Cedar Falls gazette. [volume] (Cedar Falls, Iowa) 1860-1895, 1860-12-14

in their hands to preserve it by force. Blu
may be permitted solemnly to invoke my
countrymen to pause, and deliberate before
they determine to destroy this, the grandes
temple which has ever been dedicated to hui
man freedom. Since the world began it ha:
been consecrated blythe blood of our Fathers
by the glories Of our past, and by the hope:
of the future; and the Union has already
made us the most prosperous, and ere long
will, if preserved, render us the most power.
full nation ON the face Of the earth.
In every foreign region of the globe the IT,
tie of American citizen is held in the highest
respect, and when pronounced in foreign
lands it causes the hearts of our countrymen
to swell with honest pride. Surely, when We
reach the brink Of the yawning abyss, we shall
recoil with horror from the last fatal plunge
By such dread catastrophe the hopes of the
friends of freedom throughout the world
would be destroyed, and long night of lead
en- dcspotism would enshroud the ration
Our example for more than eighty years
would not only be lost, but it would be quoted
as conclusive proof that man is unfit for
sdf-government. 1t is otevery wrong, nay,
it is not every grievous wrong which can JUS
tify resort to such a fearful alternative
This ought to be the last desperate remedy of
despairing people, after every other consti-
tutional means of Cancellation had been cx-
hausted We should reflect that under this
free government there is an incessent ebb and
flow of public opinion. The slavery question,
like everything human, will have its day,
firmly believe that it has already reached and
passed the eliminating point; but il in the
midst Of the existing excitement, the Union
shall. perish, the evil may then become ire
parable Congress can contribute much to
arrest it, by proposing and recommending to
the Legislatures of the several States the rem
edy for existing evils which the Constitution
has itself provided for its own preservation.
This has been tried at different critical Pc
RODS Of our history, and always with eminent
success. It is to be found in the 9Th article,
providing for its own amendment Under
this article amendments have been proposed
by two.thirds of both Houses of Congress,
and have been ratified by the Legislatures Of
three-foulths of several States, have conse-
quently become parts of the Constitution
To this process the country is indebted for
the clause prohibiting the Congress from
passing any law respecting an establishment
of religion, or abridging the freedom of speech
or of the press, or the right of petition, To
this we arc also indebted for the bill of rights
which secured the people against any abuse
of power by the Federal Government. Such
were the apprehensions justly entertained by
the friends of State rights at that period, as
to have rendered it extremely doubtful wheth-
cr the Constitution could long have survived
these amendments.
Again the Constitution was amended by
the same process after the election of Presi-
dent jefferson by the House Of Representa-
tivcs, in February, 1903. This amendment
was rendered necessary to prevent a recur-
renee of the danger which had seriously threat
cncd the existence Of the Government during
the tendency of that election. The article
for it's own amendment was intended to pro-
cure the amicable adjustment of the conflict
ing Constitutional questions, like the present,
which might arise between the Governments
of the States and Of the U. S. This appears
from contemporaneous history. In this con-
nection shall merely call attention to few
instances in Mr. Madison's justly celebrated
report IN 1879 to the Legislature of Va. In
this, he ably and conclusively defended the
resolutions of the proceeding Legislature
against the structures of several other State
Legislatures. These were mainly founded
upon the protest ofthc Va. Legislature against
the alien and sedition acts as palpable, and
alarming infractions on the Constitution. In
pointing out the peaceful and constitutional
he referred to none other-to
which the States were authorized to resort on
such occasions, he concludes by saying that
the Legislatures of the States might have
made direct representation to Congress with
a view to obtain resembling of the two Of
fensive acts, or they might have represented
to their respective Senators in Congress their
wish that two-thirls Thereof would propose
any exemplatory amendment to the Constitu-
ton or two-thirds of themselves, ifsuch had
been their opinion, might by an application
to Congress have obtained a convention for
the very same object. This is the very course
which earnestly recommend, in order to OBJ
tain an explanatory amendment of the Const-
tuition on the subject Of slavery. This might
originate with Congress or the State Legisla-
lures as may be deemed most advisable to at
tain the object. The explanatory amendment
might be confined to the final settlement of
the construction of the Constitution on three
special points First, an express recognition
of the right of property in slaves in the States
where it now exists, or may hereafter exist.
Second, the duty 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 Constitution may
prescribe. Third, a like recognition Of the
right Of the master to his slave. who has es-
capped from one State to another, to be restor-
ed and delivered up to him; and the validity
of the Fugitive Slave Law, enacted for this
purpose, together with declaration that all
State law impa.ring or decreasing this right
are violations of the Constitution, and conse-
quently null and void
1t 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 a very large proportion of the
people of the United States still controvert
the correctness Of this decision, and never
will cease from agitatian and admit its bind
ing force until clearly established by the peo
pie of the several States in their sovereign
character. Such an explanation would, it il
believed, forever terminate the existing dis
sensions, and restore peace and harmony
among the States 1t ought not to be doubt
cd that such an appeal to the arbitrament es
tablshed by the Constitution itself, would b
received with favor by all the States OF tn
Confederacy In any event 1t ought to b.