The southern press., 1851-11-21
From tAs Chwisston Stassdord
Mr.. Calhoun ON the Constitution.

amendment; aud until such effort had been
made, he was not prepared for disunon
Though we do not believe that the South could
obtain from the North such an alteration OF the
Constitution as would render US seeure--yet we
are firmly convinced that il is only upon such
Issue that the South can be united, and thus
prepare for the final contest
! But il is said that Mr.. Calhoun would not
have entertained these views, had he been alive
after the passage of the Compromise bill How
little foundation there is for such an opinion
may be seen from the following extract OF his
work-pages 386-392
"When the government of the United States
was established, the two sections were nearly
equal in respect to the two elements of which it
is composed a fact which, doubtless, had much
influence in determining the convention to select
them as the basis Of its construction. Since
then, their equality in reference to both, has
been destroyed, mainly through the action of
the government established for their mutual
benefit The first step towards it occurred un-
der The old Congress of the confederation. Ii
was among Its last acts. lttook place while the
convention, which formed the present Consttu-
tion ana government, was in session. and may
De regarded as contemporaneous with it. re-
Ter to the ordinance Of 1887; which, among other
things, contained provision excluding slavery
from the Northwestern territory; that is, from.
the whole region lying between the Ohio and
Mississippi rivers The effect of this was to re.
strict the Southern States in that quarter, to the
country lying South of il; and to extend the
Northern over the whole of that great and
fertile region. II was literally to restrict the
one and extend the other; for the whole terri
tory belonging to Virginia, the leading State of
the former section. She, with disinterested
patriotism rarely equaled, ceded the whole,
gratultously, to the Union--wiih the exception
OF very limited portion, reserved for the pay
ment OF her officers and soldiers, for services
rendered IN the war of the revolution.
The South received no equivalent for this
magnlhcert cesson, except pledge inserted in
the ordinance, similar to that contained in the
Constitution of the United States, to deliver up
fugitive slaves. II is probable that there was
an understanding among the parties, that it
should be inserted in both instruments as the
old Congress and the convention were then in
session in the same place; and that it contrib
uted much to induce the Southern members of
the former to agree to the ordinance. But be
this as 1t may, both, in practice, have turned out
equally WORT less. Neither have, for many
years, been respected. Indeed, the act itself
was unauthorized The articles of confedera
ton conferred not shadow of authority on
Congress to pass the ordinance-as is admitted
by Mr.. Madison; and yet this unauthorized,
one-sided act Gas it has turned out to be,) passed
in the last moments of the old confederacy
was relied on as precedent for excluding the
South from two-thirds of the territory ACQUIRED
from France by the Louisiana treaty, and the
whole OF Oregon territory; and is now relied on
to justify her exclusion from all the territory
acquired by the Mexican war-and all that may
be acqulred-in any manner, hereafter. The
territory from ohich she has already been erclud
ed has had The effect 10 deStroythe equilibrium
bet'oeen the sections as ii originally stood and
10 concentrate, permanently in The Northern sec
ton The taoo mq1oriies Of otich The government Of
the United States is composed Should she be
excluded from heterritory acquired from Merico
ioW gire 10 The Northern States an operlohelna.
ing preponderance in the government
In the meantime, the spirit Of fanaticism
which had been long lying dormant, was reused
into action by the course of the government-as
has been explained 1t aims, openly and direct
y as destroying the existing relations between
the races in the Southern section; on which
depend its peace, prosperity and safety To
effect this, exclusion from the territories is an
important step; and, hence, the union between
the Aboliionsts and the advocates of exclusion, |
to effect objects so intimately connected
h'i tnlo Has OrOu0bb ABOUT slaLe OF Things |
hostile to the continuance of the Union, and The
duration of the government. Alienation is sue
ceeding TO attachment and hostile feelings of
alienation and these in turn will be followed
by revolution, or disruption of the Union, unless
timely prevented. But this cannot be done by |
restoring the government TO its federal charac- |
ter; however necessary that may be as n first |
step. What has been done, cannot be undone \
The equilibrium between the two sections has |
been permanently destroyed by the measures
above stated. The Northern section, in conse |
quence, will ever concentrate within itself the |
two maJorties of which the government is COM
posed and should the Sousern be excluded |
from all territories, now acquired, or to be here
after acquired, il will soon have so decided |
prepcnderance m the government and the Union.
as to be able TO mould the Constitution TO its
pleasure. Against this, the restoration of the
federal character Of the government can furnish
no remedy. SO long as it continues, there can
be no safety for the weaker section. 1t places
in the hands of the stronger and hostile section
the power to crush her and her institutions and
leaves her no alternative, but to resist, or sink
down into a colonial condition. This must b,
the consequence, if some effectual and appropri.
ate remedy be not applied.
"The nature of the disease is SUCH that no.
AlliB tau Ithon ~, sNoTl Oi some organic Ch1nUP !
"A change which shall so modify the Constitu.
ton, as to give to the weaker section, in some
one or another, negative on the action of the
government Nothing short of this can protect
the weaker, and restore harmony and tranquility
TO the Union, by arrestng effectually, the ten
dency Of the dominant and stronger section to
oPpress the weaker. When the Constitution
was formed, the impression was strong, that the
tendency TO conflict would be between larger
and smaller States; and efeclual provisions
were, accordingly, made to guard against it.
But experience has proved this to have been a
mistake; and that, instead of being, as was then
supposed, the conflict is between the two great
sections, which are so strongly distinguished by
their Institutions, geographical character, pro.
ductions and pursuits. Had this been as clearly
perceived as it now is, the same jealousy which so
vigilantly watched and guarded against the dan
ger of the larger States depressing the smaller,
would have taken equal precauIion to guard
against the same danger between the two sec.
tons. II is for US, who see and feel IL, TO do.
what the trainers of the Constitution would
have done, had they possessed the knowledge.
= Al. = 4