Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1861-03-09
Tbe Antt 9lauerp Buele.
For the Antl.slavsry Bugle.
MO. IL.

10. IL.
Mr. JONES; The Princeton ReoieU brings Mr..
Madison to testify against the reserved right of se-
cession.
The ReUieto makes Mr.. Madison say: "Our Con-
sttution," says Mr.. Madison, lis neither con-
solidsted government, q confederated govern
ment but mixture Of both" This extract from
the Revie,O its Editor, DR.. IIudge does not mark
as a quotation from Mr. Madison; and doubt, fOr
two reasons, his sanity if he ever said SO. FIRST,
because it is not true-the Federal Constitution
not being government of any kind, but the more
power of attorney constituting government
Second, because MIR. Madison, in his Report" on
the Virginia resolutions of 1913, shows thnt be
well understood the difference between Consti,u-
tions and Governments, when he said that The
authority of Constitutions government, and of
the sovereignty Of the people over Constitutions,
ore truths which are at all timos necessary to be
kept in mind" II this theory te true, aud it
unuuestiouably is true, then the people Of State
are sovereign over both the Federal Constitution,
so far as it relates to them, they over their
State Constitution.
Dr. Hodge thus continues to quote NJ. Madison,
marking the extracts as quotations:
SIT was not formed, he continues, by the gov
ernment Of the component States, as the Federal
Government for which it was substituted" What
did Mr. Madison mean by the 2ronOun 'lt?" Ii
he meant the Federal Constitution then it is clear
that this Constitution was not substituted for "the
Federal Government" but for the Articles of Con-
federation. No other view of this quotation will
make sense, and certainly i: is no argument
against secession. 'Nor was it formed by ma
6 Oh tod sin
gle community, in the manner of CONSOLIDATED
government"
Here again, Dr. Hodge makes Mr.. Madison use
the words III" and "gouernment," so vaguely as
10 be prehensible and consequently. it is no
proos against secession.
Dr. Hodge thus continues his quotations.
ut was formed by the States; that is by the
people in each of the Unied acting in their highest
sovereign capacity, and formed consequently by
the same authority which formed the State Consti-
tutions Being thus derived from the same source
as the Constitutions of the Statesj il has within
each State, the same authority the Constitution
of the State, and is as much constitution in the
strict sense Of the term, within its prescribed
sphere as the Constitutions Of the States are with
in their respective spheres; but with this obvious
and essential difference, that being compact
among the States in their highest sovereign capa
city, and constituting :he people thereof one peo
pie for certain purposes, it cannot be altered OIL
annulled at the viii of the States individually, al
the constitution Of State may be at its indiVidua
will"
This last extract from Mr.. Madison, as given BY
DR.. Hodge, unequivocally maintains the absolute
sovereignty of the States, and that the "Federa
Constitution is "a compact among the States il
their highest sovereign capacity"
If this be true, then each State, acting in it,
highest sovereign capacity, though it, of course
cannot alter the Constitution, for itself as its co
States Gao, by virtue of this clearly conceded SOW
ereignty, "dnnuE" the Federal Constitution fol
itself, and Eat it's individual WILL" just Os right
fully as it can 'annul" the State Constitution.
The assertion that the Federal Constitution ICON
stuted the people of the States one people for GER
tain purposes" is not true, unless the States
merged their separate sovereignty into one
consolidated State. The reader will beal
in mind that Mr.. Madison in this extract
uneouiyocally maintains the absolute sovereignty
of the States. On this fact the whole controversy
turns. If the States are sovereign they have the
right to secede If they are not sovereign seces-
sion 10 revolution, if not rebellion.
DR.. Hodge quotes; "The letter of MIR. Madison
quoted by Amos Kendall, Esq, in the Washington
Star" This letter. presume, is Madison's letter
to Ingersol, on South Carolina Notification. The
volume containing this letter, and others from Mr.
Madison about The same time, is loaned, so fsl
from home, that cannot get IL Tor reference il