The weekly pioneer and Democrat., 1861-01-25

secession. We paid i've millions for the Ter
ritory. We expended marvellous sums in
subduing the Indians, extinguishing of Indi-
an titles, removal of Indians beyond her bor-
ders, surveying the lands, building LIGHT
houses, navy yards, forts, and arsenals, with
untold millions for the never ending Florida
claims assure my friend that I do not re-
fer to these things in an offensive sense, for
he knows how much respect have for him.
and has not forgotten my efforts in the House
many years ago, to secure the admission of
his State into the Union, in order that he
might represent her, as he has since done
with 30 much ability and fidelity. in this
body. But will say that it never occurred
to me at that time, that the State whose ad-
mission into the Union / was advocating.
would be one of the first to join in scheme
to break up the Union. submit it to him
whether 1t is not an extraordinary spectacle
to see that State, which has cost us 80 much
blood and treasure, turn her back on the
Union which has fostered and protected her
when she was too feeble to protect herself.
and seize the lighthouses, navy yards. forts.
and arsenals, which, although within her
boundaries, were erected with the national
funds, for the benefit and defence of the
whole Union.
l do not know that l can find a more strik-
ing illustration of this doctrine of secession
than was suggested to my mind when read
ing the Presidents last annual message. NV
attention was first arrested by the remark.
able passage, that the federal government
had no power to coerce a State back into the
Union If she did secede; and my admiration
was unbounded when I found, a few lines
afterwards, recommendation to appropriate
money to purchase the Island of Cuba. It
occurred to me instantly, what brilliant
achievement it would be to pay Spain $780,
900, 900 for Cuba and Immediately admit the
Island into the Union as State, and let her
secede and reanex herself to Spain the next
day, when the Spanish Queen would be ready
to sell the Island again for half price, or
double price, according to the gullibility of
the purchaser. [Laughter.]
During my service in Congress, it was one
of my pleasant duties to take an active part
in the annexation Of Texas; and at a subse-
quent session to write and introduce the bill
which made Texas one of the States of the
Union. Out of that annexation grew the
war with Mexico, in which we expended
100000, 900, and were left to mourn the
loss of about ten thousand as gallant men as
ever died upon battle field for the honor
and glory OF their country! We have since
spent millions OF money to protect Texas
against her own Indians, to establish forts
and Notifications tO protect her frontier set
Elements, and to defend her against the as.
saults of all her enemies until she became
strong enough to protect herself.
We are now called upon to acknowledge
that Texas has mora, just and constitutional
right to recind the act of admission into the
nil of hor
olutions OF annexation; seize the forts and
public buildings which we constructed with
our money; appropriate the same to her own
mourn the death of the brave men who
sacrificed their lives in defending the
integrity of the soil. In the name Of
Hardin, and Bissell, and Harris, and of the
seven thousand gallant spirits from Illinois,
who fought bravely upon every battle field
of Mexico, protest against the right oi
Texas to separate herself from this Union
without our consent.
o .
In my opinion, the Constitution was
intended to be bond of perpetual Union
1t begins with the declaration in the pre-
amble, that it is made in order "to form q
more perfect Union," and every section and
paragraph in the instrument implies perpe
tuity. 1t was intended to last forever, and
was SO understood when ratified by the
people of the several States. New York an6
Virginia have been referred to as having
ratified with the reserved right to withdraw
or secede at pleasure. This is a mistake
The correspondence between Gen. Hamilton
and Mr.. Madison, at the time, is conclusive
on this point.
After Virginia had ratified the Constitution
Gen. Hamilton, who was a member of the
New York convention, wrote to Mr.. Madison
that New York would probably ratify the
Constitution for term of years, and reserve
the right to withdraw after time, if certain
amendments were not sooner adopted; to
which Mr.. Madison replied that such ratifi
cation would not make New York a member
of the Union; that the ratification must be
unconditional, in toto and forever, or not al
all; that the same question was considered
at Richmond, and abandoned when Virginia
ratified the Constitution. Hence, the decla.
ration of Virginia and New York, that they
had not surrendered the right to resume the
delegated powers must be understood as re.
ferring to the right of revolution, which no.
body acknowledges more freely than do,
and not the right of secession.
The Constitution being made as bond OF
perpetual union, its trainers proceeded to
provide against the necessities of revolution,
by prescribing the mode in which it might
be amended; so that il, in the course of time,
the condition of the country should SO change
as to require a different fundamental law,
amendments might be made peaceably, in
the manner prescribed in the instrument.
and thus avoid the necessity of ever resort
ing to revolution. Having provided for a
perpetual Union, and for amendments to the
Constitution, they next inserted clause for
admitting new States, but no provision for
the withdrawal of any of the other States.
will not argue the question of the right of
secession any further than to enter my pro-
test against the whole doctrine deny that
there is any foundation for it in the constitu-
tuition, in the nature of the compact, in the
principles of the government, or in justice,
or in good faith.
Nor do sympathize at all in the appre-
tensions and misgivings I hear expressed
about coercion. We are told that inasmuch
as our government is founded upon the will
of the people, or the consent of the governed,
therefore it is incompatible with republican
ism. Sir, the word government means coer-
cion. There can be no government without
coercion. Coercion is the vital principle up
On which all governments rest. Withdraw
the right of coercion and you will dissolve
your government. IF every man would per-
form bis duty and respect the rights of his
neighbors voluntarily, there would be no ne
cessity for any government on earth. The
necessity of government is found to consist
in the fact that some men will not do right
unless coerced to do so. The object of all
government is to coerce and compel every
man to do his duty, who will not otherwise
perform it. Hence do not at all subscribe
to this doctrine that coercion is not to be
used in free government It must be used
in all governments, no matter what their
form or what their principles
But coercion must always be used in the
mode prescribed in the Constitution and