The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1860-12-05

| Tor the United States, form I'd on .he suppossd
praet,caotlity of using free against the IN.
| constitutional proceedings of the States wou Id
| prove as visionary and faliaci1us q. the gov.
ernment of Congress - evidently meaning The
tnen existing Congress of the old Confedera-
| tion.
without descending to particulars. i: may
ne safely ssaer Led, that the power to make war
| ageinsf state is ~ variance with the whole
spirit and intent OF the q nstitoticu. Sup
| pose snch a war should res uiC in the conc nest
ei STATE, how are we to govern it afterwards
| snail we bold 1t as a province. and govern IL
by oespntic power In the nature OF thir gs
we could not, by physical force, control The
VIII OF tha people, and cUmpsi them 10 elec,
| senator's aud representatives TO Congress aud
to perform all the other duties depen din z
| upon their own voiition, aud required from
tue Tree CITIZENS of a free State as Constituent
| mem Der Of the Confs6eracy.
| Bnt, II sc possessed this power wouid II he
| wise 10 exercise IL under existing oITcum
| stances The object would doub less bs tu
preserve the luton War would not only
| present the most efIectrai means of d4StTOy-
| inE it; bUc would oanish all hope OF It's peacs
| aol- reconstruction. Besides, ia tna fraternnl
| conflict a vast unit Of blood and treasure
| you'd be expended, rendering future recon
Citation between The Staies in pos 81 bic. la the
| ueanune who can foreteli what would De The,
sntferings aud privations Of the people durlu z
Its existence
The fact II, that our Union rests npon pub
| lic opin'oT, ana can never be cemented sy TIE
| blood oflts cinZens shed in civil war. II 1t
| cannot live i'll The aftec'Ious of the people, il
| must one day perish. Congress possess N any
| means of preserving IL BY Cancellation hut
the sword was not placed in their hand 10
| praserveit by force.
Bot may be permitted soemnly to invoke
| my counlr rymen TO pause aud deliberate, b-
| tore tney determine to drsfr y thts. the ErauG-
est temple which has ever been dedicated to
| human freedom since the W rid began II has
| n@en COZ secrared ny The blood II our ftthers
by the gluries OF hs past aud by the homes Of
l a yrlAo
| ne most prosperous and, ere long, will IL ore
| ssrSed. render US the mos powerful nation on
De face Of tho earth. In every foreign region
OF me gtUbS the title OF American CitiX-a is
| held in the highest respect, and Sben pro-
| noGnced in foreign land 1t causes the hearts
| of our countrymen 10 swell with honest pride.
| Surely when we reach the brink of toe yawn-
| ing abyss. we shall rec il with horror from
| The last fatal plunge. BY such dread ca'as
| trophe The hopes OF the friends Of freedom
| throughout the world would be DESTROYED, and
| a long night of leaden deSpot tism would en-
| shToUd the nations. Our example for more
| than eighty years would not only be lost but
| IL would be quoted as a conclusive proof that
| man IS unfit for self government
1t is not every wrong-nay, il is not every
| grievous wrong-which can Justify 4 resort to
| such fearful alternative. This ought TO be
! the last desperate remedy OF q despairing peo-
pie after every other constitutional means of
| Cancellation had been exhausted We should
| reflect that under this free Government there
| is an incessant ebb and flow in public opiu-
| ION. lns slavery question, like everything
| human, Will have lis day. l firmly believe
| that it mas already reached and passed the cul-
mina'Ing point But if, III the midst of the
| existing excitement, the Union shall perish
| the evil may then become irrepar2ble Con.
gress can contribute n nch to avert it ey pro-
posing and recommending 10 the legislatures
| OF the several States the remedy for existing
| evils, which the Constitution has itself pro-
| yided for its own preservation. This has been
tried 1t different critical periods of our histo
ry, and always with eminent success Ii Is to
| ba found in the 5th article providing for it's
| own amendment. Under this article amend
| menis have been proposed by tWo-ihirds of
| both houses OF Congress, and have been "rati-
| fled by the legislatures OF three -tOurths of the
several States,' and have conseg uently be-
| come parts OF the Constitution. 80 this pro-
| cess the country is indebted for the clause pro
| hl6iting Congress from passing any law re-
| speeding an establishment of religion, or
aorld8ing the freedom OF speech or OF the
press, or Of the right Of peti.i To this We
are, also, indebted for the Bill Of Rights
| which secures The people against any abuse of
power by the Federal Government. Such
| we're the appFeh9nsluuS Justly entertained -
the friends Ui Stale Rights thai period as TO
have rendered it extremely dJub btlui whether
the Constitution could have long survived
| wIt7nut these amendments
gam, tue Cous tituLiJn vas amended i,y til q
Satue process after the election OF President Z
Jefferson by the Houss of Representative III
| February, 1908. This amendment was rem
aere necessary 10 prevent u recurrence OF the
dangers Which had seriously threatened ths
existence OF the Government during the peu-
Cehcy OF that election. The article for lis own
amen lment was IN zen led 10 secure the ami
/ Caote az stment OF conflicting constitutional
| gHes siOns ike the present which might aris.
