The southern press., 1851-03-31

speech he traced the territorial history OF the
United States, showing that the non-savehold-
ing States, who originally owned but one-fourth
Of the territory OF the Union, were about TO sue
coed, by the action of the government and the
concessions OF the South, in getting possession
OF nearly thrce-fourths OF it that by sys-
tenn OF revenue and expenditure which ID been
adopted, much the larger portion of re taxes
were paid by the South, while the disburse-
ments were made chiefly at the North and that
while these measures destroyed the equilibrium
between the two sections the federal government
had concentrated all power in itself, and in
terpreted the Constitution and ruled the coun-
try according to the will of II majority, respon-
sible only to the Northern section, by which it is
elected. The result of all, he said, was that
"what was once constitutional federal republic,
is now converted in reality into one as absolute
as that of the autocrat Of Russia, and US des-
potic in its tendencies as any absolute govern
ment that ever existed" He showed that the
California adventurers had no right to attempt
to form State without previous permission
from Congress-, and that what they had done
was Revolutionary and reLelious in its charac-
ter, anarchinl in its tendency, and calculated to
lead to the most dangerous consequences" He
gave succnct history of abolition from its Or
igin; showed how it had gained strength, year
by year, and declared that ''if something decis-
i've was not now done to arrest it, the South
would be forced to choose between emancipa-
ton and secession" lie denounced the child
ish idea of preserving the Union by continually
crying "Union Union the glorious Union~
and expressed his conviction that there was no
other way to save it, but by an amendment to
the Constitution, switch would restore to the
South in substance the power she possessed of
protecting herself, before the equilibrium be-
tween the two sections was destroyed by the
action Of the government"
! No speech ever pronounced in Congress pro-
duced a more profound sensation there and in
the country than this did. The deep and in
calcuabe Importance of the questions in issue,
and the fact that this was generally regarded
rs the last effort of an ilustrious statesman who
had for almost half century lead in the coun-
ellis of the confederacy, scarcely heightened the
Intensity of the interest created by the novel
and startling, yet sound and prophetic views
which had been developed with force and
ciearness rarely equalled Mr.. Calhoun him.
self intended it rather as preliminary speech
: He still hoped that he could, by his iron will
battle and repel the advances Of disease, and
that God would spare him TO consummate this
last task He had only laid down his ground
work. and reserved ample materials for reply,
after all had exhibited their positions, and his
had been sufficiently attacked. He did not even
announce what amendments to the Constitution
he intended to propose. Whatever they were
for he afterwards said that several were neces-
sary-the suggestion of them manifested his
undiminisled anxiety for the preservation of a
Constitutional Union; and the latest offering of
his life was laid upon that altar at which he had
so long worshippcd. 1t is scarcely to be re-
| tod hat hn did fho,n for r
is more certain than that no amendments to the
Constitution can ever be carried that will give
the South the express power Of selfprotection.
They would not receive single vote from that
Northern majority, which will ere long be large
enough to amend the Constitution without the
South, if it shall choose to regard forms in per-
petrating its expressions. But such amend
ments if passed, would not avail the South, for
her action under them would soon be de-
nounced as revolutionary, as the clearly Con-
stitutional right of secession is now denounced
In fact, neither this Union nor any Union OF
Government can exist long by virtue Of mere
paper stipulations. written constitutions
said Anacharsis to Scion, "are but spiders
webs, which hold only the poor and weak, while
the rich and powerful easily break through
Scion thought otherwise, but lived to see the
f government he established completely over.
thrown. Lycurgus, more wise, forbade written
laws. His principles were duraby impressed
/ by trainingffrom childhood, on the minds and
manners Of his people, and interviewer with the
whole social fabric. And they governed the
Spartans for six centuries or more. In modern
France no enacted constitution has survived
4 five years while the constitution of England,
resting on traditions and occasional acts and
charters, appears to bid defiance to time and
progress. Those governments only can endure
which naturally spring from the social system,
and are habitually sustained by it. And writ
ten-artifcial constitutions are indeed but " spi-
ders webs if they do not continually draw their
vital breath from the same living source. For
more than twenty years the federal constitution
has been dead letter, or snare to the minor
ty. 1t has, for that length of time, had no ma
terial influence in maintaining the Union OF
these States. They have been held together by
, habit: by the recollections Of the past and n
common reverence for the patriots and heroes
of the revolution: by the ties Of political par
ties, of religious sects, and business intercourse.
But the events of these twenty years. ard main
ly the developments of abolitionism have
clearly revealed to us that we have at least two
separate, distinct, and in some essential points,
antagonstic social systems, whose differences
can never be reconciled and subjected to one
| tqual anu just pOYtTtInPul uIieSS our respcc-
tive industrial interests are left free from every
shackle, and the fell spirit of abotionisn
crushed and entirely eradicated Many of the
cords which once bound these two systems to-
gether have been, as Mr.. Calhoun pointed out
in his last speech, already snapped asunder
The religious bonds hare been nearly all rup-
tured: party ties are going fast those of bust
ness are seriously endangered. 1t is vain to
hope to preserve the Union by any common sem
timent of reverence for the past, or even by
amending the Constitution, unless these sew
cred chains can be re-linked together, and that
brotherly love which mingled the blood of our
fathers in the battle fields of the revolution can
be restored by Providentia interposition, to its
ancient fervor. tits, however, the province and
the sacred duty of the statesman, whatever may
be the ultimate result, to point out the diseases
of the Constitution and the government, and to
propose the best remedies he can. This was
the great object of Mr.. Calhoun for the last two
and twenty years of his career. For this he
lived and to this his last efforts and his latest