Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1861-03-08

Cons s. q Cur permanent political oorneotions %
Be considered when our common safety shali bare
been fully assured
A pairing and xngenious Mode Of Censsi-
fufsouaa CoustFucsIon. By which tie
Federal GoveTnment will ConsolEd=te i'm
ieseIf she Rights Reserved TO the States.
Ii his aseild and consnuatiue" Inaugural Speech,
sIf IFScoix thus modessly initiates novel, daring
and unprecedented system Of constitutional con
struction, which, at one swellgof his mighty acep-
tire, annihiates the doctrines of JEFFERso. MApIoS
JAcKsoS and PoLks eOneolidates all power in the
hands Of the sectional and besotted majority that
now rules this Government overtnrns the constitn-
ton OF delegated lpowerz, and revolutiorizes the
spirit, genius and theory Of our Institutions
Shall fngitives from labor be surrendered by Ma
tiona orby State authority. The Constitution does
not expressly say; May Congress prohibit slavery
in the Territories, The Constitution does not ex-
pressly say Must Congress protect slavery IN the
Territoriess The Constitution does not expressly
say. From questions of this class spring ali our
constitutional controversies, and we divide upon
them into majorities and minorites II the minority
viii not acQuiesce the majority must, OF inc gov
eminent must cease. There is no other alternative
Cor containing the government than aeqniescence on
one side or the other"
The principle Of construction here asserted IS
ais. sat xvhsrethe Constitution does not expressly
decide any constitutional controversy that may arise
among the people the majority shall determine such
question REGARDLESS of the decision Of the Judicial
tribunals. which Mr.. LINCOLN proceeds Immediately
and explicitly to deny and repudiate The true
tbeorv Of our GoEefnme1t, As plainly declared in
the Csustitaton itself and as reiterated by an its
trusted founders aad sages. is, thatthe instrument
which defines the powers of the Federal Govern
ment isA charter Of delegated authority, expressly
enumerating all I'D 5auss that il was
intended to grant and those that are clearly incden-
tai to them and reservng to the States respectively
md to the people, the powers not enumerated,
Mr. LINCOLN directly and despotically reVerses this
good old rule of State Rights constructor and
audaciously claims that whatever power is not
clearly written in the Constitution is subject for
unconstitutional controversy1 and liable alone to
the control and Fat of anumerical majority.
And thus, if we carry cut his easy rule Of dispos-
ing of the rights and privileges of the minority, any
power not expressly enumerated in the Constitution
may be usurped by reckless majority, in accord
auce with his single rule of three idea. As thus:
May Congress prohibit slavery in the States
The CsnstitusiOn does not expressly say. But the
msjsrity may say, according to Mr.: LINCOLN, and
when il issues its potential sdic Mr. LINCOLN pro-
nOunces, as the sutscratic representative Of this
msjority: elf the minority will not scquiesce the
majority must, or the Government must cease.
There is no other alternative Of maintaining the
Government than acquiescsnee one side or the
other. w nw
Andagsin, Mr.. LINCOLN maintains that the decision
Ofihe Supreme Court in the cassOf bred Sc t. ,Fher
iG It was held tsat scoTr, not being wnte n a. rs
not citizen Of the United States, is nesus, NOT
binding upon the people and should net Do bel a.
| precedent. Mr.. LINCOLN maintains tksi DRIED
ScoTr is citizen. 81 The Constitution does not
expressly say Therefore, il msj9rity OF {. e
people decide that DRED Scorr and FRED. DoUe-
LASS are citizens and that they entitled to le
same privileges and imnuuitiss in the ssvsFsl
States thas they in each State, the case isnade
out, and DRIED SooTT and all his race are entitled
to be 50 considered in Tennessee. Thus. ell the
powers not delegated by the Constitution to the
Federal Government, becoming subjects of eontro.
vsrsy, may be exercised, claimed, and usurped by
numerical nsjority, according to the new theory Of
| Mr.. LINCOLN.
What WSuld have been thought Of PoJK or TAT-
LoR, or FILLMORE, or PIERCE had they assumed
such powers for the Federal Government! What
would, be thought of any Southern statesman who
should make this sudsciOus assumption And yei
Mr.. LINCOLN, the first Black Republican President
the first Representatives Of sectional faction, elect
ed on principles hostile to the South, boldly pro-
claims such doctrine from the steps of the Cspo,
and all ''UniOn loving" men are expected quietly &c
submit. The minority are to have all their right
thus engulphed and destroyed by this tyrannieal
usurpstiOn, ard no protest is uttered in certain
quarters but all, ALL must be quietly surrendered
to appease the rsEenous greed of our insoent foes
Better q thousand times that the Government should
perish, than the rights of minority be thus tram.
pied down and crushed out