The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1851-12-29

Union'-not a L Mon for n month, or year, or for
one generation, but psrpefud Union. Following
this lead, the trainers Of the Constitution, IN the
preamble 10 it, assert that owe, the people OF the
United States, in order to form more perfect
union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquil
lily, provide for the common defence, promote the
general welfare and secure the blessings of lber
~ 10 0Tsepes and p0steTiy, do oTdaln and es-
tablish this Constitution for the United States OF
America" II was not for them alone; II was not
for the generation which was Immediately TO sue
eeed t1en--it for their poaterity through all
coming time.
Iapprehend, Mr. President, that great deal Of
tho misapprehension which exists in relation 10
this matter grows out of the too loose application
Of the word ''soVereign" to the States We speak
hhbitually Of sovereign Statee if their sovereign
~ absolute and unQuestioned. But there is no
such thing as a sovereign State within the limits oil
this Union. The Constitution has expressly denied
il. The Constitution has taken away from the
States some Of the highest and most essential at
tributes Of sovereignty. They cannot coin money
they cannot emit bills Of credit; they cannot pun
ish treason against Themselves; they cannot go to
war; they cannot enter into compacts with other
States Nay, MORE tho Constitution provides that
the Constitution and laws Of the United States shall
be the supreme law of the land, any thing IN tho
constitution or laws of any State TO tho contrary
Notwithstanding Now, who ever heard OF SOW
ereignty with the laws Of another power superior
TO its own within its own limits! Inc states are
sovereign for some purposes. and for those pur-
poses only. Wherever their sovereignty has been
taken away by the Constitution. they are not SOW
ereign and the right OF secession Id one lhaI mas
been taken away.
There is ono point Mr.. President, upon which
must hero be permitted to make q remark. These
gentlemen who are exceedingly anxious to es'
tabl5h the peaceful rig of secession the exclu
aive chivalry Of the land. With but few exoep-
tions, they arc all regular "hrc-caters. Is II not
little singular that with these propensihes Tor war
and blood-with all these chivalrou5 impulses-they
should yet shrink from the assertion OF right unless
their opponents will admit ts peaceful nature Sir,
know men in the ranks of the "submisslonlsts'
who, whenever they feel the heel Of the oppressor
upon their necks, will not stop To inquire whether
they have the right TO throw 1t OIL Above all, they
will not beg him to remove il peaceably The right
Of revolution, sir lie the manly right; and that night
only do admit
we are told that authority for the right Of seces
sion is TO be found in the resolutions OF 9S and ~
So many men have sought to sustain absurd the.
cries by referring 10 these resolutions that pre-
sumo we ought not TO be surprised even az this
last aud weakest attempt Of all. Nor in this age
of progress is il TO be wondered at that the WIS
dom OF the disciple should far outrun that OF the
teacher. John e. Calhoun and George McDutnc
examined the resolutions Of 9S and 80 for the
right Of secession, and could not find 1t. They
found, ne they thought, notification; but nuIl-
hcation is itself denial Of secession. we al!
know that some OF the abest efforts made by both
Of these great was TO establish that nulhhca-
ton waE the rightful remedy. Sir, II was neither
the Virginia nor the Kentucky resolutions winch
gave birth to secession. 1t has come down TO US
from less respectable parcntage. Ii began IN that
band of traitors who assembled in Hartford dur
ing the war of 1912 and 1914, for the purpose OF
separating the New England States from the reat
Of the Confederaey. II was then that the right
of secession was first proclaimed, and 1t ls IN
that latitude that some Of its warmes supporters
are yet to be found. l cannot forget the terms
of a resolution adopted at Syracuse last spring,
when the Abolitionizts were pattlng South Carohna
on the back and stimulating her to go out OF the
Union:
''Resolyed, That, odious as are the governing
principles OF South Carolina, we cannot withhold
a, hay FliG tpT1f
maintenance Of the great cardinal doctrine of the
right of secession by single Statc-a right vital
to liberty, and the only safeguard OF the seVerai
soyereignties from a grasping CONTEMPLATION:
Sir, here is u singular concord OF scntiment.
