The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1851-05-08
MADISON TO HAMILTON.

NEW YoRK, Sunday evening.
NY DEAR SIR:S Yours of yester day is this instant
como to hand, and have but d W nAnntcs to an
swer it. l am sorry that ysur hnIon obnges you
to sten to propositions of the nature you describe.
My opinion is, that reservation Of right to with
draw, If amendments be not decided on under tho
form of the Constitution within certain time, is
conditional ratification; that It does not make New
York member Of the new Union, and conse-
quenty that she could not be received that plan.
Compacts must be reciprocal; this principle would
not in such a case be preserved. The Constitution
requires adoption in toto and forever. 1t has
been % adopted by the other States. An adoption
for limited time would be defective az an adop-
ton Of some Of the articles only In short, any
dition whatever must vitiate the ratification. What
the new Congress, by virtue of the power to admit
new States, may be able and disposed to do in such
case, do not inquire, l suppose that is not the
material point ut present. have not q moment to
add more than my fervsnt wishes for your success
and happiness. The idea Of reserving a right to
withdraw was started at Richmond, and considered
as conditional ratification, hich was itself aban
~ Yours. JAMES MADISON, in.
This shows what were Mr.. Madson's opin-
ions, which he expressed strongly and clearly
There could be no such thing as conditional
ratifcation-a ratification provided certain
amendments were assented to, either before OF
after. There could be no such right reserved
| as right to secede in case their demands were
not acceded to.
| The opponents of the Constitution and Of the
Union desired an cypress reservation of right
| to secedc or ,cithdraiD from the Union if their
amendments were not granted. Why was it
| necessary to make such a reservation if seces-
| sion was an inherent right, a right never sur
| rendered, as the secessionists now contend2
| But the Constitution was ratified ,cithout the
condition. The reservation Of the right to with
draw or secede ,cas abandoned. The ratiica-
ton without the condition was virtual aban-
Comment Of the claim Of right to withdraw from
the Union For, if that right existed indepen-
IDENTIFY Of the Constitution, why propose the
condition to secure or reserve it.
How emphatic is the language Of Mr.. Madi-
son, that reservation of right to withdraw
is Observation-Disclosures under which New
York ,could not become a member Of the Union
There would be no reciprocity in such a COM
pact. "The Constitution requires an adoption
IN TOTO AND FOREVER" The other States
had 50 adopted it; New York must SO adopt it.
''The idea Of ressrving right to withdraw
from the Union sDas started al Richmond, and
considered as a conditional ratification, phich
,cas itself ABANDONED AS WORSE THAN RE-
LECTION"
| How completely this scatters TO tho winds
| the absurd doctrine of secession, which is pre-
tended to be derived from Virginia, where il
was abandoned" and from Mr.. Madison, who
then and afterwards condemned it
Mr.. Madison's language in another place
was sought to be tortured in our State Legsla-