Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1860-12-06

the h5aFls of -onr countrylnen 70
swell withhonest pride. Surely, when We
reach the brink of the yswning abyss, we
shall r0coiI with horror from the last fatal
plunge by which dread catastrophe the
hopes Of the friends of freedom through
out the world would be destroyed, and :
long night Of laden despotisn would en-
shr0ud the nation. Our example for more
than eighty years would not only be lost,
but It would be quoted as conclusive
proof that 1nan ls unfit for selEgoyern-
meIit. Ii Is not every WrOng--nay, il Is not
every grieFous wrong--which can Justify
resort 70 such fearful alternative. This
ought to be the last desperate remedy of o
despairing people, after every other cOnsti-
tntienal means Of Cancellation had been
exhausted. We should reflect that under
this free government there Is an inces-
SAINT ebb and flow in public opinion. The
slavery question, Ike everything human,
will have its day. / firmly believe thatit
has already reached and passed the cHl-
ninating point, but ii in the midst of the
existing excitement the Union shalI per-
ish, the evil may then become irreparable.
Congress can contribute much to arrest it
by proposing and recommending to the
Legislatures Of the several States the rem
edy for existing evils which the Constitu.g
ton has Itself provided for its own pre-
servation. This has been tried at different
critical periods of our history, and always
with emineDt success. Il IL TO be found In
the 5tiIarticie providing forts own amend
ment. Under this article amendments
have been proposed BY two-thirds of both
Housce of Congress, and have been ratified
by the. Legislatures of three-fourths ofthe
several States, and have consequently be-
come parts Of the Constitution. TO this
War a..
clause prohibiting Congress from passing
say law respecting an Establishment Of
religion or abrid gtng the freedom ofspeeeh
or Of the press, or 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 were the apprehensions Justly
entertained by the friends of State rights
at that period as TO have rendered ii ex-
tremely doubtful whether the Constitution
could have long survived without these
amendments. Again, the Constitution
was amended by the same process atferthe
election OF Presidens jefferson, by the
House Of Representatives,, in February,
1903. This amendment was rendered me-
eessary to prevents recurrence Of the dan
gers which had seriously Threatened the
existence Of the Government during the
pendaneT of that election. The Article
for its own amendment was .inteDded TO
procure the anlieable adjustment of the con-
hicting Constitutional questions like the pres
ent, which might arise between the Govern
ments OF the States and the United States
THIS appears from c0ntemp0raneons history.
In this connection shall merely call atten-
ton to few instances in Mr.. MadisOn's just
u celebrated report in 1879, to the Legisla-
ture Of Virginia. In this be ably and con-
4 "a p
preceding Legislature against the structures
OF several other State Legislatures. These
were manly formed upon the protest of the
Virginia Legislature agaiut the alien and Sc
jition acts, as palpable and alarming infrac-
tons of the Constitution.
In pointing ont the peaceful and eonsti-
tutional remedies, and he referred TO none
other to which Che States were authorized
to resort on such occasions, he concludes
by saying that the Legislatures of the
States might have made a direct represe1.
tation to Congress, with view 10 obtain
q resembling of the two offensive acts, or
they might have represented TO their re-
spective Senators in Congress their wish
that two-thirds thereof would propose
any explanatory amendment to the Con-
stitutiOn; or two-thirds OF themselves, if
such had been their option, might, by an
application to Congress, have obtained
Convention for the same object
This is the very course which ] earn
estly recommend, i'll order TO obtain
an explanatory amendment of the
Constitution on the subject Of slavery
This might originate with Congress or the
State Legislatures, ms may be deemed
most advisable to attain the object. The
explanatory amendment might be confined
TO the final settlement of the true construc-
r. 81. sfn,gs -. ~
points First, an express recognition Of the
right Of property in slaves IN the States
where il now exists, or may hereafter exist
Second. the duty of protecting this right in
all the common Territories throughout their
Territorial existence, and until they shall be
admitted as States into the Onion, with or
without Slavery, as their Constitutions may
prescribe Third, a like recognition of the
rigat of the master TO have his slave. who
has escaped from one State to another,re
stored and delivered up to him; and Of the
validity Of the Fugitive Slave Law enacted
fer this purpose; together with declaration
that ell State laws impairing or decreasing
this right, are violations of the Constitution,
and Consequently null and void. 1t may be
objected that this construction OF the Consti-
tuition has already been settled b. the Su-
pTeme Court of the United States, and what
more ought to be required? The answer
is, that very large proportion of the PEG
pie of the United States still doubt the
correctness of this decision, and never
will cease from agitation and admit its
binding force until clearly established by
the people of the several Stats, in their
sovereign character.
Such an explanatory amendment would,
il is believed, forever terminate the exist
ing Discussions, and restore peace and har-
81 Il ut
be doubted that such an appeal to the ar
bitrament established by the Constitution
itself would be received with favor By all
the States Of the Confederacy In any
event, il onght to be tried in spirit OF
Cancellation, before any OF these States
shall separate themselves from the Union
Our Foreign Relations.
GREAT BRITAIN
Our relations with Great Britain are of
the most friendly character Since the
commencement OF my administration, the
two dangerous questions arising from the
Clayton and BulWer treaty, and from the
right OF search claimed by the British
Government, have been amIcably and hon
orably adjusted The discordant construc-
ton o. the Clayton and Bulwer treaty be
tween the two Governments, which, at diff
ferent periods of the discussion, bore a
threatening aspect, have resulted in final
settlements entirely satisfactory 10 this
Government In my last Annual Message,
informed Congress that the British GOV.
eminent had not then completed arrange
nents with the Republics ofHOnduras and
Nicaragua, in pursuance of the understand
inr between the two Governments. Its,
nevertheless, confidently expected that
this good work will ere long be accom-
piished. This confidence has since heen
IL n-{r Il IL, H.
n treaty with Honduras on the 2Sth Novem-
Der, 1856, and with Nicaragua on the
18th August, 1850, relinquishing the Mos
quito Protectoratv; besides, by the former,
the Bay Islands are recognized as part OF
the Republic of Honduras. 1t may be OBJ
served that the stipulatiOns of these treat
les conform in every important particular
to the amendments adopted at London on
the 18th of October, 1856, between the two
Governments. 1t will be reGonected that
this treaty was rejected by the British
Government, because of its objection to
the just and important amendment to the
Senate, to the article relating to Ruatan
and the other islands Of the Bay of Hon
duras. ......
When / entered upon the duties of the
Presidential Office, the aspect neither of our
foreign nor domestic Affairs was at all sat
isfaetory. We were involved in dangerous
complications with several nations, and
two of our Territories were in a state of
revolution against the Government. a res
toration of the African Slave Trade had nu-
merous and powerful advocates-unlawfu
military expeditions were eOuntenancedb by
many of our citizens, and were suffered, in
defiance Ofthe efforts of the Government,
to escape from our shores, for the purpose
of making war upon the unofending peO-
pie of neighboring republics with whom
We we're at peace. 1naddition 20 these and
other difficulties we experienced a reyolu-
tion in monetary affairs soon after my ad.
vent into power, of uneXampled severity,
and of ruinous consequences TO all the
great interests of the country. When we
take retrospect Of what was then our con.
dition, and contrast this with its material
prosperity at the time Of the late Presiden-
tial election, we have abundant reasons to
return our grateful thanks to that merclful
Providence which has never forsaken us as
nation in all our past trials.
II is source of sincere satisfaction to
all classes of our fellow-citizens, and es-
peeially to those engaged In foreign COM