The Feliciana Democrat., 1858-04-03

Mn BENjAMlN's SPEECH Speaking Of this speech.
the New Orleans Courier uses tic following Ian
guagc
ut is most meritoriuus defence Of the Supreme
Court and of our Southern domestic institutions. In
all other tespects IL is anti-Dcmocratc in tone and
would be fatal to the Democratic party If adopted
as n full exposition Of our case.
The great leading idea Of Mr.. Scward's speech was
that the Northern States having declared against
slavery. and being majority of States. containing y
large majority Of the population of the whole United
States. the Southern States were bound to submit to
the will of the Norl-that on Democratic principles.
the North being in the majority was entitled TO take.
and would take. the supreme power in the National
Legislature, In the National Courts. and with the Ma
tiona Executive, and would use this power to stop
the spread of slavery in new States and to destroy II
In the old lie takes it for granted that We are
one great consolidated nation and that the majority
of this nation must and ought to rule the minority.
He talks If there State Soyercigntics, no
State rights, no State lines. except Mason and Dyons
line.
All this Mr.. Benjamin implicitly admits he too.
seems to think. and by his silence TO grant that ina
iority Of the nation. considering the whole United
States nation ought to rule-that there is only 4
North and a South-that the reason why the North
ought not TO destroy slavery is that it would be
wrong and novelty in law lie speaks Of The con
sitution of our country meaning the United States.
In one place only, and then merely as q flight of
does he give All intmation that he considers
the States separate and independent nations In this
happy but accidental passage, he describes the Sc
nators ambassadors from cocqun sovcroigrtics" "
If hc had studied and understood this single phrase
the whole complexion of the speech would haze been
changed. and he might perhaps have passed from the
acute lawyer into The higher development Of the
solid statesman.
While We thank Mr.. Benjamin most heartily for his
effective and telling legal defence Of slavery wc beg
him to rccollcc that the Senate Of the United States
Is collection Of ambassadors and nothing rsc that
the constitution of his country is not the Con.tu-
ton of the United States. hut the constitution of
Ionisiana-that his country i not the United States
but Louisiana that he is primarily citizen Of Loui-
siana and only sccondarily citizen of the Emitted
above al! that he i m amba ,sador Of
Louisiana and not Of tie Emitted States While we
are disposed 10 welcome him and all other Whrs into
the Democratic ranks We must insist that they learn
the actual potential existence " state linc, Ard for
get the theories Of their youth. Thosn especially
who have been bred lawyers and accustomed to rank
the decisions Of courts above Tie 4 csiou+ of hc
people. must learn aud pcrpctually remember. that
In law are not anhortias IN lnakingia
that while Mr.. Webster and Chief Justice Marshall
were great men in the interpretation ana a1minstra-
ton Of law a made the people have decided that
they did not know how to mnta --tlat It las been
settled by the great party 10 which they desired to
belong. that those men did not understand om sys.
em Of government and that Mr. Calhoun did that
political jurisprudence Is not to b, found ii decided
'ascs nor in tle reaisas Of lawyers but in Tie voice
Of the people and in the inartculac bnt inevitable
Iongings Of the popular heart. He who can lay his
hand on the volume of til, peoples thoughts aHd cite
h@ is statesman he who rummagrs Libraries for
the decisions Of courts is lawyer oh, for one hour
of great statesman.