The republic., 1851-10-25


Legislature it had obtained its just rights. And in
regard To the abolishment of the slave trade in the
District OF Columbia, what was that? Why
thing more than the re-enactnent by Congress Of
parts OF laws for the same purpose passed by Vir
ginia and Maryland, which laws had ever obtained
in the District after its ccsson by those States In
conclusion, he appealed to his countrymen TO give
heed to the reasonable counses of the secession
lists, and drew vivid picture OF the ruin and
archy that would inevitably succeed the adoption
of their views.
Mr.. J, S. YEReEH. of Washington county, dealt
in the humorous. or his own county he said:
"We hang by the name of Washington, and if
Mississippi had seeded we shoud have held on to
the old stars and stripes and set up the State of
Washington. We have now only five letters in
the alphabet there; and when the com
mence teaching their children the first letter taught
is U, the second N, the third J. the fourth o, and
the fifth and if at the second lesson they don't
know what word those letters spell, they licked
like thunder"
His remarks on the Secessonists of South Caro-
lima were equally quaint:
'South Carolina good deal like woman
they had down in the Swamp She was married
twice and was termagant-not one of the ordina-
ry sort, but real hive hair-puller and scratcher
Her first husband kept her pretty decent by fog
ging her periodically, and that pretty often. Her
second husband was good -natured, indulgent
man; didn't like quarrelliug. But things came TO
crisis; the good man told her he could stand it no
longer. Why she answered, why in the world
don't you whip me; that's what my first husband
used to do, and it did me heap OF good Her ad-
vice was taken, apd she thrashed well, and she
was toerable decent wife until she wanted
whipping again, when she got it, and thus
kept in the traces. South Carolina was Just such
termagant as this She wanted 10 be whipped
General Jackson gave ii to her hard and good.
MIR. Fillmore was indulgent to her; her capers
didn't hurt any one much and he therefore let her
be; but she was crying out little too often, and
little too loud for another dose, and if she didn't
look out she'd get it, and just much of it as
General Jackson gave her,"
The great feature of the second day was Judge
BoYD's address. which was in the main profound
constitutional argument against the right of
sion:
"sSecession was not spoken of in the Constitution.
If it was not granted by the Constitution il must
have been among the reserved rights Of the States;
1t must have had pre- existence, which it never
had. The articles OF confederation were expressly
formed to make "a perpetual Union; and if the
Union was perpe etual, whence came the right Of se
Cession? The agreement on the face OF it was per-
petual and of the parties to the compact had
the option to withdraw. Whence, then, came the
right of secesson? The Constitution was expressly
amended to make more perfect, perpetual Union.
Luther Martin and Others after the adoption OF the
Constitution, said TO their constituents that the Gov
ernment national one; that ii had nothing
to do with the States, but acted directly upon the
people, and would ultimate in the destruction of
amend the third article of the Constitution defining
what treason should be, which was that it should
only consist in giving aid comfort To a foreign
enemy of the States, providing that no citizen
of the States should be punished for treason for
supporting his State in hostility to the National
Government. Here was the doctrine of secession
ism broadly and clearly laid down; and that pro-
position of Luther Martin rejected in that body
which adopted the organic law of the land. Judge
Boyd quoted from the letters and speeches of seve
raj of the members of the convention which framed
the Federal Constitution, showing that the right OF
secession was a matter of debate, and that the
principle was discountenanccd by theigreat men of
the Republic In that day. To illustrate: During
the whisky insurrecton in Pennsylvania, Gen
eral Washington was besought to use his per-
sonal influence to put il down; not by force, but
by the influence OF his position and character. In
fuence, he said, influence is not government.
might, if had the influence on the leaders, put
down thousand revolutionary movements; but if
/ had the power to do that, could create thou
sand revolutions No; revolution must be put
down by the Government, or your Government is
not worth having The course of Andrew jackson
during the notification excitement clearly indi-
Gated that he did not acknowledge the right OF Sc
cession. There was no right of peaceable secession
granted in the Constitution. Secession was a re-
volutonary right; il the right Of the oppressed
to rid themselves Of oppression; ii right which
nogovernment could take from people, and which
could and should only be resorted to when all other
remedies against oppression failed"
We must add that derive the material of
which this account is composed from the lengthy
and very able report of the True Della.
NonrnwEsTERN VIRGINIA RAILRoAp.-The Par
kersburg Gazette supplies the following interest
ing information:
.sWe learn that the first engineering party,
der the direction of William III. Small, esq,
few days since at the 'Oil Springs on Hughes
river, twenty three and half miles from Parkers
burg, having followed very nearly the course Of
the Staunton and Parkersburg turnpike. The rail
road distance does not exceed that Of the turnpike
more than thrce-f -fourths of a mile, and the ground
is very favorable. This party is proceeding up the
north fork of Hughes river
"Thc second party, under the direction of Geo
Hoffman, esq, is tracing route up Worthngton
creek and it's Laurel fork, and thence by waters of
Stillwel creek to the northwest turnpike, about
twelve miles from Parkersburg; thence south of the
turnpike to the north fork of Hughes river, inter
sectng the route of the first party at the mouth of
Silver
ga third party, under the direction of ]. G. c.
Hoskyns, esq.,, has recently started from the west
fork of the Monongahea, near Clarksburg, and
will prosecute its surveys towards the Middle
Island and Hughes river waters