Daily national Democrat., 1860-12-12
An able Champion OF the Union.

Amos Kendall is writing a series of letters
to the Washington Star, in which he COM
bats the doctrine of Secession. He applied
for hearing in the columns Of the Constitu-
ton, but was denied admission. the conduc-
tors of that sheet being for secession Amos
Kendall was the right-hand adviser of Gen
jackson. in the first days of Notification, and
knows we'll what were the sentiments of the
Democratic party at that time, on the sub
iect. Furthermore, no man in the country
has studied more thoroughly the Constitu-
tion and the political history of the United
States. lie quotes the articles of the original
Confederation to show that the uion then
formed was considered perpetual, and indis-
soluble. The subsequent adoption of the
present Constitution was not for the purpose
of releasing the States from the perpetual
bond but with the view of strengthening the
hands Of the Union, by supplying what was
defective in the existing system The form
of ratification of the Articles of Confedera-
ton, as signed by the delegates of the differ
ent States, was solemn and impressive, and
contained the following:
We do further solemnlv plight
and engage the faith of our respective con-
stituents, that they shall abide 6y the determi-
nation Of the United States, in Congress as.
sem6ted, on all questions which, by the said
/ Confederation, are submitted to them and
that the articles thereof shall he inviolabh
obSerped by the States we respectively repre-
sent and that the Union shall be perpetual
Such was the character of the original FED
eral Constitution. 1t was compact fol
perpetual union and, when the new Con.
stitution was adopted, the original compact
was in no manner impaired, the object of the
new Constitution being only the more fully
to carry out the design of Union. This in
tention is manifest in the very Resolution,
calling for a Constitutional Convention
This Resolution was adopted, February oath,
1887, and reads as follows
"RssoIred, That in the opinion of Con-
! gress, it is expedient that on the second Mon
day in May next a Convention of Delegates
! who shall have been appointed by the sever
al States, be held at Philadelphia, for the sole
and express purpose of revising the Articles
of Confederation, and reporting to Congress
and the several Legislatures such alterations
and provisions therein as shall, when agreed
to in Congress. and confirmed by the States
render the Federal Constitution adequate to
the exigencies of Government, and the pre-
serrotion of she Union"
The Convention was called, the Constitu
ton framed and adopted. 1--WE, the peopl
Of the United States" says that instrument
'in order to form a more perfect union" &c.
"do ordain and establish this Constitution fol
the United States Of America"
1t is clear. then, that the mere revision O
the Articles of Confederation, which resulted
in the forming Of the present Constitution
was not intended to and did not change tn,
original agreement and bond of "perpetua
union" 1t only strengthened it.
Such facts as these furnish an unanswerabl
argument against secession. 1t is doctrine
which cannot stand for a moment in the ligh
of the political history of the country. No
only do these facts speak for themselves, bu
we have the testimony of James Madison, tn,
Father of the Constitution and of otheI
great men concerned in the construction O
that instrument, that such thing as a re
served right, on the part of any State, t,
withdraw from the Union, was never con
templated by the trainers of it,