Dallas herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1849-1873, 1860-03-28
Remarks Of Senator wig,all, OF Texas,

u
Mr. President--it Is with much diiiilcnee tia
| hazard any opinions on the question under con
sideration before the senate to-day, and especial
ly as my views run directly in conflict with tht
opinions expressed by the distinguished Senator
from Kentucky but AM disposed 10 lay my
mite here upon the altar of our common country
10 aid, If IL be possible, in the rescue of the
Constitution. | am one Of those who believe
that all tho difficulties which this country la'
bors under. arise from u misapprehenson-l say
1t with great diidence, but really believe it
u misapprohension OE some Of the most dstin'
guishcd men that this country has ever produced,
as to the form of Government under which we
arc living Why, sir, there was the most distin-
guishcd man that this country has ever seen
Daniel Webster" the great eSpounder oil the
Constitution, =" us he was called; and | hazard
the assertion that IL there was Ii single thing
about which he was more profoundly ignorant
than any other man in the United States, 1t was
the Constitution of the United States. Senators
upon the other side OF the Senate smile but,
sir, will take the Senator from kcntucky's own
rule, and apply it to Mr.. Webster, ana claim Il
verdict from II jury summoned from that side o!
the Senate Upon the question Of the bunk
upon the question of the tariIE-upon the ques-
tOn Of internal mproyements-upon the qucs-
ton of the distribution of the proceeds OF the
sale of public lands-upon every single great
question upou which parties have divided in this
cauntry, Mr. Webster was on one side and the
people on the other. Then the Senator from
Kentucky says the people ought to be permitted
to cOnstrue their own Constitution. II so, and
their Judgment was right, say Mr.. Webster was
wrong; and it is u most extraordinary thing that
the Great ExpOunder should never, on single
question that has agitatcd the public mind, one
single time, by accident have been right.
Sir, from the organization Of this Government
to the present time, toTv nave Deen two parties
one for Il atitudinian construction of the Con-
stitution, and the other for strict construction;
und may well say now, though it is possibly
not germaln to the question, that | am one ot
those who believe that the slavery question is not
the disease under which the body polite is sui-
iering. believe slavery is not the question up
ON which the Government is going to be wrecked
and even the Union destroyed, If destroyed it ov-
er is: but it Is natonaiism. If tomorrow the
inhabitants OF Massachusetts, could be made
Democrats Abolitionism would be dead. II the
Senator from Massachusetts could be made TO
comprehend what the form Of Government is un-
der which he is living, he would quit the Aho-
ltion society, and we should have some peace
and quiet here, and we should discuss questions
Of practical importance to the country, instead
Of wasting away two months of the time OF the
country in discussing distractions with which we
have no concern whatever. Why is 1t that they
have not abolition societies to abolish the slave
trade in Constnntinope Why Is 1t that IN
Boston they have not these societies suppose
those people to have sympathies with white
women and that when you speak OF selling Clr-
cassian or Greek girls to malignant, turbaned
Turks, whether they beat the Venetians and tra-
duce tbs State or not, they would have some sym
r~tl,y with t,nu,-. Tl,an why 7 ask -tAerc
not abolition societies in the town oi Boston iOr
breaking up slavery and the slave trade In Con-
stantinOple Why not Il society for breaking up
the slave trade which is carried on in Cuba, IN
the face of treaties! Simply because they know
that this Government has no jurisdiction over the
matter. Why is it that they wish to interfere
with slavery in Texas, South Carclina, Virginia,
Maryland-al ever the country! 1t is because
they labor under the misrepresentation that this
Government has jurisdiction. They are nation
alists, They believe that when the Constitution
was ordained and established by the States, when
it became binding between them, State lines were
obliteratcd and State Governments aboilsheu'-
They believe that a great consolidated centr.'l
power was established, power as unlimited IN
its control over the domestic affairs or TINS couh
trv as the British Parliament over England and
hence it il. believing that this Government has the
power, they feel responsible for the g sin, and
thew begin to enquire into the fact as to whether
it is sin or not.
The Senator from Kentucky says that the Pres
ident is setting himself up against the judgment
of the people, The Senator from Kentucky says
that there is Il confic; between Congress and the
President. deny that there is any such con
flict If that train of argument is to be lndu'g
ed in hereafter on these questions, we shall hear
before very long, of the presumption on the part
of this body in setting itself up against the Juds
ment of the body that assemblies IN the nther
wing of the Capitol The Senators from Rhode
Island will be told that they represent some one
hundred or one hundred and fifty thousand inhaD,
itants, and yet have two votes here We shall
be told that the other body represents the people,
and that it is in accordance with American instl
tutions that the popular will should prevail
Sir, these arguments would have been all very
appropriate had they been presented to those men
who drafted the Constitutions, or had they been
presented to those State Conventions which rati-
fed the Constitution, and made it binding be-
tween the States but they have no pertinency
here-none whatever. There is no conflict be-
tween the President of the United States and the
Congress of the United States upon this question
of internal improvements.
William Wheewright, an American who has