The Sumter banner. [volume] (Sumterville, S.C.) 1846-1855, 1852-01-20
RIGHTS, DEMOCRA NEW \ II
: Gs 9 nasGs Sl,f GEEse 'I.s 40,
sUMTE Hs VI Z u y. y9AN u OF, as95 j.
characterized its original organization,

characterized its original organiza,io,
, provides for amendments. My d,
liberate opinion is, that ifamcn,
ments. My deliberate opinion is
that if amendments had been made [
answer the cxgcncics and rrosrcssiv
development Of this country, ",
would have been happy Confcdc
ration of Republics, under a unio,
having satisfactory guarantees for ,l.c
rights and interests Of all; but, in
stead Of amending it according to liz
orslaal provision Of the Constitution
we have now got to time when i
is declared that it shall never b,
amer'icd, Aud would say to ,hc
gentleman frankly, that / can see le
occasion Why he should WisI. i!
amended. lie has not said that he
is i'll favor Of consolidated rov.
ernment, but he has maintained that
tlns Government and the Con
sututlon, i'll all the difficulties nl.ivl,
may be involved, nay be overcome
by compromiscs-the compromises cf
the majority: aud if the gentleman
chooses always to act with the ma
Jnnty, he has no occasion for amend
lEcut$.
MIR. Foote. Docs the gentleman
undertake to charge me with having
sad, at amy time, that the Con.
stltnlon Of the United States could.
IN my opinion, be put down bv
compromises?
MIR. Bn,lcr. No, sir.
MIR. Footc. That is the way Tie
gentlcman's remarks will be under
stood. stated the ether hay, that
one OF two reasons Why | supported
the compromise was, that it Was not
only constitutional in itself, but that
none of the constitutional LAWYERS cf
TINS body had attempted to make an
elaborate argument to this when they
were challenged to attempt it.
lstitAl-Ss:v Issay -tfiitt as IIoi5 z
rs Tie majority can make these com
nr4l : r Is ssz;--or give constructions to the
Constitution, it will not be amended,
and the gentleman is cnphatically Il
maj jplity man. did not say that
the gentleman would agree to What
he regarded as palpahle violation
81 the Constitution, but l said Tie
tendency Of this mode Of treating tl,c
Constitution vas to havv these cXcrc-
scenccs in the form Of compromises
20 give it validity which it would
not otherwise have. l think We
ought to meet lie crisis and provide
remedy.
The gentleman says that I have
proposed no amendment. True, |
have Proposed none, but there axe
amendments Which | will vote for.
When the Federal Constitution vas
under consideration at philadelIhia.
It was lrcroscd ,hat 40 measure al
tcc,ing The regulation Of commerce,
or the disbursement of ,hc public mo.
ney, should pass Without q vote Of
iwo.thirls; and | tell the gentleman
| that | would now vote for such l.rc-
vision. II all amendment was pro
posed to afford new guarantees to the
s!Hrehoi'ting interest, requiring Con,
IS 10 give governments 10 Terri,
tories, without restriction as to slave.
ry, J. should vote for it. Ii | were
consult .hc security of tbs Govern.
ment, | would vote for amendments
that would give enforceable guaran
tees to the minority, and not leave
the majority to lrittcr it away by
construction, OF dclorm it by compro
misses. There are many salu!ary
amendments that might be proposed
In connection with this subject
and | say 1t to the Senator from Mis-
sissippl, more III sorrow than in an
gcr-l wish he lad not thought pro
pcr to allude, as hc did, with .a;lci
sncer, to the book of my late dis
.lnSulshcd colleague, and to dcnoumct
the proposition contained inihat bool
III way which evidently showed tina
it was under the ban Of his consure
| was not prepared for ,hat. l,ay,
not read Mr.. Caihoun's book. lii
memory IS not committed to me, lei
thcr are the works Of his great intel
lect committed to me. | would no
be able to take care Of them; but til,
least We could have expected Of ,los,
who often agreed with and admire,
that distinguished man was, that ",
should not assail him before til,
world, and the Parliament Of the Ia
ton, where the gentleman himsclfla,
50 many, and seeming kindly, assc
Citations With him.
Mr.. Footc. The gentleman doe
not charge INC with ever havin,
agreed with Mr.. Calhoun that III,
Constitution should DC amended, $,
as to give additional constitutions
| A., ,