Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1861-03-17

standing ct the ratification of Virginia. In thiI
same Virginia convention, Mr.. James Madison, be.
ing member, used this language as to the distinct
right of accession. quote from Elliott's Debates
vol. 8, p. 4l4:
San observation fell from gentleman the side viii
myself which deserves to he sttendedto. live dissatisfied
e national Government should choose it
this is an additional safeguard to our defense.r
How san additional safeguard to our defenseg'
One Of The members Of the convention had express
ed the idea that they could renounce it any ims-s
| gentleman on the same side as himself arguing il
favor Of the iatifcalOn. Mr.. Madison says yes,
concur; aud it is an additional reason for oul
ratification. because ii We become dissatisfied viii
the Constitution in its practical operations anC
| bearing, we can renounce il when we see it,
Now Mr.. President, there is ons rule Of coDssru
ing all written instruments that is invariable 1t il
not the opinion of the party who draws the instru
ment, but the opinion Of those who sign it, tha
governs; and II vou can ascertain the understand
ing Of the States when they come to raify the Con-
stitution, their understanding will control all Of
those provisions in which the meaning is latent OF
doubtful. Here, then in Virginia. in her eonven.
tioR when she was about to raiify the Constitution
| we find in the debates that Mr.. Madison nst only
denied that there was any such people as the peo-
pie of the United States, but he asserted unauali
fedly that there right Of secession; not only
right Of secession, but that right, being Inherent
in the people, removed question Of anxiety, and
| The Senator went into learned discussion yes
terdsy as to the ratification of Virginia, and com
| mented upon the terms shall be very brief il
noticing that. What was her ratification?
@ the delegates Of TIE people 0f yTsiuia duly elected
make known granted under the Con
a,sn BEING derived from The people q the United State.
! ed to their injury or oppression"
Now sir let US look at the language let us lool
| at the circumstances Who were speaking? TIL,
| people Of Virginia. Who were alluded 10? Tn,
people Of Virginia and the people of the othel
States. Why did they use the term sUnitei statesY'
Because the powers herein delegated being derived
from the people of the States uhited by this nstru
! ment, it was proper that the fact should be mad,
patent. The powers OF the Government were no
derived from the people of Virginia alone. Tn.
powers were derived from the people Of the differ
| ent States, the States united. They were derived
from all the States that came into the compact
Hence the prcpriety of that language; and bsins
derived from the people of the different united
States, or States united then they go On and decar,
that they may be resumed shy them" By whom
| BY those from they were derived. Who were they
| derived from! From the people Of America
| There was such people. But from the people
of the different States parties to the compact Why
| was the word "resume" used What is the mean
ing Of "resnnei" Every man who speaks English
Knows the meaning of the word ssresume" II
means 80 take back that which has already beer
given By you" Had they meant that, in the event
Of this Constitution being perverted to the injury
and oppression OF the people of the United States
as a single political community its powers may be
resumed, they would have said that in tails event
its powers being derived from the people of the diff
ferent Statss, they may, when they are perverted
be assumed by the people ofthe whole United Ssses
asone political community, which wsuld itself have
made it a national Government, have oblitersted
State lines, and fused the whole into one single poll
tical mass.
| have given the clear, legal and only sensible
construction Of the word, "The sun. gazed at too
long, resumes the light he gave" "Reason resum
| ed her throne. and passion fed" 'Resume means
to take back that which you gave. If the scholars
the men Of education, The Statesmen who were In
that convention in Virginia. had intended that wher
| this Government became intolersbie, the powers
should be assumed by aud pass to the people of the
United States as political community they would
have used words to convey the idea, and they would
have declared these powers being derived from the
people Of the different Statea for the good Of the
whole, when they shall be perverted to the injury
and oppression Of the whole they may be assumed
by the people of the United States IS one single poll
teal community community. Yet bubble was made
uponihe words Omitted States, inserted in this rat
fcaticn by the Senator from Tennessee who ignored
the facts ignored the history, ignored every thing
except the enc single intent which he had and that
| was to persuade those to whom he may send hiI
speech thai this is national Government and ths;
the people of the sovereign States have lost tst
| right Of self-goyerDment. But, if there was any
doubt about this ratification of Virginia what will
the Senator say about New York? She declared, il
her ratifcatiCRi
That allpOwe originally vested in and consequently derv
ed FROM the people, ard that Government is instituted by her
fsE their common interest, protection, and security.
