, 1860-12-06

expense to tie Government. Let US lruStthnt
the State Legislatures will repeal their uncon-
this shall be done without unnccesszasy dclay,i !,
Is impossible fur any human bower to save ,nc
Union. Tue Southern States, standing on the
BASIS ol ihc CcMstituttun, have right to de-
nlana thls ACT II Justice from the Staics of the
Nolo, SAou1d it be refused them, thu Cousti-
!1f'oh, 10 which all the States arc parties, will
nave been wilfully violated by one portion Of
hcm. IN provision essential to the domestic
that event the injured e..fcs, amer having flrst
used Ill 1,eac4f.s and constitutional means to
obtain redress, would be- justified In revolution
~; resistance to thu government Of tho Union.
l have purposcly confined my remarks to
revolutionary resistancg, because 1t has been
claimed within the last few years, that any
State, whenever 1t ehall be her sovereign will
and pleasure, may ecccdc from the Union in
any violation Of the constitutional rights Of
tho other members pf The con{cderacy; That
rs each became parties to tic Union by the
vote Of Its pS7n people assembled in couyeu-
t!ot, So any ono Of them may retire from the
Union in u similar manner, by the vote Of
sion as constitutional remedy, 1t must be On
the principle that the Federal Government is i
mere voluntary Association Of States, to bc
dissolved at pleasure by one OF the contracting
parties. II this be SO, the confodcracyis Is aropc
Of sand, and 10 be separated and dissolved by
tho inst adverse wave Of public opinion in any
ur the Stnes. ln this manner our thirty
three States may resolve themselves into lis
many petty, 5arTing and hostile republics, each
one rclirn. from The Union without. respon-
siSility, whenever any sudden excitement,
might impel them tu tuch Il course; by this
process Cnion might be entirely broken into
fragments in Il few weeks, which cost our fore
%,,fE 1x&FA A<f5 -
tu establish. Such n principle is wholly III
consistent with the history. As it v:.s.s framed
with the greatest dcliheration and care, it was
submitted to conventions Of the people Of the
several States for ratification lis provisions
were DISCUSSED at length in these bodies coln-
posed Of the first men OF the country. Its or
lrlncnts contendcd tllnt IL conferred power
upon the Federal Government dangerous to the
Fights of the States, whilst Its advocates MAIN
famed lint under fair construction Of the in
ssrun.cnt, there was no foupdatlon orsuch al,-
i,rchcRsions. In that mighty struggle between
tile 1trst intealrr.s of this or any other coun-
Try, It pe:2s occurred to amy individual, either
a'rotig its opponents or advocates, to assert or
even 10 intimate that their efforts were all vain
labor. because the moment that any State felt
herself asgrievcd, she might scccde from the
Union. What 1 crushing argument would this
have proved against those who'drcadcd that
the rights Of the States would be endangered
hy the Constitution: The truth is, that It WAS
not until many years affcr the origin of 1hr
Federal Government, tllut such a proposition
was tlrst advanced II was then met and refu-
ted by the conclusiv arguments Of General
Jackson, who, in his message Of The 16lh of
January, 1Ss,, transmitting the nullifying Or
dinancc Of South Carolina to Congress, en-
ploys the following language:
The right Of tie people ofa single Statcto
:s'solvc themselves at will, without the con
~Itn q hHr frpt1n nit .1J
cintl obligations, hazardA the liberty and hap
piness Of 1nilliars composing this Union, and
cannot he acknowledged Such authority is
believed to he utterly repugnant, both to the
principles upon which the General Govern
l'ient is constituted, and to the objects which
it vas expressly formed to attain. It is not
pretended that any clause in the Constitution
gives countcnancc to such a theory; it is alto
:srther founded upon inference, not from any
language contained in the instrument itscli,
but from the sovereign character Of the sever
III States hy which il was ratified; but is be-
yond the power Of 4 State, like m individual,
10 yield i portion Of its sovereign rights tosc.
cure tue remainder In the language of Mr.
Madison, who has been called the Father Of
the Constitution, it was formed by the States.
that is by the people In each of the States, act
inS in their highest sovereign capacity, aud
formed consequently by the same authority
which formed the State constitutions; nor is
the government Of the United States, created
by the Constitution, less a government, in the
,trictest senee Of the term, within tho sphere
os its powers, than the governments created
by the Constitutions Of the States are within
t!itir several spheres. It is like them
osganlzca into Legislative, Executive and Ju
uiciary departments. 1t opcrates like them
c'rertly on persons and things, aud like them,
i has ut command 4 physical force for cxecu-
ting the powers committed to it; wis intend
IN hnt ~ io1 \ %.1
NC plt4a.arc Of any one Of the contracting par
lies of the Confederation, perpetual union
between the States; and by the 18th article, it
is expressly declared that the articles Of this
Contcdcr;1 ion shall be inevitably observed
by every State, and the Union shall be per.
Vetuatcd.
The Preamble to the Constitution of tic
United States, having expressed reference to
the articles Of Confederation, which states 1t was
established in order to form 4 more perfect
Onion, docs not include the essential attribute
"f rcrpctuity; but that the Union WAS design
I'll TO be perpetual, appE.rs conclusiycly from
the nature and extent Of the powers conferred
by the Constitution Of the Federal Govern
rAcnt- These powers embrace the very high
ct attributes of national sovereignty. They
place both the sword and the purse under its
control Congress Inns power to make war
aud to make pcacc, 10 raise and support ar
iHlcs and navies and to conclude treaties
with foreign governments. 1t is invested
w.. ~. ~ -. IV"sa ~ cn inoney anu " teula1e
,Mt '.;., ss,ne !ncfcol ana 10 5csnla1e commerce
VI W" e...'s ,1ai;ons .no anohg tne se'e-
,,ern,n IL a,,.eu 20 ~ neecesa'y 10 sn1'
have been conferred upon the Federal Govern
i'sent. In order to carry the enumerated pow
ers into cilie'tt, Congress possesses the exelu
and in common with thc States 10 lay nn,l co1'
lect oil other taxes. But the Consti;ution has
not only conferred tl,esc hir], nn3rers 1,non
Congress, hut il las adoptci eti.ct,,al means
their exercise. for that ,nrnosc II has IL -
# rong urol,Ibitorv lanr.,acc cTnrcsslv dcc,arcd
that n. state shall ,nfcr in,o n,. soat,. Lii
,ncc or confrderaf;nn ,rT.,nt Letters aT 11,r..'
and rcnrjsaJ co;n 1nnncr cmit f;,ls or crcdit
make anytl,inc hut ,,old and SILVER co;, :, tcn'
der in payncnt Of debts mass anv bili Of ~.
ta,ndcr 4.o, f.tolaws nr1ass % ;,y,,,n;r;sm,ie W
oi,i;"at;ons ~ contr,rts Moroornr W;,bant on
thc consent ~ fConrrcss M statn s1,.i, Ia, a,.,
anr fmnoste ~ Jn1;,s ~ M. ;,e,,a+.. s ~. '..s
,,,y+s a~.o,h ,,.hat T,or ra nhs,f,taI,. .,,o..
~ ~ "ts
rxcccd tbis ,rn5nn, fhc cEccssrs - sh,i, hc,nnSS ,S
g.. 49, r;;,aa ST. -. -. g.. aIt
nt fhc cnnsant ~ 1on"rcss 5sr ,ny n1 Inn, H'tm n
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,;mn ~ i;on 's t.nnn s,odaa 5 e1!.n sass
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