New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1861-05-06
THE nAYIa MANIFESTO.

Mr.. Jefferson Davis needs only to be allowed
TO manufacture facts at his convenience to render
him forcible disputant. Accept his averments
without question and you will have difficulty in
resisting his conclusions just az those of his sub
jects who undoubtedly believe that Gen. Scott
has resigned the command of the army of the
United States and accepted that of Jefi's forces,
and that Secretary Cameron has written to Rich
mond requesting a safe conduct to enable him TO
20 thither and solicit an armstice for sixty days,
may reasonably suppose the Union wreck and
JEFF on the point of establishing himself at Wash
ington. Let us indicate few Of the more con-
spcuOus falsehoods, direct and circumstantial,
that form the groundwork of his new Message
l. He states that, in framing aud adopting the
Federal Constitution,
"The States endeavored, in every possible form, TO
exclude the idea that the separate and independent
sovereignty Of each State merged into common
government and nation, and the earnest desire they
eyinoed to Impress the Constitution its true chaTao
ter-that Of q compact between independent States"
No one can have read The FederaIist, or the
debates in any Of the State Conventions called to
raty reject that Constitution, not TO speak of the
great Webster and Hayne debate in the u. S.
Senate, and not know that this broad, unqualified
assertion is unqualifedly false. Does an indie
pendent sovereign State concede to another power
a right of unlimited taxation over its own people ?
Does it so cOncede away absolutely its natural
right to regulate its own commerce 7 Does it
so give away its natural right to coin money, e.
tablish pOst-roads and post-ofices within its own
limits raise armies, declare war, grant patents,
~, .nI
punish piracies and even deny itself (see Federal
Constitution, Art. l., sec. 10Y the right to cen
" ter into any treaty. alliance, confederation 7"
We have not enumerated nearly all the powers
which, being secured to the Federal Govern
ment, are in part BY positive prohibition,
the rest by necessary imphcaton-d to
the several States; but we have cited enough
to show the utter futity of Dayis's
fundamental assumption. In fact, the bare fact
that the adoption Of the Constitution was resisted
to the uttermOst by such men as Samuel Adams,
George Clinton Luther Martin, and Patrick
Gather of John CO. Calhoun, on the ground that
it annihllated the States and established a con-
sodated Government, explOdes. the pretenses
which lie at the basis of the pretended secession
of certain States. The Federal Constitution es-
tablished, instead of CoRfederacy, Govern
ment, and was vehemently supported and resisted
on that very ground. Admit Mr.. Dayis's pre-
misses, and the intense excitement and fierce
struggle called forth by the framing of that Con.
stitutiOn become hOpelesSly inexphcable.
Mr.. Daviss next conspicuous untruth con-
sists in his speaking Of the advocacy of Protec-
ion to Home Industry by means of Tariff us
provoking
the long-eOntinued and deepseated resentment felt
)y tie Southern States at the persistent abuse OF the
powers they had delegated 10 the Congress- for the
purpose Of enichng the manufacturing aud shipping
lasses Of the North at the expense OF the South"
Nov the truth is that this policy was COM
nended with more or less energy by Washington,
Jefferson, Madison and MOnroe-the first four South
I'm Presidents elected-and more conspicuously
md emphaticslly by these eminent Southern pub
icists among others:
HENRY CLAY, Kentucky; JoHH C. CALHOUN South Caro-.
ma ANDREW JACKsos, Tennessee THonAs EEwToS, Viz
mia HElKKiAH MILts, Maryland;
While majority of the New.Engand Members of
congress voted against Protection at almost every
truggle prior to l842. When Jackson wrote
is famous letter to DR.. Coleman in 1924, and
LAY, Niles, and Newton, with others from the |
outh, were doing their utmost to pass the Pro-
,ctiye Tariff Of that year, while Calhoun had |
Of yet apostatized from bis earlier support of the
reflective policy, Daniel Webster made, on be-
slf of Massachusetts,, the ablest and most
borough anti.Protectye argument ever uttered
Congress. II Is q falsehood, Mr.. Davis that
it good or bad-is 0 Northern de-