Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1858-1860, 1859-01-17
FIRST Announcement In Congress OF
theDoctrfne of Seeession-HistOr1c
"Reminiscences.

Hem1D1scencess
The first announcement on the floor Of Con-
gress of the doctrine of secession, was made
by JOSIAH QUTSCF, on the 14th of January.
1911. he was urging vehenently. on the
JefTer sonian principles of strict construction,
the objection to the erection Of the Orleans
Territory into State, that there was no
authority in the Constitution for the admin
sion of States formed out of territory acquir-
ed since the adoption OF that instrument In
the course of his remarks, he expressed, az
his deliberate opoinion, "that so fragrant a
disregard of the Constitution. as he considered
il, would be a virtual dissolution ofthe bonds
OF the Union, freeing the States composing it
from their moral obligations of adhesion to
each other. and making it the right Of all. as
it would become the duty Of some. TO prepare
defnitively for separation; amicably if they
might, forcibly if they must.
At this point. the late GEORGE POINDExTER,
then delegate in the House from the Terri
tory of Mississippi, called Mr. Quincy TO order
No member of the House, he said, ought to
be permitted to stimulate any portion of the
people to insurrection and a dissolution of
the Union. The Speakeri( VARSUN) decided that
considering the latitude allowed and taken
in this debate, the first part of QUNcY's de-
claration-his opinion that the admission of
Louisiana would be a virtual dissolution of
the Uaion-was admissible. But his declar-
alton as 70 the duty of certain States. under
certain contingency, to separate from the
Union, peaceably il they could forcibly if
they must, was pronounced out of order.
EQUINcY appealed from this decision of the
Speaker, and. part of the Democrats
voting with QUNcY's political friends, the
Federalists, the House reversed the decision
OF the speaker by a vote of SO to SO.
After the interruption had been disposed
OF, QUrScY proceeded to declare. ''that he had
uttered the statement which had so startled
the House, not for agitation, but as a warn
ing; not from hostility to the Union, but out
of an earnest desire TO preserve it."
The secession language used by Mr..
QUIScY. one Of the Federal leaders in the
House from Massachusetts,, in regard to the
admission of Louisiana a State into the
Union, is very like that used near forty years
VI
the South, in respect to the admission of Cali
fornia. Considerations Of political porer lay
at the bottom of the violent and threatening
opposition made to the admission of Louisiana,
a, they also did in the case of the admission
of California.
New England. at the time we are referring
to, was Jealous of the new States to be form
ed in the West. which threatened curtail-
ment of her political weight.
QUINCY, after making the disclaimer above
quoted, proceeded thus:
THE clause in the Constitution authorizing
tie Admission Of new States must from the
context, be understood to relate only to the
formation of new States within the limits OF
the Union as then existing. The people
Of that day had no idea of the territorial
svidity of their successors. Nowadays
USlD there was no limit to our ambitions
hopes. We about 10 cross the Mississippi;
the Missouri and the Red river were but roads
upon which our imagination travelled to new
lands and new States, to be erected and adj
mitted under a power now about to be usurp-
ed"
JEFFERSON, it is well known, originally en-
tertained scruples on the subject of the con-
quire additional territory even by amicable
purchase; but, following the dictates alike Of
patriotism and true wisdom, he permitted
those scruples to be borne down by the great
and overwhelming political necessity, which
demanded our acquisition Of the Louisiana
Territory. Notwithstanding his strong
French sympatbies and his vehement antipa-
thy TO England, he was ready to form a close
alliance with the latter with view of pre-
venting by force of arms should i. become
necessary, France from taking possession of
New Orleans "There is one spot on the
globe" he wrote to the U. S. Minister at
Paris, "the possessor of which is our natural
and habitual enemy. hat spot is New Or
lie ms. France, placing herself in that door,
assumes to us the attitude of defiance. The
day that France takes possession, seals the
union of two nations, who, in conjunction,
can maintain exclusive possession of the
OCEAN. From that moment we must marry
ourselves to the British feet and nation. We
must turn all our attention to a maritime
force. and make the first cannon in Europe
the signal for tearing up any settlement
France may have made"
We return, for n moment,to the views enter
tanned and expressed by the Massachusetts,
Federalsts. OF former days, in regard to
"State-rights."
Not only did they talk strongly of secession.
but they minated the possibility that they
might resort to the State-rights remedy Of
nullifcaion! As they had formerly repudated,
they did not directly assert the claim of a
power i'm the State Legislatures, as set forth
in the famous resolutions OF Virginia aud
kentucky. to nullify. by acts of their own,
the unconstitutional legislation of Congress
BIT they maintained what come to much the |
same thing in practice, that it was both the
right and the duty ofthe State courts, and OF
the State Legislatures, acting through the !
State courts 20 take care that no usurped
and unconstitutional power was exercised |
within their jurisdiction, by the Fedora! Cor
ey,.naert or any body else
This was in 1914. Aud about the same |
time joint committee of the Massachusetts /
Legislature made report in which they |
said:
1.-THE sovereignty reserved IN the States /
Was reserved to protect the citizens from acts
of violence 10y the United States rs well as |
for purposes of domestic regulation. We |
spurn the idea that the free, sovereign, and /
Independent State of Massachusetts is reduced 1
10 a mere municipal corporation, without
power to protect its 'ople, or to defend /
lhem from oppression from whatever quarter |
81 comes. Whenever the national compact is |
violated. and the citizens of this State oppres-
ked by cruel and unauthorized enactmeuts. /
ilis aInr il hnnnh In inlnrnn.. L.. M.