The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1852-03-03

has RI mt TO secede.
But the Senator says that John c. Calhoun
was not an advocate of secession; and that il
will soon DO proved by somebody that he denied
this right IN State. On page 30l of Mr.. Cal
houn's late work, the Senator from Alabama.
if he ever reads il, will find these words:
THAT State, rs party TO the constitutional
compact, has right to secede, acting in the
same capacity in which it ratified the Constitu.
ton AS compact, cannot, with any show of
reason, be denied by any one who regards the
Constitution as a compact. This results, peces
sarily, from the nature Of c)mpact where the
parties to it are sovereign, and of course have
no higher authority to which to appeal"
These are the words of Mr. Calhoun, holding
his dying pen; and if he had said anything else
he would have bslied all his doctrines and his
Intelligence itself Let the man step forth who
Will prove that Mr.. Calhoun was opposed to &C.
cession. hope TIE Senator will soon bring him
out into open day. That man does not live who
will venture to attempt to prove that Mr. CaI.
houn falslfed his own great work by contrary
opinions; and, mark what say, if he does live.
and ever had any such design, he will never m
his head to assert it, Mr. Calhoun w,s am
rounded by too many friends when living to be
abused by his enemies when dead He has sons
who regard the honor of their parent and who
protect his name and his reputation. And Inf
the sanderers stand forth and dare to saw TINT
IN defiance OF his whole course of life, and hin
last written work, he denied the right of State
to secede let them come forth if they dare
Sir, neither Mr. Jefferson, nor Mr.. Calhoun.
nor Mr. MeDuiie, nor the resolutions of 1898
and 1888, deny the right of secession. will
not say anything about Mr.. Jefferson. His most
malignant enemies--the Consolidationsls and
Abolitionists-dare not attribute such n sent;.
ment to him. John Quincy Adams holding the
pen and describing Mr.. Jeffersons opinions.
could not 30 staltfy himself as to do otheru;ise
than acknowledge that Mr.. Jefferson maintained
the right OF State to secede from the Union
Consolldationist, as he was, he had too mucb
integrity and honesty to fasify the opinions If
a dead statesman. These are the authorities If
the Senator from Alabama; and now let me
come to his reasoning, which is just as conclu-
sve as his authorities. He says:
II apprehend, Mr.. President, that great deal
OF the misapprehension which exists in relation
to this matter grows out of the too loose appli-
cation OF the word sovereign" to the States.
We spe habitually of sovereign States: as If
their sovereignty was absolute and nnouestion.
ed But there is no such thing as sovereign
State within the limits of this Union. The Con-
sttution has expressly denied it,"
There is assertion broad and strong "There
is no such thing as a sovereign State within the
limits of this Union," says the Senator from
Alabama. '''I'he Constitution has expressly de-
MED it," Where? In what clause? have
read the Constitution all over and can see no
expression in it denying the sovereignty of the
states, or The consequent right of secession. If
there be any such clause in the Constitution. let
ii be produced. 1t will settle at once the whole
question.
The senator continues
Constitution he's fab e.. a.
States some of the highest and most essential
attributes of sovereignty. They cannot coin
money; they cannot emit bills of credit /; they
cannot punish treason against themselves they
cannot go to war; they cannot enter into com.
pacts with other States; nay, more: the Const.
tntion provides that the Constitution and laws
of the United States shall be the supreme law
OF the land, anything in the constitution or laws
OF any State to the contrary Notwithstanding
Now, who ever heard of sovereignty with the
laws OF another power superior to its own with
i'll its own limits 2"
Because the States have surrendered the
power OF coming money, and making war and
peace, to the general government, therefore no
argues that the States are not sovereign Are
not alliances, offensive and defensive, common
among ma ions, in which they agree to make war
and peace together! Did any one ever suppose
that they renowned their sovereignty by such
agreements! AstO coming money, it has been
gravely proposed in Europe that all nations
should consent to coinage. That il mere
matter OF commercial convenience But there
Is one test, the power to punish treason, which
the Senator says the States do not possess. If
this is true, will give up the question: and
VIII ne 'er again open my mouth in defence Of
State sovereignty and State rights. If the
State cannot punish treason, it is clear it cannot
a inn In Il
is supremacy. Its duty is protection The
duty of the citizen is allegiance and treason is
a violation of allegiance. If, therefore, a State
cannot punish treason-if it cannot punish
violation OF allegiance-there cannot be such a
thing as State sovereignty. But how stands the
matter! The Senator is altogether mistaken in
ms assertion. His own State constitution has o
clause Furnishing treason, which | will read to
the Senate. In the constitution of Alabama,
the sixth article and fifteenth clause reads
Treason against the State shall consist only
in levying war against it, or aiding or adhering
to It's enemies, giving them aid and comfort. No
person shall be convicted Of treason unless on
lhe testimony OF two witnesses to the same
overt act or his own confession in open court"
There is the constitution of his own State.
upon which she was admitted into this Union
and that constitution distinctly afirms that she
has right to punish treason, and therefore that
she Is sovereign. l have not looked into the
of all the States but in the con-
sttutlon of Missouri, Q3.h article, 18th cIause,)
there Il the same provision: so in the constitu-
ton of Kentucky, Goth article, Cd cause) Ind-
ma, (article 18th, clause 2d,) Louisiana, little
W, article 9o) Mississippi, (nrticle T. clause 81
Florida, (article Is, clause A. Arkansas (article
,, clause % Texas, (article 7, clause q Wis
,,onsln, (artlcle /, clause l0D and last of all,
Iowa, (article 2, clanse l6) Every ono ofthese
all OF them new States--have been admitted
INTO the Union with this clause in their eonstitu-
ions, in which they assert the right of furnishing
reason, and, consequently, the right to the allie
glance OF their citizens, of which treason is the
rotation. Look at the construction these facts
'itord. Congress, Mt every successive act ap-
proving OF these constitutions, ndorses the
lght OF the States to punish treason; and there's
ore attirIns the sovereignty and independence
If the States That IL in nerfact cons;stoncy