Richmond daily Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1842-1861, 1861-06-04
THE AMERICAN QUESTION IN yR,vcr


From the columns Of the Paris Paw. n,
the Empire, semi-ofhcia paper publi,hsd 'D',nh q
editorial direction OF the celebrated Gr,pie, A. hs
mac, the New York News translates the .tNssse
Gle, in order TO SLOW how the conbs, ioto ~ 1i
plunging is regarded by some of the mos, s,I.sSs
minds In the great centers Of European opaiors ssd
| huence: aA
TIE AMERICAN CRISIS
The Opinion Rationale has already nphg.t..
quite extended articles upon the Ane,ic,n - e'nd
nothing yet indicates that its scundity "a on "s
OF exhaustion, for In the absence Of accurate L,,ee
Of the text and spirit Of the Constitution Of d.
United States as also of the men Of the sou,S 'n'
free scope TO its imagination. "B'a
| Il is however, a serious matter and an, -,
reflection to find ones self confronted by
of human beings who have risen like one p,s '.N'
assert their rights and defend their independa 's'
will arguments prove sufficient 10 sustain the a
| ST gmatize a whole nation. TN
The Opinion Natiooae should recall TO ri,a ,
words Of Lord Chatham during the War Of In, We
dence ~
| "When, with one common accord all ol,s.o.,
ciety in a nation composed Of indyiduas unit - 70 "
themselves a Government there must pecs.,,s Eve
some great criminal TO punish, for the laws Of nat
we'll those Of logic ITSELF repel the suppoiop 49,,
| man can take up arms against bis benelactor.
| IT, however. the Opinion Rationale ia 10 he ,,k..
authority the States forming the Southern CoD,ds,,
are to be regarded simply as provinces in Insure
| against the Central Government; 10 one word A
But, in this manner OF contemplating the event. no. ~
curing in the United States, there is al error Too
| to be allowed to pass without refutaon. The G's..'
ment of the United States is not and never has -
unitary Government, but is a Rsd,rai Government -.
And, FIRST what lie Confederauont Bescherel, -.
defues it: "a league, an alliance between udsp4,A
States, for the purpose Of obtaining redress for 49,
wrongs and Of defending their rights"
The first condition requisite to a State, 10 foru;,.
/ II. =. Al IA Ill s
| tnat Il to say, sovereign.
| Now did the States Of North America b, apy sb,,..
forfeit their sovereignty, that fundamental BAL. ~
every Confederation, when they formed their Cot.i,
| ton.
Lest we should expose ourselves to the same ero, =.
| that into which the "Opinon Rationale" has fallen :.
| will let the law itself speak for Us.
| The Articles Of Confederation OF 1881 stpu,te.
"ARrICLE l. The style OF this Confederacy shall be ii.
| United States OF America.
CART II. Each State retains it sovereignty ts..
dom, aud dependence and every poser juri.dictio,
and right, which is not by tits Confederation erpr,s
" delegated to the United States in Congress a,sem.
| bed"
The Constitution of 1889 in nowise impaired thea.
| rights Of sovereignty.
| Its preamble declared that
I'VE the people OF tie United States in order to form
a more perfect Union, establish Justice insure dome,
tic tranquility, provide for the common defence pro.
mote the public welfare, n secure the bl,ssnrs a
liberty 10 ourselves and our poserity do ordss ana
establish this Constitution for the United States Of Amer
| lea"
| Then comes the enumeration Of the powers sps
ciay delegated by the States TO the Federal Govern
| ment
| When called upon TO ratify the Constitution he
States in order 10 leave doubt whatever IN ers,free
in regard TO the scope Of this fundamental law ,,d
with a view of defining in still precise manner
the nature Of the connections and relations to arise b.
tween them and the Federal Government by virtue Of
this compact, declared that the different States q Ame
ca bad not united for the purpose Of placing them.est
in principle in attitude OF unlimited submission 20
far the Federal Government was concerned, but that
ny the compact denomiuated the Constitution OF he
United States and susceptible Of amendment they eltsb
lished General Government for ends expressly deter,
mined TO which they delegated certain powers exactly
defined, while, at the time, formally reserVng 10
each separate State I'll other rights OF sovereignty net
delegated by the Constitution; that in every Nhes
tie General Government should assume pogefs other o.
those especially delegated, It's acts should be null and
void; that the Federal Government created by this
pac should not be- In any ra.e the judge Of the extent o
these powers but that 10 all considerations between
sovereign States having common judge, each State
should reserve for itself equal right TO judge OF In.
fractions Of the compact and 10 redress the sane.
