Weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1858-1865, 1860-11-21

0au FuUUeQ Inc COnSt1tutlOn, CONSTITUTING UScT-
whelming majority Of the people; but still North
Carolina refused to ratify it. and so did Rhode Is
land As sovereign States, they refused their sane
ton to it. If the doctrine of the Senator from New
Jersey correct North. Carolina was, at this time,
guilty of resistance to the constitution and laws
Little Rhode Island was guilty of opposition to the
supreme law of the land, for she did not come into
the Union, for some time after NOrth-Carollna That
single circumstance shed much light on this sub
jcct. The State of Rhode Island, small State, but
little larger in population than some Of the coun-
ties in New York, yet exercising on that occasion
sovereignty coextensive with that New York, Penn
sylvania, or any other State in the Union. Anoth-
fact repudiates the doctrine here advanced, that
the constitution is the work of the people II is
only necessary for majority of the States, const
tutins onefourth of the people, to refuse to elect
Senators, and an end is put at once to the General
Government This consideration puts to flight all
the arguments urged to prove that this is CONSOLE
dated Government He was aware that it had been
said, in reply to this remark the meaning OF the
quorum, which was necessary to enable the Senate
to transact business would in this case be construed
to mean ma orty Of the States actually represent
ed; and the States not represented would not be
considered as belonging to the Union. But this OBJ
lection would drive gentlemen to an admission of the
right of sccession-a doctrine which, perhaps, they
would not be willing to allow; for if State has not
the right of secession no act that she herself may
do, or omit to do, can place her ont Of the Union.
But if the orlgin and nature of our Government
did not put this idea to rest the character and en-
tent of our country would have done so. The pco-
pie of so wide and various surface would never
have delegated the powers to make a consolidated
Government They knew that no such Government
could exist here. What says Mr.. Hamilton in the
Federalist? What says Mr.. Madison on the sub
ject? Why that to adop, a consolidated Govern
ment would be destroying the principles OF the rev.
olution. and would inevitably lead to monarchy
And why? Because whenever majority, having
adverse interests to the minority, should combine to
Cypress the smaller portion the latter would have
to ntrench themselves behind their reserved rights
and make resistance to the oppression, or he ami
hilated.
What would be the consequence of this resistance :?
So soon as the minority discovered that the MAORI
ty were forcing interests adverse to their own, and
they began to resist the cncroachmcnt the military
arm of the Government would Immediately be
strengthened and there would be but one step be-
yond-that of 4 monarchy.
The gentleman from New Jersey had said that it
was the aspiring pride of the State sovercignties
which had led to this state of things The aspiring
pride of the State sovereignties! 1t was an avowal
Of doctrines such as these which 50 repugnant
to his feelings. 1t we'll known that in the orr
gin of the Government the country divided into
two great parties One of these parties contended
in favor of the reserved rights of the States and to
restricted powers of the General Government The
other was for comforting on the General Government
unlimited powers. This last was called the federal
party With loud note they proclaimed the ne
cesSty OF investing the General Government with Il
vast range OF authority. Some OF them even went
so far as to propose form of Government which
would have been substantially Il monarchy. Mr..
Hamilton. in the convention which framed the fed
eral constitution, had advocated the appointment of
chief Executive Magistrate, and Senate during
good behavior, which was equivalent to appointing
them for life. Such, said Mr.. B., is my remcm-
brance of the subject The history Of these times
will SHOW the fact The doctrine of State rights,
and of the reserved powers of the State sovereign
ties, was abhorrcnt to the leaders of that party
They did not, however, succeed in carrying their
enlarged views into effect. lie did rot intend to
characterize the whole of that party entertaining
these views. But such were the sentiments of some
u its leaders. Nor did he intend to impugn the
motives of these gentlemen, though he doubted not
they were actuaed by feelings patriotic rs those
which actuated any men. But it WAS well known
that the heightened part of the federal party did
doubt the competency oil the people to seli-sovcrn-
ment. They were for arming the federal power
with all authority, in order, as they said, to save the
people from their own worst enemies. Incre were
some Of the prominent met, of the country who did
not subscribe to that principle bat who did believe
that the people were competent to seli-govern-
ment; that they were fully able to 60 through
the work which they had begun, and 10 carry out
that beautiful theory Of republican rule Happily
for the country, they prevailed. Happily for the
country, the principle was established, that the
States were sovereign and independent as to all
powers which they had not delegated to the Gener-
al Government. And some Of the republican party
went so far as to believe that the States themselves
had the risht, in the last resort to determine for
themselves what were the precise powers which they
had delegated He was well aware that the docrinc
of notification, as it now prevailed in SouhCarc
lina was about to be made use Of not against that
doctrine alone, which he did not rise up to defend
but for the purpose of founding upon it war of ex
termination 1t was against that that he desired to
enter his protest; under this masked battery, he
that it was intended to fire upon the rg hts o.
the States. Gentlemen held up the flag OF nuii,f
cation, rang all the changes upon the word, sound
ed the tocsn of alarm throughout the country, and
presented the whole matter in light the most I'm
favorable to South Carolina in order to justify tc
the other States the which they were disposed
to wage. 1t was a war, too, which would admit O
! no neutrals. The gentlemen who have taken the
strong ground like Napoleon, have thrown out thu
! declaration that there must be no neutrals
! I take my stand, said Mr.. B., on the reserved
/ rights of the States. I repudate the doctrine o
/ notification repudiate also the hish-toncd doc
! trne of the federal party. | believe it to tina
/ high-toned doctrine that we are to attribute null
, litication | believe that doctrine produced it
| is the parent of it. 1t is by an impropc
! pressure of the Federal Government On the right
! of the States, and by exercising doubtful pow
ers, that the State Of South Carolina has becl
thrown into this position. He did not mean to JUS
tfy the course of that State. But whether she wa
right or whether she was wrong, this furnished he
with something like an excuse for her conduct II
believed that the principle susceptible Of de
monstration as any principle of mathematics; tina
almost any attitude of resistance against the FEEDER
al Government, in which States had been seen, aros
out of the unwarrantable exercise of doubtful pow
ers by the United States. They had always bee
inclined to tranquility. They had always been dis
posed to make childs bargain with the Unite
States: you will let us alone, we will let yo
alone They would never have admitted the ide
of rising in opposition to the United States unles
there had been some exciting cause The Who'll
history of the world proves this fact Their