, 1860-05-11

Crtsts.
The following Is asJnopRis Of jeff Davis
speech in the Senate on Monday Last: /
Mr.. Davis skid+ hts resolutions wers little |
moro than . mere announcement Of the prlpcl- |
Tics we're The same which the founders Of the |
Government Ind to compose. He would not t
argue about natural ind Inherent rights, hut
would plant himself on the Constitution, which |
r!l have srorn to support. When tha- tempter
entered the garden Of Eden. he WAS the first
the introduction Of that higher law eatne sin
and death. Why y+hea talk Of natural 1ights7
Who was to sit as Judge to try thesn2 Tho
Constitution wasfths tlsw Of every American,
and he argued that no question outside Of the
forms OF tnr and order was contained in it,
one great Eource Of difficulty wrs tho theory
that This was government Of one people in
stead q compact between separate soyereign-
ties. This desire OF separate aud independent
communities brought about the easly settlement
OF this continent. The Declaration OF Inde-
pendance was not for the Colonies united, but
not adopted by the mass Of the people, but by
the States severally. This YRS further sustain
ed by the circumstance Of the irregular period
At which the. Constitution vas ratified by the
different States. lie read from the debates Of
the New York Legislature, and the Legislatures
OF other States Oh the ratification Of the Cousti-
tuition, to support bis vie~ q, wherein ground is
taken that the States could Ut any tina WHEN 1t
Wes necessary resume the powers which
they had delegated to the Government. He
referred to Cotton asthe great bond Of the union
bet"ce1. the States, which was important 10 the
manufacturers of the North. The diversity Of
position OF the two sections rendered free in
fEFchAnrR af c0mmndiaiex nrca4sAfy. Enw
surprising, then, that that book should receive
the commendation of a large number Of North
ern Representatives., which found fsnft because
the South used the surplus proceeds Of Northern
manufactures The South demanded protec-
ion, FIRST, because it wns its rights; second,
ment. 4r. Davis read many distinguished au-
!, thorties TO show that no power YVES given to
the General Government to coerce the Sta,es,
and that tha idea Of community Of indcpen..
dence prevailed among the leading men Of ell
sectinns at the formation Of The Government.
lie also asserted tha. thu General Government
had no power to limit the importations Of any
State. If it be = protective duty by which the
States are taxed, by what right isslava property
to BE- deprived Of this proteotons On thia Issue,
| after da5A Of discussion, they saw the Demo
cratic Convention broken up, and the party unit
ever, tbHt the Democracy still lived, that it
would honestly meet the issue, and that the
masses of the country would sustain it The
| Wing party had ceased to lire. Differing With
| it on the points Ut issue. he would render hom-
age to ita faithful adherence to what it thought
| right Then came the Radical purity, Which
sought to orerturn the Constitution. Thus it
| was that many members of the old Whig party
| were acting with the Democracy now as the
only Conservative party. He trusted The hopes
0f the Conservative element would not be dis
| appointed, and thanks to Providence be be!iesed
l fhHuSr nfA-
red to the fourth and fifth Of his resolutions,
| which asserted the right Of slave property to
| protection in the Territories, md the duty OF
Congress to see that thia protection wa< afford
ed. He stood halfway between those who as
serted the absolute power Of Congress over the
Territories, and md squatter sovereignty men.
Congress had power to establish temporary
Governments in Territories. He read Judicial
authorities to austain the views embodied in Lii
| resolutions, and asked how that could now BE-
considered q Judicial question which had al.
ready been decided. The umpire selected as q
referee in the controversy had decided thai
! neither Congress nor the Territorial Legisla;
'ture had the power to impair the right Of pro
| perty. lie was less now than eser disposed tc
submit to the doctrine of squatter Sovereignty.
1t was first brought forward by good and great
man in 1S45, who feared that the Government
would not stand the rude ehock uf contendine
| parties. 1t Was fallacy that should be ex
the experiment WIS first tried? Did ii succeed!
No. The government had to interpose to prevent
desolaton by civil war. Compress has no right
to abdicate any power conferred On it as q trus
tee. Looking toward Mr. Douglas he asked
what consequence to US Is our retention il
place when weighed against the interests Of the
country? Of reason, right and justice, whnt il
there to sustain Jour polic,t lie then areuci
to show the absurdity Of the idea that Con
gress could clothe its mere agent with power
which it did not itself possess. This was ul
lowing the recipient more than tho donor ha6
to give. He had heard the ide. Of non inter
| yention in the Senate Of The United States
which had been hammered out to embrace
boundless regions. He denied TINT non-inter
yenrion, as it was formerly understood, dcniee
MI right Of Congress 10 legisIate in regard tt
slavery. At the very time the doctrine wat
broacEed, the fugitive sluve Law was enacted
and legislation taken in regard to slavery II
the territories ana in the District Of Columbia
lie read Ir. Ciay's opinions on the subject, II
ehow that be who was the originator Of thu
doctrine never gave it the Interpretation claim
ed by the advocates Of popular Sovereignty
| The Senator from Illinois; in 1850, opposed ev
err proposition which passed the senate, s,le
voted for tho prohibition of slavery from tht
territories. He beiiesed be did 80 under in
s.ructions. In 1854 Congress, in enactipE terri
torul bills, lett out the provision requiring tht
territorial legislature to suhnit its acts to thu
| TeTl31nn oI congress-, ana tnlS was Ct1lulEG a;
concession Of The power of Congress. This
however, was not 50. rs Congress subsequent,
inserted 4 provision in the other bills. More
over, Congress could not abdicate its power
lie asked no more for sl4ye code than for
horse or machine code. He did want the ter
ritories 10 understand that they had no right Il
interfere With the rights Of property; ard i
they did so, lie wanted Congress to interfere
lie only nsked that the constitutional rights .
the Southern States should be respected. Il
hoped that Mississippi would never suErendt
her equality OF rights to avoid any danger. TIL
country bad reached q period Of c1vil war IL
armed band had invaded Southern State, an,
the question WIS, what must be done to sar
the country? Lecturers hai been sowing broad
cast throughout the country incendiary doc
trlnes, und SO le called on the Senate to pro
mote correct principles aud bring back the GOV
ernment to the doctrines Of the constitution
They were asked If the par5 processing host
ity to their institutions got pos ession Of III
government to await calmly an overt act. Wa
not declaration Of war M overt act? II a hot
: tile army stood before Jour city, must you wa
till it is sacked? He would meet them at tb
outer gate. Yet for this the South is charge
with menacing the goFeEnment~ The ceterm
| nation Of the South 10 maintain her eqnnt right
: is tortured into u:enace. II was not a thret
but . warning to prevent that which was dTeus
ed, not desired. This question has been tan
pered with too long, and it is tjmc that II
| truth Was asserted in uneQuivocal language.