Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1860-12-14
NUMBER 27.

title OF Amerlcan citizen is held in he
highest respect, and when pronounced ia
ioreIgu lands it causes the hearts ot our
couutrymen to swell with honest pride
Surely, when we reach the brink of the
yawnin9 abyss, we shall recoil with hor-
ror from the last fatal plunge By such
a dread catastrophe the hopes of the friends
Of freedom throughout the world would
be destroyed, and long night of leaden
| despotsm would enshroud the nation.
| Our example for more than eighty years
would not only be lost, but it would be
quoted as conclusive proof that man is
unfit for self-government. 1t is not every
wrong, nay, it is not every glieyous wrong.
which can justify a resort TO such a fear
full alternative. This ought to be the last
desperate remedy of despairing people.
after every other constitutional means at
concliation had been exhausted. We
should reflect that under this free gov
ernment tn re is an incessant ebb and
| How of public opinion. The slavery ques-
ton, like every thing human, will have its
day. | firmly believe that ii has already
reached and passed the eliminating point;
but If, III the midst of the existing ex-
element the Union shall perish, the evil
may then become irreparable. Congress
can contribute much to arrest it, by pro-
posing and recommending to the Legis-
latures of the several States the remedy
for existing evils which the Constitution
has Itself provided for It's own preservs-
ton. This has been tried at different
critical periods of our history, aud always
with eminent success. 1t is to be found
IN the 5.h article providing for It's own
amendment. Under this article amend
ments have been proposed by two-thirds
of both Houses Of Congress, and have
been ratified By the Legislatures of three
forths of the several States, and have con-
sequently become parts of tie Constitu-
ton. TO this process tie country is in
debebted for the clause prohibiting Con-E
gress from passing any law respecting an
establishment of religion, OF abrldsins
the freedom of speech or Of the press, or
the right OF petition. To this we are in-
debted for the bill of rights which Sc
cured the people against any abuse of
power by the Federal Government. Such
were the apprehensions Justly entertained
by the itlends OF State rights at that
period, as to have rendered it extremely
doubtful whether tire Constitution could
have long survived without these amend
ments. ..r
Again the Constitution was amended by
the same proce SIS after the election Of Pres
ident jefferson by tie House of Represen-
tatiyes, In February. 1903 This amend
ment was rendered necessary to prevent =
recurrence of the dangers which had seri-
ously threatened the existence af the Gov
ernment during the pendancy Of thai cleo
ton. The article for its own amendment
was intended TO procure the amicabls ad-s
justment Of the conflicting Constitutional
questions, like the present, which might
arise between the Governments of the
States and of lb. United States. Ills ap-
pears from contemporaneouS history. lw
this connection, | shall merely call atten-
tion to few instances in Mr. Madisou's
Justly celebrated report, IN 1899, to the
Legislature Of Virginia. LII this, he ably
and conclusvely defended the resolutions
of the preceding Legislature against tie
latures. These were m ,inly founded
upon the protest of the Virginia Legi.la--
ture against the alien and sedition acts as
palpabie, and alarming infracti ms on the
Constitution. In pointing out The peace
full and constitutional remedles-and he
referred to none other--to which the
States Were authorized to resort Oh such
occasions, he concludes by saying that the
Legislatures of the States might have made
direct representation TO Congress with
view to obtain recindiug of the two Of
fensive acts, or they might have repre-
sented to their respective Senators in
Congress their wish that thirds there
of would propose any explanat' ry amend
ment to the Constitution or two-thirds
of themselves, if such had been their OPP
ton, might by an application to Congress
have obtained convention for the very
same object This is the very course
which | most earnestly recommend, in
order to obtain an explanatory amend
ment of the Constitution on the sub
iect of slavery. This might originate
with Congress OF the States Legislatures,
as may be deemed most advisable to at
tain the object. Tie explanatory amend
ment might be Confined to tbs fnal settle
ment of tie coustruiion Of the Constitu-
ton on three special points First, an
express recognition OF tie right OF pro-
perty IN slaves in The States where it now
exists. Secoud, the duty of protecting
this right in all the common territories
throught their territorial existence, and
until they shall be admitted as States into
the Union, with or without slavery, az
their Constitution may prescribe. Third,
alike recognition of the right OF lie mas
ter to bis slave, who has escaped from ore
State o another, to be restored and de-
liyered up to him ; and The validity OF the
Fugitive Slave Law, enacted for this pur-
pose. together with dec ration that all
State laws inpairing or decreasing this
right are violations of the Constitution,
and consequently null and void.
Itmay be objecte and this construc-
ton of lie Constitution has already been
settled by tie Supreme Court of the Unit
ed States. and what more ought to be re-
quired +? The answer is that very large
proportion of the people Of the United
States still controvert the correctness Of
this decision, and never will cease from
agitation and admit It's binding force un-