Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1860-11-29

strictly speakinc there is no difference of interest
between us, if the government was administered In
the true Sense and meaning OF the Constitution
which bind us together-should make us one people
in sentiment, however separated by State limits
Bound up as the Southern States are in one common
destiny for veal woe, he sincerely hoped That no
State or States would take action Ivy wIthdrawing'
without consultation and the co operation OF All.
4 step Of that kind would he n violation OF that
comfy due to sister States thus situatet anu woiu
be in his opinion grievous injustice 10 t1oSe
slave States on the borders and near the oor"crS
of the non-Slavcholding States.
Mr. r. said he belonged to the old State flights
party of '9S and 20 who claimed the right oi STATE
intcrposition and IN the last resort claimed the
right of a State to Judge Of the mode and measure
of redress when their safety was in peril IL was
one of those reserved rights which however ahSo-
lntov possesscd should never be exercised until all
other remedies inside of the Constitution and Union
had been exhausted. In the language Of great
statesman, there is but calamity greater than
Jisunion. and that is, submission to n government
without limitation Of powers. Rather than submit
to a government, fatally bent on such course, he
would fly to any other form of government Tor pro-
lection.
The right of secession is proven by the sim
ple statement of the consequences Of an attempt
at coercion IT. said Mr.. B., State Sccctcs, ami
by the use of military force she is conquered, what
is her condition? She is conquered province!
She is stricken from the constellation of States, and
the cOnquering government by that act destroying
the nature of the federal system which is one of CO.
equal States, becomes u consolidated military
government
The federal government said Mr. Brown, can
be preserved only by administering it in the Spir-
it in which it originated 1t had its birth IN a
spirit of Cancellation and of mutual concession and
in that spirit alone it be practically and success
fully carried out Force, States, is alien to its
nature; its strength finds support only in the aftec
ton of its citizens preserved by combining it to its
limits and abstaining from the exercise of all doubt
full powers and those powers exercised in toI hear
ing and fraternal spirit of common brotherhood.-
This DONE said Mr. Brown, and este P6rpetUd would
he living principle of our federal government
There can be no Union, said Mr.. b., without our
Constitution is preserved The preamble to the
Constitution rccitcs, that ave the people Of the
United States, in order to form a more perfect
Union. establish Justice &c, do ordan this as the
Constitution of the people of the United States,
&C."
Now what asked Mr. B., is the instrumcntaity
which forms "a more perfect Uhion:" 1t is "the
Constitution of the United States" That is the
soul-that is the animatng principle by which TIE
Union has its being. 1t is the bond OF Union, as
Mr.. Webster expressed it, and without whi"h that
Union ceases to exist 1t is as absurd said Mr.. D.,
to suppose that the body could exist without SOUL
as the federal Union to exist without the ConSti-
tuition.
Mr.. B. said that, notwithstanding these were his
views in regard to the nature and character Of the
federal Constitution and the rights of the States, he
confessed IN all candor that outSidc of the federal
Union he saw no future gilded with brightncSS-no
prospect to cheer the friends of liberty and the htS
of man. On the contrary, he saw nothing but that
long night Of disaster and darkness which the his
tory of distracted and divided nations like faithful
mirror, held up to our view.
He said he saw, or thought he saw, in the
diScordant materials Of the party which placed
Mr.. Lincoln in power, the elements of its own
destruction 1t was conn osed, mainly. of the
old Henry Clay Wing party of the NoItf, en-
grated on the abolition party. The old Wing
party, of which Mr.. Lincoln was member, had
sacrificed their more conservative opinions, ard
formed political coalition to obtain the magnificent
prize at Washington. To reduce it to a simple eco
nomical government, on scale more corresponding
with State patronage, salaries and expenditures,
would be, in his opinion the best for sectional
ism. When that prize, the spoils!" was divided
the high contracting powers would quarrel and di
vide, and would also disagree questions Of admin
istrative policy in reference to the South On the
happening of these events. he trusted and believed
honest men would come by their rights. IF not
standing on the Constitution, and knowing their
rights they would dare maintain them at all haz-
ards, and to the last extremity. TWAS more manly
to face the enemy and expel him from the citadel
than to surrender to him. In this they
would not only lie animated by the justice Of their
cause, but the moral force of the approving
timcnt of the whole civilized world would be thrown
into the scale
Mr.. B. would say a word now on the subject of
the defences of the State. He had always thought
that the law relaxing militia system in other
words, almost disbanGing the militia. was Il great
error. The system of organization and enrolment
was of itself great element of strength and con-
ccntration and an essential means of defence. The
liberties of people, if worth anything are worth
defending. well organized militia is the best and
only security for the maintenance of liberty, which
to be efficient, must to some extent be arded with
the most approved modern arms To this he would
give his hearty assent In Southern State this
was peculiarly duty, even if no exterior circum-
stances demanded it. None outside of the State had
right to take exceptions TO it, he held it to be
our duty under any and all circumstances, in pro-
found peace or otherwise to act on the principle
that the price of liberty is eternal vigilance Mr..
B. concluded by saying, that although these remarks
were made on the moment, not knowing that the
subject of the resolutions would come before them
till they introduced that morning they never
theless conveyed his settled opinions.