and COERCION 1t
is plain that Mr. MADISON then thought that the
State had constitutional right to resist the
federal government, or that he was traitor. If
she had such a right, it must have resulted from
the qualifying clause in her ratification, Or from
some clause in the Constitution itself If the
latter, Mr.. MADISON was nulliier-if the
former, a secessionist. To deny now that he
was one or the other in 1898, is to ascrbe to
him an ignorance of the meaning of words, not
only when he objected to qualified ratification in
80, but when he drew up the resolutions Of 9S
Since then it is evident that the States Of yir-
GINA and New York meant something by the
pertinacity with which they adhered to the right
of secession at the risk of defeating the Consti-
tuition, and in opposition to HAMILTON and MADE
SON the question recurs, what are the circum-
stances that justify its exercise!
This Union has resulted in monopoly of
commerce by the Nor!h,-the consequence of
receiving at few custom houses nearest Eu-
rope the foreign merchandise consumed by all
the States. The monopoly of manufactures
results from the monopoly Of commerce--nnd
thereupon the taxing system operates as direct
benefit to the same section, and hence popula-
ton is attracted to it. The South has beheld
this process with patience and resignation, and
has fallen back on agriculture, and yet rendered
herself wealthy and Gourishing. Yet, now her
agriculture is attacked by The government in tie
two great elements of land and labor. If sec
lion can stand the antagonism Of its own gov
eminent to the three elemental conditions of So
cety, agriculture, commerce and manufactures,
if it can witness the Encouragement of all, if it
can behold industry and trade bribed to leave
its borders, if it can see its rivals fourishing on
its own staples and enlarging their borders out
of its own territory, and yet be contented, then
let it submit-at all hazards and to the last ex-
tremity.
.B~ The Republican Banner and Nashville
Wing, of the 26th of April, says:
"A large portion of the Tennessee Demo-
cratic press are almost daily disparaging the
compromise"