Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1860-03-23
POLITICAL.
Speech OF
p i = Z " OF
HON j. J. PERRY,
Desrord m H.us Of RTromighrs,,
Nrrrk IA iSRu


Mr.. Perry. Mr.. Chairman. sire, the
adoption of thc American Constitution. oui
beloved country has bc,n called upon d
pass through several fery urdeal.' Oui
G0ysramsng VAS an experiment. all.as
such u has heen Tut to severe isst. aui TIL
as. Our political horizon has not always
haskgd iu unclogdcd sunshine and nor,
than one important ItrH4 has couie and
gone, when gathering c'1ujs have drartd
the American horiEou--shcn thc 'pw mui.
tsfinEs ~ the distant thunder threatened
coming storm.
Upon On, % thcsc Important occasions.
whom a crisis wasaTTarcntly upon -. therC
ssood up hero, a chieiain. patriot.
clothed with authority by the American
J>on's. aud solemnly declared bv thc great
Eisrna, " Iur JNIoN, ~ uJss ,ND Snail
m rSUrSvrr
The iilusulous Oh hero backed up and
supported by millions Of patriotic hearts,
rallied around The Constitution % our CON-
mon country, and Union W, .lv,l. S.uce
that time. We have hcsn travelling ou a. /.
nation 70 glory, grvainc.s aud power.
Although We have heyn Increasing ia
wealth, extending our borders. developing
our vast AMI varied national resources. dit
fusiug The means Of iutrili s-ucs and cduca.
ton in every direction there :. an apparent
rrs,lr-suess, a stirrins up of the bitter 80.
ter OF sectional strife in CERTAIN l0cl'iucs in
this Government rhc disclrdani notes OF
BtsuNIoN uisvNIoN have in defiant tsnes
grated uron our ear, lrom th- irst day We
took our sglis In tbs Hall. until the pres
ent time while uron every southern hrcszr
there comes up o. the Capitol from south
ern executives. southern .t,,sJarcs. south
srn conventions. and 'hc southern pryss. the
ame unwelcome thrga'cninss.
AZ ihis point thcgussi.on suggests i,self,
What has the North done, 70 left unt q.
that it should thus he rudely asailcde aud
what reason has the south lJr dealing out
thee bitter thrrats and dsnunciaaons
again.t their brethren in the freq State. =
This question, with its incidental connec-
tion-, | uuv propose briefly O. discus. /.
and while feel called upon 20 srcak plain.
ly, and IN ail irankness, I mean % observe
that strict courtesy and gcnilsmanly bear
ing which is due irom every msmbsr upon
th'. door 20 hi- pccfs.
In the discussions which have here taken
place, sluthefn e-ntlr'ucn have expressed a
villirgue- O. stand ~ the Consultation 90
our cummon country. O. observe in good
faith its obligations AM cntaTr0misss. We
OF the North. l,in hands with YOU here.
We claim that We are not only l,yal %
this great fundamental Law, but that We
kSrs bycu % IN all times past. And here
come. The issus % ho tried ylu charge -
with numerous dervlictinns in duty We
Ell. D..
Arraigncd ihs great Republican party Of the
Union bsi0re toe high court % the Aineri-
can people, and charged % With treason 10
the Constitution We ding an special plead.
ing- % che WIN .. r,iu is-1c upon the msr-
IT,, and 60 i1 ths clsb;ry.
What d, tbr CausI'utJn3 Il mere
Memorandum II ln agreement. entered into
BY The state 20 t'Is Jui1u il their s1y-
srcign caplc.iy as states. % ~ observed q
broken aJ the pleasure 0l the hish contrac-
ting parties Is 10 great cunfsdsrat.l
partnership, in which the s.,erll States
have arrred o. 60 business under the lrm
name 20 ths " Union. with the right re-
served b each and every partner 20 with
draw at plclurvf l. 10 a compact or
league hciNs,n the several Sr.irs. entered
into, aud ratified hy State sovereignty sim
p.y an agreement tta; can be kcp; or box
su 40 the wall oi auy or sithcr of th' parties
thereto l. fiis a laiS Interpretation oi the
Cousuiu'ln' lDsvcF r1.i cmpbaurally
in the negative. The r-t-.Hs far this HI,n-
ion are numerous ant ~rislfy u this l.
al there is al thr JuustIiuti11. .lan d; need
never have BEN i1rmcI. To- thirteen orig.
inal States or colonies. a, tr back a. hs-
fore the Revolution entered into q cJmll pact,
they reduced tbI. compact o. writing, and
10 ), found in tie IA Articles 0i C0uird'r-
ati0u framed in lIl1. Ae.ius under tli.
compact. tac thirteen colonies ssut i.Tth On
tie World aud Tr tTatliy that erslt magma
ohGrfg of Republican IIiD.. .r,.--. tH' Dee
laration % lndepsudsncs. JuIer thi. sum
pact our fathers struggled and tollcd
through seven long years of revolutionary
warfre. and achieved the iulrrenlsnce and
libsrtir. 0i our common country TIE pre-
Amb,c O. this COMPACT tsfncs the " Articles
Of Confederation % De- a p=fpT'g1l ElIlE be-
tween tie Saits' while che thirteenth
and last article closes by declaring "that
the article. thereof ,hal, Pc invioah'y OBJ
served ty tbc States and that the UNioN
suALI UE PERPETUAL" WHY dll our faith
er. abandon the old league or erur,ct
formed under these Article. of Cuu.rien.
ton and substitute the Constitution II
they bad been satisfied O. l.sc under :
!dgus ~ lampgri they never would have
never have changed thtir form 90 govern.
ment-aul th.. j. tie relsIn thcy prefer
rel a Constitution o. s.ur4.f.
Although there has h.'n a slight conflict
ofopiuiln among American statesmen and
jurists uron thi, subject, yet a vast mai1ri-
~ of tis authorities concur in this opinI,r,
that the Constitution Is not league, com
pact, or c0niv,leraCy, but faHddmfHf-
lar. The idea that the Consultation Is d
mere compact between the states is con-
plstely r,iutr.i hy the instrument i'scif
In the pre4uhI'. 70 declare. che " people,
and not tls Stat.s. made 90, in words %
plain and direct o. he mistaken: We
the people oi the United state. in order &.
form a more Tcriset union, DO urdain an,
establish thi. Constitution. make the-,
remarks a. Oh. his.s OF what NAV de-ir,
70 say hereafter relative 20 the dlc,fin.
proclaimed by c,rtau tonors DE .entlsmgl
SpOu this door that STATE, in b.. soyer-
.isn capacity. hls ri-ht pcaccably u -.
ccds from the Union.
now turn o. another poin, in thi. con
troysr.y. namely. the compromise. entcre,
into upon Jhe slavery question between th,
North and tie sJuih ~ the formation 4
the Constitution.
Neither The word '' s'arr nor " si1rsry'
anywhere spTean in tie Constitution
and this commission was not accident tal
Mr. Madison. Who had morc 10 DO viii
framing the Constitution than any Othc
man. s,ld. BE- " thought IL wrong % sdmi
into the Curstifuii.u the ibEA that thvr
eua,d b. property in men.' q Madison
PsI,r,. It..l Mr. SHERMAN saii. 4" be va
opp0-,d il "a TAX on slaves, bsyauss il im
.t.4 ~ a. q. -. -. ~ MI 90