between the governments of the States aud
mat oI the tuied States. This appears from
cont tnPJrdheous history. In tnIs conuec-
! eiun, snail merely call after. tIOu 10 n few
| sentences IN Mr.. MAIDS Ju's Justly ce!ehTa lri
! report, in l19g, 10 the legislature OF Virginia
In thIs he aoiy and concias!Vely detendet tie
res0iu tiuns Oi the preceding IecIsia-ure sAiast
| the sIlstures OF several other ) ale iegIsla-
| lures. These were mainly founded uuUu Tie
| protest OF thu Virginia le Isiatufe against the
| Allen and SedltIUu Acts as "palpabe aud
| alarming attractions OF the Coustltu i0n" La
POM Ilng cut the peaceful aud constitutional
remedies, and be referred To meme other to
which the States were au thoriZed TO resort ou
| sucn occasions, he concludes by saying, "tnaI
| ne legislatures OF the States might have made
| direct representation 10 Congress WIN n
view 10 ob'aln a rescinding OF The Two Uffen
| slve acts, or they mtgnt have Represented 70
| their respective senators in Congress their
wish that two thirds thereof would propose
Al explanatory amendment 10 The CUnsIIiu
| lion, or IWo- thITd, vi themselves If sucn had
neen lAeiT option, IN snt, by an applicatlO. ~
| Congress, have Obtained CUnveDL!su for lne
same let"
| Tins Is Tue very course which I earnestly re.
| con n nd ia order 10 obtain " tx JiaHAtcry
| tm-ulment " OF the Constitution OF The su d.
| J-ct Oi HltVery. lhls tnIgat originate WiLn
| Congress or lie State iekisiature-, may b1
| deemed most advisable 10 attain tue utl-cl
| The explanatory amendment mIgat De con
| nGed tO The nhAi settlement Of tls true con-
| structIon OF the Constitution On Three special
| pOiuts:
!. an exprsss recognition of the night of pro
psrss IN aves IN the states where II now exlsIs,
| o. ma he eater exist
2. ne duS Of proIectIns this righ: IN all ,be
| cOnhon Territories throughout their territorial
| txIstenee, and Gntl The, shall be admitted as
states intn tne Union, with or without slavery. "a
| theiI CONSTITUTE as may prescriC..
IL II II n Nff fhnr
t. .no;a7f restored and de.lverrd up 10 him,
| and OF he lOlty oil tno ia Live slave ia ena-I-
cd Ior ihls purpose, 'sethsr VITA declaration
tAat al State Jaws ~ 2ai'ink OK defeating shla
right, are vIOiailuLs OF ne Consultation, dnd are
| consequently nuli ana V"Id
| II may be objected that this construction OF
the & Jnsti tutIou has already been settled by
the Supreme Court OF tne United States and
what more ought to be required Tue ana " er
| -. that very large proportion OF he people
f the Un,ied States stiii contest the corr eC /.
ness Of his decision, and never will cease rom
agitation aud admit It's binding force until
| clearly established bv the people OF the seye-
raj States Ia their sovereign character. Such
an exUidnntory amendment would it is bs
iieyed, forever terminate the existing dissen-
sions and restore peace and harmony among
| the States.
It ought not to be doubted that such an ap-
peal TO The ar o tramen es tabtished by the Con
| stitution itself would be received with. favor
by all the States OF the Ooutederacy. In any
svent IL ought 10 be tried in a spirit of con-
cilistion before any OF these States shall sepa-
rate themselves from the Union.
When L entered upon the duties OF the Pre-i-
dential office, the aspect neither Of our foreign
| nor domestic affairs was at all satisfactory
We were involved in dangerous Implications
with several nations, and two OF our Terrific
rIes were in state of revolution against the
| Government. a restoration of the African
slave trade had numerous aud powerful ad-
vocates. Unlawful military expeditions were
countenanced by many of our citizens, aud
were suffered, in defiance OF the efforts OF the
| Government, 10 escape from our shores, for
the purpose of making war upon The unof-
Tending people of neigh boring republics with
whom we were al peace. In addition TO these