The Constitutional. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1860-1861, 1861-05-04

and over the States an organization crea-
ted by the States, to secure the blessings
of liberty and independence. against for
eign aggression, has been gradually per
verted into a machine for their control in
their domestic affairs.
The creature has been exalted above its
Creator-the principles have been made
subordinate to the agent appointed by
themselves.
The people of the Southern States,
whose almost exclusive occupation was
agriculture, early perceived tendency in
the Northern States TO render common
Government subservicnt TO their own pur-
poses by imposing burthens on commerce
as protection to their manufacturing and
| shipping interests.
Long and angry controversies grew out
of these attempts often successful, 20 bene-
fit one section ofthe country at the expense
of the other, and the danger of disruption
arising from this cause was enhanced by
the fact that the Northern population was
increasing by emigration and olher causes
than the population of the South.
BY degrees, as the Northern States
gained preponderance in the National
Congress, selfinterest taught their people
to yield ready assent to any plausible add
vocacy of their right as a majority to gov
ern the minority. Without control they
learn to listen with Impotence to the sug-
gestion Of any constitutional impeachment
to the exercise of their will, and so utterly
have the princi Plies of the constitution been
corrupted in the Northern mind that, in
| the inaugural address delivered by Presi-
dent Lincoln in March last, he asserts as n
maxim which he plainly deems to be un-
deniable, that the theory Of the constitution
requires, in all cases, that the majority
shall govern. And i'll another memorable
instance the same Chief Magistrate did not
hesitate TO liken the relations between
States and the United States to those
which exist between the country and the
State iii which it is situated and by which
it was created.
This is the lamentable and fundamental
error i'll which rests the policy that has
eliminated in his declaration Of war against
these Confederate States. In addition TO
the long continued and deep seated resent
ment felt by the Southern States at the
persistent abuse of the powers they had
delegated to the Congress for the purpose
OF enriching the manufacturing and ship
ping classes Of the North at the expense of
the South.
There has existed for nearly hall a CEN
fury another sabject of discOrd, Involving
interests OF such tranScpndrIr magnitude
as at all times TO create the apprehension
i'll the minds Of many devoted lovers of the |
Union that its permauepee was iInpossi-
bic.
When the several States delegated GER
tain powers 10 the United States Congress-,
large portion of the laborins population
were imported into the colonies by the
mother country. In twelve ont 81 the ff- |
teen States negro slavery existed, and the
right Of property existing IN slaves was |
protected by law; this property was re-
cognzed in the constitution and provision
was made against its loss by the cape Of
the slave.
The increase in the number of slaves by |
foreign importation from Africa was also |
secured by clause fOrbidding Congress 10
prohibit the slave trade anterior to Il Ger
tain date, and in no clause can there be
found any delegation of power to the Con
gress to authorize it in any manner to leg
islate to the prejudice, detrilnent or dis
enlargement of the owners of that specie,
of property or excluding it from the pro-
lection OF the Government.
The climate and soil OF the Northern
States soon proved unpropitious to the
continuance of slave labor, while the re-
verse being the case at the South made
unrestricted free intercourse between the
two sections unirieHdly.
The Northern States consulted their
own interests by selling their slaves to the
South and prohibiting slavery between
their limits. The South were willing pur-
chasers Of property suitable to their wants,
and paid the price of the acquisition with
out barboring a suspicion that their quiet
possession was to be disturbed by those
who We're not only in want OF Constitution
al authority; but by good faith as vendors,
from diSquictinS title cmanatinS from
themselves.
As soon, however. as the Northern States
that prohibited African slavery within
their limits had Icachcd number srilicien,
to give their representation controlling
vote IN the Congress, a persistent and Of
ganIZ"t system of h1stilrmcl-Grrs against
the rights of the owners Of slaves in the
Southern States was inaugura:ed and
gradually extended. A series of measure,
was devised and prosecuted for the pur-
pose of rendering insecure tie trnur, Of