The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1860-12-12
NO. 25,
eminent success.


ding for its own amendment Under this sf-
ticle amendments have been proposed by two
thirds of both houses of Congress, and have
been 'rati6ed by the legislatures of three.
fourths of the several States" and have cons6-
quently become parts of the constitution ~
To this process the country is indebted for
the clause prohibiting Congress from passing
any law respecting an established religion or
@ abrld ging the freedom of speech, Of gf ths
are also indebted for the Bill of Rig hts, which
secures the people against any abuse of power
by the Federal Government. SUCH were the
apnrehensions justly enierfsihsd b5 the fFiendl
OF Stata rights at that period as to Have fen.
dered it extremely doubtful wkatlar lh4 -n.-'s-
stltutIon could have long survived without
these amendments aai q Ho1r25
Again, the constitution was amended by
the same process after the election of Ptest-
dent Jefferson, by the House of Re present5-
tives, in February, 1903. This amendment
was rendered necessary to prevent recurrence
of the dangers which had seriously threatened
the existence of the government during the
pendency of that election The article for its
own amendment was intended to secure the
amicable adjustment of conflicting constitdt-
tional questions like the present, which might
arise between the governments of the States
and that of the United States. This appears
~AOAA-
In this connection, shall merely call at
tention to few sentences in Mr. Madison's
justly celebrated report in 1893, to the Legis.
lature of Virginia. In this he ably and CD
clusively defended the resolution Of the pro-
cedihg Iegsiaturs sgssi:ist the stricturesr OF
several other State Legislatures. These were
mainly founded upon the protest of the Virt
ginia Legislature against the "Alier .aha Sedt.
ton acts, as "palpable and alarming infrse-
Of fha t.
the peaceful and constitutional remedies-1nd
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 repre-
sentation to Congress with a view to obtain !
resembling of the two offensive acts, or they
might have represented to their respective
Senators in Cohgress their wish that two.
thirds thereof would propose an explanatorS
| amendment to the constitution, or two-thirds
of themselves, if such had been their option,
might, by an application to Congress, have OBJ
tanned a convention for the same object
| This is the very course which I earnestly
recommend in order to obtain an Explanatory
amendment" of the constitution on the subject
| of slavery. This might originate with Con-
gress or the State Legislatures, as nisy be
deemed n ost advisable to attain the object
This explanatory amendment might be con,
| COn~
structi0n of the constitution on three special
points A5 -'lt9 $685. -H %
/. An express recognition of the riSht Of
properly in slaves in the States where Il encyf
exists or may hereafter exist. sITI 5esl5
2. The duty of protecting this right ia ali
| the common Territories throughout their ter
ritorial existence, and until they shall be ad-
mitted as States into the Union, with or with:
out slavery. f7at'TI J.,
8. A like recognition of the right of the
master to have his slave, who has escaped from
one State to another, restored and "delivered
up" to him, and of the validity of the Fugitive
Slave law enacted for this purpose, together
with declaration that all State laws inpairia4
or defeating this right are violations of the
constitution, and are consequently null and
void. -i II i7.a=9'l / stE.; g
1t nay be objected that this construction OF
! the constitution has been settled by the SD.
preme Court of the United States, and What
more ought to be required7 The answer is,
that very large proportion of the people *
the United States still contest the correctness
of the decision, and never will cease from eSf:
tation and admit its binding force Until clear,
ly established by the people of the several
States in their sovereign character. Such an
explanatory amendment would, it is believed; !;
forever terminate the existing dissensions and
restore peace and harmony among the States.
1t ought not to be doubted that such an
appeal to the arbitrament established by the
constitution itself Hould be received with favor
by all the States of the eohfedersey. Ia any
event it ought to be tried in spirit of con:
ciliation before any of these Slater shall sepa:
: rate themselves from the Union! . ,eI3.
! When entered upon the duties of the
Presidential Office, the aspect of neither our
foreign our domestic Affairs was at all satis-
; factory. We 6efe Involved III dangerous
1 | L
our Territories were in state of reVoiHtiSi
against the government. Arestorstion of the
{ African slave trade had numerous and po&Het:
.. full advocates. Unlawful military expeditions
were countenanced by many of our citizens,
: and were suffered, in defiance of the efforts Of
the government, to escape from oer shoreS f6f
: the purpose Of making var upon the unoHennd-
l ing people Of neighboring republics, With
WI om we were at peace. In addition to these
: difficulties, we experienced = fevuIsion n
= monetary affairs, soon after my advent to bow.
, er, of unexampled severity aud of ruineus con.
sedtiences to an the great interests of the
! country. When We take a fettoSp@St IF wAai
was then our condition, and contrast this with
its material prosperity at the time of the PIE.
; sidential election, we have abundant reason tc
return our grateful thanks to that merciful
:. Providence which has &eF:et forsaken MS a.
nation in all our past trials sl
OUR FOREIGN RELATIoNs-GREAT BRITAIN
Y Our relations with Great Britain are of the
e most friendly character. Since the commence
ment of my administration, the two daaseroIi
eaestions arising from the Clayton and Bulwer
: treaty and from the right of search claimed By
o the British and honorably adjusted.
e The discordant constructions Of the C1aytoh
: and Bulwer treaty between the two govern
f ments, which at different periods of the dis
d cussion, bore threatening aspect; have, .nesul
e ted in final settlement entirely satisfact6fj
. to this govSrnnent- In my last message 1 in.
!, formed Congress that the British government
S had not then completed t*eatS AfaahEgeement
E sgith the repablics Of Honduras and Nicaragua
: in pursuance to the understanding betweeI
il the two governments. It is nevertheless conf
n IDENTIFY expected that this good work will ere
d long bo aeccmpfshka* This eoo6dent ex-