Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1851-04-03
s sLsexses principles Of de Union Of

fSess>~-Psss - 49, 0e>s>sss -
d. Sfaae6 arcnof alwayspropcrly under
seood. It may not be a,niss, therefore,
though | do 0t propose TO entertain this
company by . discourse upon commonplacs
III may not be amissto recur now towhat
conceive % be the original principle up
on which these colonies were united, the
objects for which they were united, and the
limitation upon these objects. These thir-
teen colonies. all of English origin, were
settled on this continent at different times,
and under different circumstances. They
had differences Of religious opinions; they
established differences Of local law and adj
ininistration; they were, some ofthem, quite
remote from one another, but they were
all subject to the Grown of England
And when, in the course Of events, they
all thought truly, they had just cause OF
complaint against the tyranny of England,
their object was to unite in a common cause
against a common enemy. How unite!-
For what purposes unite! For what ends
unitcl Why, it never entered into their
conceptions that they were to cease to be
Virginia, Maryland, Massachusetts,, and
Carolias. Not at all. But they were to
unite for those great purposes which should
enable them to make stand against the
tyranny Of the English Government. They
were to come to an agreement upon things
necessary for that purpose, and nothing
else. The objects Of common defence,
and the general welfare, and afterwards
the objects connected with commerce and
revenue, which were important to all,
were all they adopted as principles and OBJ
iccts Of umon and association. Nothing be-
yond that
As have said, they had differences OF
religious opinions. Maryland, your Mary
land, was settled as a catholic country, al
ways tolerant, always liberal, prosecuting
nobody. Virginia was rather inclined to
the religious notions of the Episcopal
Church of England. The people of. my
country, at the North, were not only Pro-
testanis but Disscnters. They were Of the
school Of Cromwell and Sir Henry Vane.
But what Of tha,l When all their colo
mics came together for the general purpose
of defence against common enemy, what
did they dol Did they seek to merge and
confound and consolidate all these States
into one great community! No such thing.
They meant to unite upon those objects
which were necessary for the common de-
fence; and they meant to leave every thing
also in the control of the State, to do just
as they thought proper. That was a
day of liberality and of justice. 1t was
day in which religious opinions produc-
ed no effect upon the general sentiments OF
the country in regard to the association OF
all the States for general defence. Why,
sir, did any body at the North, did any
Protestant descendant Of Cromwell, or
any descendant of Harry Vane, whoever
he was, feel any less confidence in the in
tegrity and entire patriotism Of Charles
Carroll because he was Catholic! Not
atall Nor did Maryland hesitate to ac-
cord the need of patriotism, whenever it
was due, to the Adamses, to Alexander
Hamilton, to Rufus King. or whoever else
belonged to the North, because they were
Of different sentiments in religion. Their
association was political. 1t was founded
upon general policy and union, a sort OF
confedcracy at that time TO resist the com
mon enemy and do whatever was nccessa-
ry for the common good. Gentlemen, l
hope, for one, never to see this originalidea
departed from.
Now, we come 10 other propositions
There were differences oflaws. The South
rn-Statcs, without their own fault, by
course of events for which they were not
responsible, had slavery established among
them. Did not all the States know that!
Did not they deal with them uponthat ba-
sisl Did not they recognise that state Of
thingsl Entirely, entirely. That was a
matter of local legislation, of State right
and State administration, with which the
North at that time had not the slightest in.
clination 10 interfere in any respect what
ever, and they ought not TO have had, be
cause it was - of those things that did
not enter into the general scope Of that pc
litical association which the colonies mean
to form.
Gentlemen, concur in the sentiment.
expressed by you all; and, thank God
they were expressed by you all in the res
olutions passed here on the 10th Decem
Der. You say ''thc Constitution of tn,
United States has accomplished all the OBJ
jects, civil and political, which the mos
sanguine Gifts trainers and trends anticipa
ted, and that the affections of the people o
Maryland are justly rivctcd to its princi
pies by the memory of the characters o
the wise and good men who formed it, a.
well as by the blessing they literally be
stow throughout the world" This is m,
sentiment. My heart is in it. Applause.
Altogether, ! live and breathe, walk ane
slccp-I had almost said, l prayed t
God daily, in the very sentiment of tina
resolution. Then you 60 on to assert
sentiment equally just. You say that
proper appreciation of those blessing,
would lead every State in the Union to a
dept all such measures as may from tim,
to time be necessary to give complete an,
full effect to any provision in the Constitu
tion. or the laws pursuant thereto. intended
for the protection Of any part of this grea
common country. True; every word true
And allow me to say, that any State
North or South, which departs an lot
from the sentiment Of that resolution i
disloyal to this Uuion. Great applause,
Further, sol far as any act of that sort ha
been committed, such a State has no por
ton of my regard. l do not sympathiz,
whit. Irebukc it wherever speak, ant
on all occasions where it is proper for m,
TO express my sentiments. If there ar,
States-and l am afraid there arc-whicl
have sought, by ingenious contrivances o
State legislation, by roundabout and crook
ed courses of policy, to thwart the JUS
operations and fulhlment of the laws o.
Congress passed to carry into effect til,
compacts of the Constitution, that State
so far, is entitled to no regard from me.
At the North, there have been certainly
some limitations in ceriain States of such q
policy.