THAT the enjoyment Of life liberty, the pursuit CT hap
pires are essential rights, which Government ought
respect aud preserve.
"That the powers Government may resumed by the peo
pie whensoever it shall become their happiness
No people Of the United States there but the peo-
pie Of New York in convention speaking for them
selves, declared that all powers being derived from
the people, may be reasoned by them whenever il
becomes necessary for their happiness Then, sir
in addition to the great right which secured by
the seven years war. ths right of selfgovernmeI t.
set forth 30 explicitly In the Declaration of hide
pendeDce, we have Virginia, we have New York we
have Rhode Island which ratified in precisely the
same terms as NewYork, declaring when they became
parties to this compact that they had the right to
reaume or reassume tie powers derived from thea,
whenever they should be perverted 70 their injury
or oppression, or whenever tasS course should be
necessary te their happiness. differ from the SEN
ator from virginia Mr. Hunter in declaring, as he
did the other dsy, that secession not constitu-
tionsl right but right derivabe from the very ma.
ture of the compact itself l say that it is deriva-
bic from the nature of the compact but it is also
derivable from the Constitutions because, when par
ties come to sign an agreement, If any one of them
specifies any additional stipulation, and is permit
ted 10 sgn Eith ths stipulation, it ia much part
ofthe compact as if itwere written in the body Of
it. and it inures, not only to his bens6i, but to the
bensft of every individual who had either previous
ously signed, or who subsequently, signed it.
The Senator from Tennessee yesterday said, that,
admitting all this to be so, South Csroline-aganst
which State he seems to have special spite--cannet
claim it, because she ratified the Constitution be-
fore Virginia, New York snd Rhode Island did,
Had he been a lawyer, he would have known that
the Constitution stood subject to amendment
By ratification, until tie last party signed
it; that whenever one party-the thirty
fourth State came in the ether day
came to ratify that Constitution. she was adj
mittea with any sdditioFsl qualification, and it
would be part Of the compact, and inure not to
her benefit alone but to the benefit Of all the GEN.
tracing parties. So much, then, fer his constiu-
tionsl argument, as he has called it,
There is one matter which explained SO fully on
a former OCCASION that shall not take up the time
Of the Senate by going into any detailed answer.
1t is the stale SANDER that circulated 5y the
Opposition party all over the South, during the
last canvass, that has boon revamped and produced
here by the Senator from Tennessee, that the DEM
ocraic party, the Senators here voted against the
doctrine that was contained in our platform, and
protection by the Federal Government. In the
speech which the Senator f, ON Tennessee made on
on the 10th of December, 1890, Interrupted him
TO corraet it. and he refused to allow the correc-
ton; and stated to him thea, that supposed he
wished perversion Without the correction to 60 into
his speech, aud he should be entitled to the benefit
His speech was published without the correction,
Some days subsequently, the Senator from Illinois
Mr. douglas made the same charge. l disputed
it fatty. He promised TO make good his assertion
the next day | took my stand here at this very
desk; l read from the record, and proved conclu-
sively the negative that never had voted and no
Senator who belongs to The same party with myself
had ever voted, against that doctrine; but, on the
contrary, that had voted for the doctrine IN vc-
ting for the resolutions of the Senator from Mfelss
siPPi Mr.; Davis HisfOurtA and Aith resolutions
are:
80 ReGlCed That neither Congress Territorial Legs
auFe whether by direct legislation legislation OF indirect
and unendy character, power arnua impair the
constitutional right Of citizen OF tie United States take
his property into the Territories and there hold
and enjoy the while the territorial condition remains
IS ReSOLged, That experience should any time prove
that the judicial and executive authority do to
insure adequate protection constitutional rights in Territory
the territorial government should fail refuse provide
remedies that urpose 1t Of