The Alleghanian. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1859-1865, 1860-12-13
NUMBER II.


expended. rendering future reconciliation be-
tween the States impossible. In the meantime
who can foretell what would be the suiferings
and privations of the people during its exist
ence. The fact is, that our Union rests upon
public opinion, and can never be cemented bv
the blood OF its citizens shed in civil war. If
1t cannot live in the affection of the people il
must one day perish. Congress possesses many
means of preserving ii by Cancellation but
the sword was not placed in their hands To
preserve it by force. But may l be permitted
SOIemnly to invoke my coUntrymen to pause
and deliberate before they determine to destroy
this, the grandest temple which has ever been
dedicated to human freedom since the world
began. 1t has been consecrated by the blood
of our fathers, by the giories Of the past, and
the hopes of the future.
The Union has already made US the most
prosperous, and ere long will If preserved,
render US the most powerful nation on the
face of the earth. IN every foreign region of
the globe the title of American citizen is held
in the highest respect, and when pronounced
in a foreign land, IT causes the hearts of our
countrymcn to swell with honest pride. Sure.
ly, when we reach the brink of the vawniEn-
abyss, we shall recoil with horror from the
last fatal plunge. By such dread catastro-
phe, the hopes of the friends of freedom
throughout the world would be DESTROYED and
a long night of leaden despotism would en-
shroud the nation. Our example for moro
than eighty years would not only be lost, but
It would be quoted as a conclusive proof thai
man IS unfit for self-goverument. 1t is not
every wrong, nay, it is not every greyioas
wrong which can Justify resort to such u
fearful alternative. This ought to be the last
desperate remedy of espairing people, after
every other constitutional means of concilia-
/ ton had been exhausted. We should reflect
/ that under this free government there Is an
/ incessant ebb and flow IN public opinion; the
/ slavery question, like everything human will
So L. =.
| ready reached and passed the eliminating
! pcint. But il, in the midst OF the existing e1-
citement, the Union shall perish, the evil may
/ then become irreparable.
WHAT coxGKEss SHOULD DO.
Congress can contribute much TO avert it, by
proposing and recommending to the LeCisla-
/ lures of the several States the remedy for ex-
| listing evils which the Constitution has itself
| provided for its own preservation. This has
been tired at different critical periods of our
| history, and always with abundant success
1t is TO be found in the 9TH article. providing
| for its own amendment. Under tins article
| amendments have beenproposed by two thirds
| of both houses of Congress- and have been rat
flied by the Legislatures of three-fourthe of the
several States, and have consequently become
! parts of the Constitution. To this process the
| country is indebted for the clause prohibiting
/ Congress from passing any law respecting any
establishment of religion abridging the
/ freedom Of speech, or OF any 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 federol gov
ernment. Such We're the appreh Justly
entertained by the friends Of State rights at
that period rs to have rendered 1T extremely
doubtful whether the Constitution could have
long survived without these amendments
Again, the Constitution amended bv the
same process after the election of President
Jefferson by the House of representatives in
II.
! necessary to prevent recurrence of the dan
gers which had seriously threatened the cx-
istence Of the government during the pendency
OF that election. The article for its own amend-
! ment was intended to procure the amlcable adj
justmeut of conflicting constitutional questions
ike the present. which might arise between
| the governments of the States AID that of the
| United States
This ppears from cotemporaneous history
In this connection | shall merely call attention
| 10 few instances in AIr. Madison's Justly cell
brated report, in 1879, TO the Legislature of
| Virginia. In this he ably and conclusivelv
defends the resolutions Of the proceeding Leg
islature, against the structures of several other
State Legislatures. These were mainly found
ed upon the protest OF the Virginia Legislature
against the Alien and SedItiOn Acts. as palpa-
, bleand d'alarming iniTactions ofthe constitution
In pointing out the peaceful and constitutional
/ remedies land he referred to none other) TO
/ which the States authorized to resort on
| such occasions he concludes by saving that
/ the Legislatures of the States might have made
! direct representation to Congress- with n view
10 obtain resembling OF the two offensive acts
/ or they might have represented to their res
pective Senators III Congress their wish that
two-thirds thereof would propose any explain
atory amendment 10 the Constitution: or two
thirds of themselves, ii such had been their op-
tOn, might, by all application 10 Congress-,
have obtained convention for the same object
This is the very course which l earnestly rec
ommend, in order to obtain an explanatory
amendment CT TIRE Constitution on the subject
of slavery. This might originate win Congress
or the State legislatures, rs may be deemed
most n dvisabe TO attain the object The ex-
planatory amendment might be confined TO the
final settlement Of the true obstruction of the
Constitution three special points. First, an
express recognition the right of property
IN slaves IN the States where il now exists or
may hereafter exist. Second, the duty of pro-
tecting this right, III all the common terrific
ries, throughout their territorial existence,
and until they shall be admitted as States into
the Union, wiki or without slavery, as their
Constitution may prescribe. Third, A like re-
coaniuOn OF the right the master 10 have ms
slave, who has escaped from one State 10 an
other. returned and delivered up to him, aud
of the validity of the fugitive slave law enact
ed for this purpose. together with "a decara-
ton that ali State laws inIpairing defeating
this right arc violations ct the Constitution,
and consequently null aud void. Ii may
he objected that this construction of tie Con-
: stitation has already been settled by the SUI
pFems Court OF the United States, aad What