Southern Rights clubs South, and Abolition con
venticles North, giving US the same definition OF
State rights, and teaching Democracy from the
same horn book. repudlate the teachers, ana
deny the orthodoxy Of the creed
MIR President, a friend has Just made sugges-
ton TO me, Of which gladly avail myself The
State clLouisiana was purchased from the FRENCH;
II paid for by taxes collected from the people
OF the whole Republic. II was purchased, not on
account Of any supposed value OF the territory
for at that day We supposed we had territory
enough for all our wants-but 10 secure the navi-
cation of the Mississippi. The people Of some
twelve or thirteen States interested IN main
tanning that navigation free Suppose louisiana
should say. to- morrow, am sovereign State be-
icve it 20 be my interest TO go out OF the Union;
viii 20 on; and levy tax on all vessels navigating
the Mississippi What would be the answer OF those
States SO directly interested They would say
We bought this territory we were taxed 10 pay
Tor liz the navigation Of the Mississippi was priv
ilege which regarded even at that day az lndis'
penaabe TO our prosperity we cannot abandon II
without subjecting ourselves to the most rum
Gus consequences II Louisiana should still insist
upon her right as a sovereign State to do as she
pleased the answer the other eide would be
very apt to be. provided you can" Let US take
the Gaze of Pennsylvania or New York, whose
local position is such to divide the Republic into
two distinct parts Doee any one suppose that
either of those great States would be permitted
peacoably 10 leave the Union and subject us to all
the Inconvenience Of euch a division? Sir, this
doctrine Of peaceable secession by single State
is wild vision ever haunted the brain OF q
moon struck politician. All rights, whether poll
teal or personal, relative. All rights are to be
exercised with reference to The amount OF injury
inflicted on others. No man has right TO burn
down his house, if by so doing ne endangers mine
No one State has right 30 to ect as TO leopard the
hberties Of the remainder. | refer, OF course, to
the peaceable right. The right Of revolution, the
right Of resistance 10 oppression, is governed by
no rules, and must DO determined by the necessi-
ties of the time.
promi1ed TO refer to the opinions Of the trainers
of the Constitution. ] quote first nn extract from
the pen Of Mr.. Jay. Il is in the second number OF
the FedqGhst:
at is worthy Of remark that not only the first,
but every succeeding Congress, as well as the late
convention, have invariably joined with the people
in thinking that the prosperity of America de-
pended on its union TO Yreserre and perpettats it
was the great object OF the people IN forming mar
convention, and it is also the great object of the
plan which the convention has advised them to
adopt"
Mr. Jay here tells his countrymen, while urging
the adoption of the Constitution, that its great Oh
Ject is TO preserve and pgpstuate the Unionj and
can il be conceived that men having such objects
should have made mere rope Of sand-that they
should have sown in the Constitution itself the
seeds Of its own destruction? And unlesz we do
give credence TO an absurdty like this, what be-
comes of tho constitutional right OF secession:
In the 4ls number Of the Federalist Mr.. Mad
igon after enumeraung the evils Of disunion FRO
cccds thus
"rhis picture Of the consequences Of disunion
cannot be too highly coored, or too often exhibited
Every who loves peace: every man who ioves
bis country; every who loves liberty, ought
60 have il ever before his eyes, that he may cherish
IA his heart due attachment tolhc Union OF Ame-
Tica, aud be able to set duo value the means VI
preserving il"
In the same number, in reference 10 the attempts
made 10 create prejudice against the Constitu
ton account Of the provisions in relation TO the
army he says:
,.the attempt hos awakened fully the public at
tontion to that important subject, and has led e
Investigations which must terminate IN a thorough
and universal conviction, not only that the Con su