Washington sentinel., 1854-03-29


take no security for their slaves already here,
or that might be brought in under the "frst
clause OF the 9th section of the lst article" OF
the Constitution, which was unalterable, even
by the mode prescribed by the Constitution in
other cases,until that time? And even if they
had been SO ungarded, what would the casus
on,issus prove, but that, the Constitution being
silent, Congress have no power over the sub
ject? If these things are not recognised by
the book, let me put case, and it is a ques.
ton for the court betow. Nothing too hard for
them-supposing that an African should sue for
his liberty in the federal court--why?
is he a citizen? No.--Is he an alien? No.
Is he Of different State from his master?
No.-Nothing Of all this but is it not case
arising under the Constitution ?" Will not the
Supreme Court clutch it. Can they refuse juris-
diction? Is there man on that bench who
for one instant-I am putting supposittious
casa case being brought in the last resort
to that tribunals there judge, there or any
where else, who would for one instant listen
to counsel, who should rely upon the Declara-
tion of Independence, or any other fanfaronade
OF distractions, as paramount paramount
to the Constitution itself? The language have
applied to it is strong, but who can be cold in
such cause?
II, said Mr.. R. make use, in the heat
of debate, of any improper expression, beg
pardon of the Senate. I have long thought
that | could discern, even in that paper the
Declaration of independence rather more of
the professor of university than the Ian
guage Of an old statesman; what have dis.
csrned in other state papers | shall not now
say. But | will now, with the liberty of the
Senate, relieve them from my tedious talk, by I
reading an authority from this book taking up
a volume of Burkes works which is pat to
my purpose. 1t is on the subject Of any man
of sense suffering himself to be led away from
the case before him, to travel out of the record
of common sense, into the mazes of abstrac-
ton.
i never govern myself; no rational man
ever did govern himself by abstraction and
universals. do not put abstract ideas wholly
out of any question, because well know that,
under that name, should dismiss principles
and that, without the guide and light Of sound
well-understood principles, all reasoning in
politics, as in everything else, would be only
confused jrmble of particular facts and de-
tails, without the means Of drawing out any
sort of theoretical or practical conclusion.
The statesman differs from the professor Of an
university--the latter las only the general
view Of society, the former, (the statesman,)
has number Of circumstances to combine
with those general ideas, and to take into his
consideration. Circumstances are infinitely
combined-are variable and transient; he who
does not take them into consideration, is not
erroneous, but stark NADIA operam ut cum
rdtione insaniat-he is metaphysically mad.
A statesman, never losing sight of principles,
is to be guided by circumstances; and, judging
contrary to the exigences of the moment, he
may ruin his country forever" But, said Mr..
r. how is it with the professor? In the next
edition of his book, or in the refutation of his
adversary, all the mischief that he has done
may be nndone and corrected. But when this
same professor becomes a statesman? If you
want to know the effect Of his metaphysical
madness, look to the history Of the French
revolution, and the undong Of the country
look to the history of such men as Condorcet
and Brissot, and Mrabeau-men Of good in
tentions, of learning, and genius-not that
count Mirabeau among the good men Of that
revolution, but Lafayette was one Of them.
What was the consequence Of this not stop.
ping to parley with the imprescriptible rights Of
man in the abstract? 1t is that they have now
full leisure to mediate on the imprescriptible
rights of their king in the concrete that is
the result Of devotedness to abstract politics,
of their management. Look at it in Hayti and
every where, / would say, if was not afraid
of being considered as treating this subject
too lightly, which lies heavy on my heart; look
at the famous academy of Lagado, and you will
have pretty fair specimen of country gov
erned by mathematicians and star.gazers, from
lighthouses in the sky. 1t is mournful, while
it is ludicrous. | have seen men who could
not write book, or even make speech
men who could not even spell this famous word
Congress, (they spelled it with X J who had
more practical sense, and were more trust
worthy rs statesmen, or generals than any
mathematician, any naturalist, or any literati
under the sun.
Sir, as q natural death is preferable to .
death superinduced by the lavish use of chemi-
cal and mineral poisons, so, in my humble
Judgment, at least, natural fool is preferable
to fool secundum artem he is the least
dangerous animal of the two, at least not hay.
ing been deeply cultivated, like other shallow
soils, what little mother-wit is in him is not
turned up by some new patent plough, and
buried beneath the sand, never to give birth
to vegetation more whereas the over-educated
fool never dreams that with all his learning
and requirements, he is but greater fool
than ever. We of the cotton country, sir,
know that deep cultivation is fatal to 81 allow
soils. Some of these wise men have discoverd
that whale is not fish, but we have not,
therefore altered the phraseology Of the laws
relating to the whale fishery, because one of
our cognoscent has found out that whale is
no fish at all, and has not, as far as / know,
told US what to call it; and the hardy seamen
of Marblehead and Cape Ann, who have stood
by us, and by whom will stand, no wiser than
the Congress, for all their schooling, will per-
sist in talking Of their good or bad fishing, and
Of their having taken SO many fish.
Sir, we have military school, and we are to
have naval school. l should not like to see
the experiment tried but sir it would be
good subject for a bet, mot that bet is pro-
per subject to be named here, but it would be
good thing. / would take some rough Mas
sachusetts or Nantucket, or Maine, and Saga
dahock, or New Hampshire seaman-such a
man as Isaac Hull--and pit him against any
man coming from naval academy. If we
had an army of cadets, if they came across
such man as Jackson, or Morgan, or such
selftaught men, their diagrams at West Point
would stand them in little stead in time