After this solemn declaration, the Constitution Ess
adopted and signed by Washington, Frarkin, Msdisos
and many Others who all took active part in the al.
ministTation Of the country, aud never dreamed Ike
the Opinion Rationale, of converting sovereign States
into provinces depending Upon central power on Ao
contrary and though these States Jealous Of then
sovereignty had Lot found the guaranty Of tier rights
TO be expressed explicitly enough they preson;ed in
1889 the amendment of the celebrated Jefferson which
was ratified in l79l and il couched in the following
words:
1.-THE powers no. delegated TO the United States BY
the Constitution, prohibited by it to the States
reserved the States respectively, TO the people
Thus the Opinion Rationale can very rsaCiiy con-
vince itself By rapid survey OF the Constitution that
the latter contains no clause that denies the right Of
State t, Withdraw from the Union, clause which gives
10 the Federal Government the power 10 force State 70
remain in the Confederation against lie will and should
il 6t infer such right from the aggregate Of the
arrangements OF the Constitution, shall cite 10 oppo
ston thereto the Interpretation OF Washington himself,
which in reference TO this question is worth quite Us
much, we presume that OF The Opinion Rationale.
Let the Opinion Rationale rest assured that this Is The
whole secret OF the poweressness that parSlyses the
Cabinet at Washington.
The North Well knows that there Il something strong
er than It's desire for domipion the South; il CON-
prehends despite ts fAnaticsm, that the Constitution
refuses i. the Of reducing to subjugaOn the Sc
ceded States it knows two what the Opinion Nationsk
seems to ignore, that il cannot place dsrEg hand
upon the Southern Confederation without abdcating h
rights of sovereignty it knows that il cannot CON
|
| by means OF end conquest and that in CPterrl
upon that course admitting its success Connecting
more than doubtful il were to judge by the surren
der of Fort Sumpter il would hazard s own existence
The Father OF his country was far from reeaEdnt
the Union as indssoluble or from thinking the Fetea
Government possessed the right TO retain State 10 IL
embrace that 10 his Farewell Address he 1ed his Tel
low.czens never to entertain the thought OF breaking
the Union, no matter what might be their sources
complaint.
Now do not this lively solci,uie OF Washington ant
his enreaty clearly indicate tha. be recognized the ab
solute right Of the States TO detach themselves from l
| UniOns
The articles Of Confederation OF $751; the Constitution
of 1857, the amendment Of 1882 the opinion OF Wan
ington--all in word, concur TO demonstrate tie ht
grant error of The Opinion Rationale when il pen
assigning the States TO the rank Of mere provinces
The Constitution is 10 reality, only treaty iorme'
between sovereign powers To designate common 0g'"
under the title OF Federal Government for the pufpos
of directing for their interest," certain generA
details Of administration and particularly Their inter
course with foreign Governments.
The Opinion Rationale calls the Southern Bates "reb
els" because they refuse 10 sanction the rsurpGoh
powers which they delegated 10 the Federal 1o'
ernment it terms them revouuonsts because tbey ~
opposed to having the constitutional fabric turned NV
an unbrdled tyranny aud 10 descending from the RAJ
OF sovereign States into the passive condition oil o.
pendent provinces. 1t s;igmatzes as consprstots al
traitors those patriots who have not shrunk from eresi
ing the Unon which they venerated rather than 10 tu
ect their country to the domination OF irsfcoal 10
tity of the North-so be t but, then, the South goT
fss herself with tressOn like that which Fred the beat
of Hampden-like that which flowed 10 words OF hvif
4 ,me from the lips of Patrick iienry-Eks that "Aie
placed upon the brows Of Washington eirelet oil and
ing renown.
In spite of ALL then, that the Opinion NatChal ms
cay, Messrs Jefferson Davis, Toombs, kemmirger, W.
ker, Elliott, Reagan. erjtmn an Mallory viii never
ranked in Europe amoag the seditious their patriotism
their integrity, their undenible talent their tried eon
age their entire record in tho past will the eohiIa