The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1861-01-26

writings OF Adams, Madison, aud Randolph.
! The Constitution declared itself to be the
act OF the people, and not of the States, eth
er collectively or Individually. II was in
tended az . means OF securing more per-
/ pctuaf Union, aut tho States severa11y had
no power to destroy that Union, or to abdi.
cate or ALLEVIATE their power. The power was
held 10 trust for the benefit OF the people,
and the people alone wire competent to
change, or make or unmake the Gov ernmcnt.
! In ono aspect the Government was national,
and in another il was federal-naiinnal as
| the object of power, and federal in the lin
itations Of it's power, national in possessing
what was delegated TO it, and federal ia tho
restrictions put npon it. lite power was ex-
rnal, in protecting the whole country and
representing the people abroad, and internal
| in preserving domestic tranquility. The
| adoption OF the constitutional character in
con,radstiDcfion to that OF the confeierated
/ character allowed is permanent authority
| Ii recognizes legislative, judicial and execu-
/ tive departments, and confines TO each its
/ separate authority. 1t declares that Con-
] gress shall COLLECT taxes, regulate commerce,
declare war, raise and support armies and
| naviee, and make all lava necessary to the
proper carving out Of its authority. These
we're the powers vested in the General Gov
| eminent hy the Constitution of the United
States. Then to the extent that the Consti.
tuition was sovereign the States become sub
ordinate. Therefore he maintained that no
| State had a legal constitutional right to with.
draw from the Union compact. Tha, COM
pact was made by the people, and not BY tho
States. The whole people were bound by
the constitutional compact, and they alone;
the whole people had the constitutional right
a. -. - l.
sovereign, were merely sovereign to preserve
themselves; to regulate internal sffiirs, and
to decide upon the institutions under which
they chose to live. To acknowledge the
right OF State to aecede would be to recog-
nize the State as the superior and the Union
the subordinate. History teaches that all
coterminous independent nations are torn by
wars, and this fact impressed upon our faith
ers tbs necessity of consolidating the States
into one common Union, destined 10 be per-
petual. Ii all the States took it into their
| heads 10 secede, the bonds of Union would
be destroyed, and thus all would DO exposed
4 to the hazards OF internecine war. The in
terests at stake were too great and varihus
TO permit this right The Atlantic must be
left open, and the Mississippi must be free
TO nil. lie referred TO the idea of acknowl-
edging the right 70 secede to Florida AS alb
surd. She had cost not long since FIVE mil
lions Of the common treasure. Why had
they done SO? Ii WAS because il VAS q ma
tional measure, for national pnrposes-to
get rid Of foreign neghbor, to establish a
natural border, to obtain possession of the
country. go that they might control the out
lets Of the Mississippi and the Gulf of Mex
igo; and in order to open up an artificial
Communication along the peninsula Of Flor
ida to the Atlantic. so ns to avoid danger
Gus navigation. These were the purposes
for which Florida was purchased; since
which time, in addition to the FIVE millions
purchase money, some forty or fifty millions
Of treasure had beer expended in suppressing
Indian hostiiities.
Mr.. McC. then ar 'ued that in the event OF
Florida seeding aud withdrawing finally
from the Union she would be unable to pro-
tee, herself or keep open the navigation of
her waters. ln that case her sea fortresses
would be seized BY her neighhors, Spain or
Great Britain, one coming on her from Cuba,
while she wac open 10 the attack Of the other
from the Island Of Jamaica. The Forts Of
Key West aud fortagns would be wfssred
from her, and thus the nav cation Of the Gulf
would fall into tho power 81 foreign enc
my. This must be guarded against. Even
were Florida 10 be enc Of Southern Con
federaoy it would not protect her from these
, dangers, for the whole South-a non mari
, time power--woutd not be able 10 cope with
, any European power Louisiana WAS in the
same condition, and could not be permitted
. to secede. He did not desire war, but would
avoid 1t by all means, especially civil war
/ for IL would be dorblv unnatural ard mos
bloody. But be could not shu. his eyes te
tho step taken by South Carolina, Alabama
! and Mississippi, and the seizure of the fort,
by the authorities of the States. They were
cautioned against coercion. Why, to talk oil
. coercion on the part of the General Govern
meut In the face Of these thugs was O gros,
perversion OF languages.
Ii was more like coercion on the part oil
those states TO require us to look calmly on
the seizure and spoiation OF our forts. arse
nals, custom houses, post-ofiices, and publ.
buildings OF the Government. with all th,
munitions OF war. Submission to this WI ule
be regarded throughout the world a. repre
hensible and disgraeetul. Utter imbecilt,
only could tolcrass IL and il that be th,
condition OF the Government let ii be abol
ished, and let Us proclaim TO the world th,
sad fact that the last experiment OF popular
!, government has sigrnliy failed. Let seces
sion become the doctrine OF the day, ant
!, they would see the towns secede from til.
c.,les, the villages from the towns, and th,
]. cities from the States, till all would tecom
: disntegrated, and Dissolve into indissin
! guishahle chaos. What did they see 1h
:, forts and arsenals and other public building
:. OF tho United States ut Charleston seize.
and held by revolutionary traitors, and /
!. stir hearing afoft The stars and stripes O
: the Union fred upon by the Governor OF tha
State. the State ufufAs n war footing and III,
citizens enrolled and equipped for rebelllou
warllke purposes. Gov. Moore, in Alabama
! has seized other pulIc rrcpertv--the u. s
: arsenal with rs 600 stand Of arms, 100 90
!, boxes vt powder, AID other munitions o
war. These must BE- stopped and stopped a
! once.
In concluding be krietlY reviewed tho nul