Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1860-12-13

i tIon had been exhausted. We shoul
e reflect that under this free governmer
e there is an iDcessant ebb and flow
Z public opinion. The slavery question
like everything else. will have it's ia,
, J firmly believe that il has ALREADY reach
: ed aud passed the eliminating poin,
, But il, in the midst of the existing ex
chernen,j the Union shall perish, th,
evil may then become irreparabIe. Con
J gress can contribute much 10 avert il b,
proposing and Recommending 10 tn
!, legislatures Of the several States tha
remedy for existing. evils which tn,
constitution has itself provided for it
own preservation.
| This has been tried at different criti-
cal periods Of our history, and Away
with eminent success. 1t is TO be foun.
in the 9th article provioing for It's own
amendment. UnderthIs a:ticle amend
ments have been proposed by two third,
of both hoases Of congress, and have
been ratified by the legislatures Of three
fourths Of the several States, and have
consequently becdme parts Of the con-
stltution,,
To this process the country isindebt..
ed for the clause prohibiting congress
from passing any law respecting an es..
tablishment Of religion. or abridging the
freedom Of speech or Of he press or OF
the right Of petition. TO this we are
also indebted for the Bill of Rights,
which secures the people against any
abuse of power by the federal govern
ment. Such we're the apprehenslons
justly entertained by the friends of State
rights at that peri ID as to have rendered
it extremely doubtful whether the con =
stitution could have long survived with.
out these am endments.
Again. the constitution was amended
by the same process after the election of
President Jefferson by the House OF
Representatives, in February. 1903. -
This amendment was rendered necessa
ry to pr vent recurrence o. the dan
gers which had seriously threatened the
existence of the government during the
pendency OF that election. The article
for its own amendment vas intended to
secure the amibsbie adjustment, of con.
fiicting constitutional questions like the
present, which might arise between the
government Of the States and that of the
United Si,tes. This,appears from con.
temporaneous histor 4 Rhis connec.!
tion shall merely call aflkntion- to q
I few sentences in Mr. Madison's Justly
celebrated report, 10 1893, to the Legis
lature of Virginia.
In this he ably and concIusively de-.
fendtd the resolutions Of the preceding
legislature against the structures of sew.
eral other State Legislatures. These
were mainly founded upon the protest
of the Virginia legislature against :he
Allen and Sedi,ion acts,' as 'palpable
and alarming infractions OF the cons.i.
tution.'
In pointing out the peaceful and con.
stitutional remedies, and he referred to
none other to which the States were
authorized to resort on such occasions;
he concludes by saying tha; the legis..
atures of the States might have made a
direct representation to congress with a
view to obtain a resembling Of the two
offensive acts. or they might have rep.
resented to their respective senators in
congress their wish that two thirds
thereof would propose an explanatory
amendment TO the constitution, or two
thirds of themselves, If such had been
their option, might, by aa application to
congress, have obtained convention fol
the same object
This is the very course which ear.
Destly recommend IN order 10 obtain an
explanatory amendment of the consti .
tuton on the SUBJECT of slavery. This
might originate with congress or the
State legislatures, as may be deemel
most advisable to obtain the object.
The explanatory amendment nigh,
be confined TO the final settlement OF the
true construction Of the constitution on
three speciel points.
1: An express recognition of the right
OF properly in slaves IN the State:
where It now exists or may hereafter
exist.
, e: The duty Of protecting this righ
, in all the common Territories through
out their territorial existence, and unli
they shall be admitted as States into The
Union, with OF wilhou. slavery, as theII
constitution may prescribe.
5: A like recognition Of the right O.
the master to have his slave. who ha:
escaped from one State 10 another, re-.
stored and delivered up to him. and q
) the validity ot the fugiuye save Law
enacted for this purpose, together viii
a declaration that all State laws impair.
ing or defeating this right are violations
of the and are consequently
, null and void.
: 1t may be objected that this construc
| tion Of the constitution has alread.
{ been settled by the Supreme Court o
/ the United States, and what more Ough
to be requiredi. The answer is, that
{ very large proportion Of the people O
b the United States still contest tine cor
y rectness of this decision, and never vii
1 cease from agitation and admit its bind
e ing force until clearly established b.
G the people Of the several States in thel
. sovereign character. Such an explana
i tory amendment would, it is believes
y forever terminate the existing disseI
j. sions and restore peace and harmon
n among the States. l.Et3 .-.