Dallas herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1849-1873, 1860-12-19

- tuili4l'tiHS ''NnNiA''Whf4 VutNtiNfif
tiiac the present, which might arise
between the Governments Of the
,Sl.tos and of tho United Slates.--
fThis appears from cotemporaneous
history.
IS In Ills connection shall merely
call attention 20 n few sentences IN
Dir. Madisons Justly celebrated re-
port (in l799,) TO the Legislature OF
Ni-ginia.s In this he ably and con
clusively defended the resolutions
of the preceding Legislatureaga nst
the structures of several other State
4 legislatures,
N These wegp mainly founded upon
tlie protect on tlio Virginia Leg,sla-
fe1gs..Ass tle Alipplali Z ,iedit,on
70 \, rs naipalil6 or alitfinins infinc-
tons otihe Cmstiiuuia In point
ing ont thc peaceful and Constitll.
tional remedies, he referred to none
other to which the States were au-
thorized TO resort on such occasion.
lie concludes by saying that the
] Legislatures OF the Estates might
have made direct representation to
Congress with view TO obtain u
resembling Of the two offensive acts,
or they might have represented to
their respective Senators in Con-.
gress their wish that two-thirds
thereof would have proposed an eX-
planatory amendment to the Con-
Constitution, or two-t thirds of them
selves, if such had been their OPP
ton, might, by an application to
Congress, have obtained a Convcn-
ton for the same object. This is
the very course which ! earnestly
recommended, in order to obtain an
explanatory amendment of the
Constitution on the subject of slave
ry. This might originate with
Congress or with the State Legsla
lures rs may be deemed most advis-
able, to attain the object. The ex
planatory amendment might be con
fined to the final settlement of the
true construction of the Constitution
ON three special points.
First. An express recognition Of
the right of property in slaves in
the State which now exist or may
hereafter exist.
Second. The duty of protecting
this right in all the common Ter
ritories throughout the Territorial
existence, ana until they shall be
admitted as States into the Union
with or without slavery as the Con-
stitution may prescribe.
Third. A like recognition OF the
right Of the master to have his slave
who has escaped from one State TO
another restored or delivered up to
him; and of the validity OF the Flu
gitive Slave Law, enacted for this
5pulpcsc, together with a deciara-
tiou that all State laws impairing or
defeating this right are violations
OF the Constitution, and are conse-
quently null and void.
1t may be objected that this con !,
struction has already been settled
by the Supreme Court ofthe United
States and what more ought to be
required The answer is, that a
large portion of the people OF the
United States still contest the cor
ractness Of this decision, and never
will cease from agitation or admit
its binding force until clearly es
tablished by the people of the sew
eral States in their sovereign char
acter Such an explanatory amend
ment would, it is believed, forever
terminate the existing disscnsions,
and restore peace and harmony
among the States. 1t ought not to
be doubted that such an appeal to
the arbitrament established by the
Constitution itself would be recciy-
cd with favor by All the States of
the confederacy In any event it
orrh r. he t,,;ad in !, sr;rit Of con
citation batore aoy of these States
shaIl sanarate themselves from tbc
TTn;on 7'
M pros;den+ on,,,n arates the
eu;ls rasnltina fron ! civil war but
is 90 nyinced that the neriod has not
a. arr;yed which viii instify d resort
- ! ravo,nt;o,mry resistance. The
Eodoral Govern,ncnt mnst be guilty
~ dei;horate nolnable and danger
ons evercises Of IFS powers
Tha late Presidential election. Mr..
Rnchonan claims Is NOT sufficient
ea,'se ea, resistance and in this CON
motion he renudiates tile right of
asss.o saaaa,;ar os innons;stapt with tbe
ol,a,.aatar or tbe Fadaral ronstitu-
character oi 'he , Teueia' sunss..n ,ass.'ra
Ilon' ne q4oses ..sa;t;ao oauison Ha ie' says
70 sustain ms posa.'oh. e; hos aJontSd
tnat the >iOnSlllutiOtl Hac t'NoPeN"