The Hillsborough recorder. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1820-1879, 1851-07-23

night 70 Judge and SCI cor herself. What
farce were ihase enaclins. whs. in me
general conssniion Al Philsdelphia and
the several State Conventions. opposed
The Constitution upon The ground that The
sovereignty Of the ssaies wousd be susl-
lowed up in The powers granted 10 the
General Government. ifii Was then known
and intended that under The CONSTITUTION
: single Slsle would sill have The nghi 10
Withdraw from The Union, throw Of The
allegiance OF her riiIzehs 10 The Consliln-
iion Of the DATED Slsses. al any moment
when she might determine 10 Convention
that interest ar Necessity required a.. II
this wee sa. how absurd were some Of
the most splendid efforts of that great
0ralor. Pslrick Henry. in The Virginia
co1venlinn. and how puerile were The
fears of Mason, Gerry. Yates. Lansing.
Randolph. and n'her distinguished mea Of
that day. How immaIerial What powers
msy have hren granted the General
Corernmeni. IL earh State could al plea
sure resume her s0reTrignIv. Withdraw
frop lie Union. sbsolse herself srpm her
,usl share of The Nalinnsl obligations, de-
prive The rilizens ~ the allIer States 81
those rights vhich we're guaranteed To
iiiem wilhia her own limits. by The Con-
siiiulion which they all adopted
II is known that Mr.. Lansing. who
was member Of The Gpperal Convention.
al Philadelphia. from The State of New
York. opposed The c"nsuiuiiosi with
much zeal IN Thai body. on The ground that
loo much power was granted 10 The Zen.
eral Government that under II there
would be no security Tor The remnant Of
so, ereigniy which WA left the States.
He became subsequently, a member
OF the New York State Convehiiun. and
when the question on The raiiiica ion Of
the Constitution Was pending. proposed a
!" condillonar' adoption Of that lDsiru-
menl, which was rejected. He snhse-
quen,ly moved the adoption Of a Resolu-
ton /" reserying tn The Stale Of New York
the right To Withdraw from The union. af-
ter cerisin number Of years. unless
amendments to The Constitution should
be agreed On" This proposition al.o
was rejected.
There can he found in the writings Of
Alexander Hamilton recently publi,hrd by
Congress, a correspondence heia cen him
and Mr.. Madison. which throws mach
light on this very movement, in The New
York Convention, and is most conclusive
against this doctrine.
Mr.. hamilton writes 10 Mr.. Madison
Of dale July 9, l7ss. slsling that in The
New York Convention The opponents of
The Constitution chad proposed amend
menis. and insisted upon lie condition.
tina, IL they are moi adopted within limit
ell lime, The State shonld be al liberty 10
withdraw from the Uninn." In a sub.
sequent letter. written during The same
month. he said, . the qualification sought
To be attached To The adoption Of the Con.
siiiuiion. was the reservation OF right 10
secede. IN case the amendments proposed
should not he adopted in given Time"
There Is no douhl he referred to the pro-
position OF Mr.. Lansing. The reply of
Mr.. Madison is clear AMI emphatic. /" My
opinion" said I've. :. is, thai i reservation
oi RICH, 10 Withdraw u amendments he
NOT decided on. under the form of the
Constitution. within a certain time, is D
conditional ratification. lhal il does mol
make New York member Of the New
Union. and consequently Thai she could
mol be received OH that plan. Compacis
must be reciprocal; ibis principle would
not in such case he preserved. The
Constitution requires an adoption in toto.
and forever. II has been so adopted by
the other States. An adoption for a limit.
ed time would be as Gefrcliye, az an alop-
lion oil some Of the articles only. In Short.
any condition wbalcyer must viiiale the
ratification. What The new Congress. un-
der The power 10 admit new States. NAV
be able and disposed I'D ,ln IN Such case.
| do not inquire. rs il is mol The material
point al present. The idea of reserving a
right TO Withdraw was started al Rich.
mond and considered as conditional ra.
LITIGATION. which was itself abandoned as
worse Than rejection
Surh was The opinion Of james Madl,
son. the leading member II tile Conven-
tion which framed the Constitution, and
one who contributed, perhaps. more than
any other Of the great men nf thai day,
towards securing its ratification hv the
People Of The several States. His speech
es in The Virginia Convention. and his
able productions in It's defence, prove that
he had studied profoundly. and under-
stood well lis PROVISIONS aud The princi-
Piles upon which it was based. "A re-
Of right To Withdraw is cnn.
lliiional ratification. and does II Il make The
Stale SO ralifying il member of the
Union! Such an idea was abandoned
as worse than a rejeclion!" Could Ian.
gnage be palmer or more emphatic!
The inquiry naturally arises. why
should the: ha sought 10 reserve susIl
right in express Terms. il i, already exis.
led. as independent for paramount 10 The
Constitution. or inherent in the theory
nF tho q ~