The Potter journal. [volume] (Coudersport, Pa.) 1857-1872, 1857-09-03

made the most formal and pointed oppo-
: sition against fair, and Constitutional
: attempt to obtain this amendment And
: what were the arguments they alledged ?
They were worthy Of the cause in which
they were advanced.
! They said, that it might perhaps give
offence to Virginia, aud the slave-holding
States, and thus endanger the existence
of the Union.
But surely propositions of amendment
to the Constitution can give no offence to
those States whose most influential char
acters have been and still are clamorous
for amendments much more calculated to
strike at the existence Of the Union-who
arc continually telling US that the Con-
stitutiou net Only permits, but invites
proposals Of amcndment-who have just
accomplished one, which they deemed
essential to the increase Of their own pow
er, and who have announced their deter
mination to accomplish others, still more
contraraint to the principles upon which
the compact was originally settled.
This fear of giving offence, by the ex-
crcise of an indisputable right, under the
sanction of every inducement which JUS
ticc, humanity and liberty can inspire,
is motive which ought not to be urged
upon freemen. 1t IS an appeal to weak
ness-a plea to cowardicc-an argument
FIT only for slaves to utter and to hear
It discovers a mind prepared for every
degree ofsubmission. 1t is the language
of negro driver on plantation to the
wretches, who tt mble under his lash
but it can find no accessible corner in the
heart of New England farmer
The pretence Of danger to the Union,
cannot be credited by those who raise it.
The amendment when proposed in Con
gress, will be adopted or rejected If
adopted, it will have a greater tendency
to cement and perpetuatc the Union than
any thing that has occurred since the
adoption of the Constitution itself II
rejected, its friends will undoubtedly
submit to the Constitutional decision,
and wait until the progress of reason shall
produce state of thugs more favourable
to the purposes Of Justice. OF the
seventeen States there are only FIVE
whose representation is increased by the
slaves they hold. Twelve states there
fore have 4 permanent and decisive in
terest. which must unite them eventual
~ IN wiping away this national scandal.
! Of the five whore number Of members
would be reduced by the amendment,
Georgia would lose but one member and
North Carolina only two. The RELA-
TIVE weight Of these two States would
therefore rather be raised than depressed
! by the exchange, and their interest will
concur with that of the twelve, Even
in Virginia, the inhabitants beyond the
mountains, who constitute majority OF
the freemen, in that Commonwealth,
would gain rather than lose in their pro-
portion Of the representation; go that
when once the voice Of solid and undeni-
able INTEREST, concmring with those
OF honour, and Republican principle shall
cease to be stiled By the deafening din
of party spirit, there can be no doubt bat
that the amendment will prevail. This
consideration Will naturally lead the
friends OF the measure to pursue it at
once with temper and perseverance. Per-
suadcd that the Union is the first Of
political blessings to every part Of these
States, they will never be inclined to
hazard it for any subordinate considera-
ton, at the SAME time, assured that the
more firmly its foundations are fixed on
the foundations Of freedom, equal rights,
the more solid and thorough will be the
labrick, they viii not relax their mild
but determined exertions until the hon
Durable object for which they contend
; shall be attained.
! But it was asserted that when the
. Constitution was debated in the State
, Con7ention this very article was warmly
advocated by the most distinguished
character, in that body, who advocated
: its adoption.
: 1t must be remembered that the Con
: stitution was then an untried experiment,
every one Of the important States IN the
: Union, was divided almost equally on the
: propriety of adopting it at all. la the
Massachusetts convention the vote OF
adoption was carried only by majority
r Of eighteen in three hundred and seventy
r members. Those who on the main ques-
ton were for the rejection of the lnstru
ment, OF course raised every possible OBJ
: lection of detail which their ingenuity
7 could devise; and they who conceived II
, Of the utmost Importance upon the wholt
/ that it should be adopted were often cal
: led upon to justify or palliate sections
which separately considered might have
4 been highly Objectionable to themselves
0 How the government would Operate IL
e practice was necessarily conjectural; ane
e they whose hopes were chiefly foundee
c upon the result of tina WHOLE system
naturally became sanguine in their ex
c pectations Of advantage from pasticula
: parts.