Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1860-12-07

tives, ID February, 1903. This enierdnen
was rendered necessary to prevent a recur
rcnce CT the dangers which had ssrionsI,
threatened the existence OF the Governn, an
during the tendency of the election. RI
article Tor It's own amendment was iutandol
to secure tire amicable adjustment Of conflict
ing constitutional questions like the nro,ar
which might arise between the governyn t an =
OF the States and that of tina Initial So.
Ihi1 appears from contemporaneous hist ,rv
In this connection shall merely cell atte1
tIoh 10 a lew sentences in Mr.. Madison :
j1s'iy-celebrated report, in 1893. to the leo,
stature OF Virginia. IN this he ably ant
conclg;s'Veiy defended the resolutions Of the
preceding IeSislatu re against the strieturr,
Oh several other State legislatures.
1hese were mani y founded upon the pro.
test OF the Virginia legislature AGAINST tho
Allen and Sedition Acts, " as "palnable and
alarming Infractions of the Constitution =
Ia pointing out the peaceful and copstitu.
,iohai remedies and he referred to none other
10 "hicn the states were authorized to resort
Oh buch occasions, he concludes by saving
thaV the legislatures of the States might
nave made direct representation to CONGRESS
with view 10 obtain resembling oithe two
oh5nslVe acts, or they might have represented
TO their respective Senators in Congress- their
wish that twO-thirds thereof would proncsa
an explanatory amendment to the Cdnstitu-
Ion, or two-thIrds of themselves. if such had
been their option, might, by an application
to Congress, have obtained convention for
the same object"
us is INC very course which | earnestly
recommend IN order to obtain an "explana-
tory amendment of the Constitution ON the
SUBJECT OF slavery. This might originate with
congress or the State legislatures, as NAV be
deemed most advisable 70 attain the object.
ne explanatory amendment might be con-
hned to the final settlement of the true con.
struction OF the Constitution on three special
points
l. An express recognition Of the right of
property IN slaves in the States where it now
exists or may hereafter exist.
= The dutg Of protecting this right in all
the common Territories, throughout their
territorial existence, and until they shall be
admitted as States into the Union, with or
without slavery, as their constitutions nav
prescribe.
). y ike recognition OF the right Of the
master to have his slave, who has escaped
from one State to another, restored and de-
iivered up to him, and of the validity of
the fugitive slave law enacted for this pur-
pose, together with a declaration that all
State laws impairing or defeating this right
are violations Of the Constitution. and are
consequently null and void
Ii may be objected that this construction
OF the Constitution has already been settled
by the Supreme Court of the United States.
and what more ought to be required The
answer Is, that very large proportion of tae
people OF the United States still contest the
correctness Of this decision, and will never
cease from agitltion and admit its binding
force until clearly established by the people
OF the several States in their sovereign char
acter. Such an explanatory amendment
would, 1t is believed, forever terminate the
existing discussions and restore peace and
harmony among the stats.
Ii ought not TO be doubted that such an
appeal to the aTbitrament established by the
Constitution itself would be received with
favor by all the States Of the Confederacv.
In any event 1t ought to be tried in a spirit
of Cancellation before any Of these States
shall separate themselves from the Union.
" hen ! entered upon the duties Of the
presidential Office. the aspect neither Of our
foreign nor domestic affairs was at all salts
factory. We were involved in dangerous
with several nations, and two
Ct our territories were in Il state of revolu-
ton against the Government. \ restoration
of the African slave trade had numerous and
powerful advocates.
Unlawful military expeditions were coun-
tenanced by many Of cur citizens, and were
suffered in defiance Of the efforts Of the Gov
ernment, 70 escape from our shores. for the
purpose OF making war upon the unofend-
ing people OF neIghboring republics with
whom we wre a peace In addition to these
and other diff cultiss wesexperienced "A revuI-
slOa ~ monetary Affairs, soon after my ad-
vent TO power, Of unexampled severity and
,uinous consequences to all the great inter
isis OF the country. When we take retro
spect Of what was then our condition and
contrast this with Its material prosperity at
the time of the late presidential election, We
have abundant reason to return our grateful
thanAs to that merciful providence who has
never torsaken US as q nation in all our
trials.
OUR FOREIGN RELATIONS. GREAT BRITAIN.
Our relations with Great Britain are Of the
most friendly character. Since thecommence-
ment Of 10Y administration, the two danger
Gus questions, arising from the Clayton and
Bulwer treaty and from TIE right of search
claimed by the British government, have
been amicably and honorably adjusted
The discordant constructions of the CLAYTON
and Bulwer treaty between the two govern
meuts, which az different periods of the
discussion, bore threatening aspect, have
resulted in q final settlement entirely salts
- = l..
annual message | informed Congress that the
British government had not then "conplet-
cd treaty arrangere nts with the republics Of
Of Honduras and Nicaragua, in pursuance Of
the understanding between the two govern
ments. 1t is nevertheless confidently expect
ed that this good work, will ere long be &C.
This confident expectation
has since been fulfilled. Her Britannia
Majesty concluded treaty with Honduras,
on the 28th of November 1859, and with Nj
caragUa on the 28th Augusta, 1860, relin-
gushing the Mosquito protectorate.
Besides, by the former, the Bay Islands
arecognized as a part Of the republic of Hon
duras, 1t may be observed that the stipu-
lations of these treaties conform in every i'm
portant particular to the amendments adopt
cd by the Senate Of tho United States to the
treaty concluded at London On the 18th DC
tober, 1856, between the two governments.
1t will be recollected that this treaty was re-
iected by the British government because Of
its objection to the just and important
Of the Senate to the article re-
lating to Ruatan and the other islands in
the Bay of Honduras,
1t must be a source Of sincere satisfaction
to all classes Of our tellow-citizens, and es-
pecially to those engaged in foreign COM
merce, that the claim, on the part Of Great
Britain, forcibly TO visit and search Ameri-
can merchant vessels on the high seas in the
time of peace, has been abandoned. This
was by far tie most dangerous question to
the peace of Che two countries which has e1-
listed since the war of 1872. Whilst it re-
manned open, they might of any moment
have been precipitated into q war. This
was rendered manifest by the exasperated
state of feeling throughout our entire coun-
try, produced by the forcible search Of Amer
can merchant vessels by British cruisers on
the coast of Cuba, in the spring of 1858.
The American people hailed with general
acclaim the orders Of the Secretary Of the
Navy to our naval force in the Gulf of Mex
leo. "to protect all vessels of the United
States on the high seas from search or deten-
49,, h., IL Of m of tba-