Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1861-04-16
NUMBER IA.

| to impovish and and oppress the citizens Of sans
States, while those OF others would scarcely be cnr
scious of the small proportion Of the weiehr they
were requierd to sustain - =
or If invaded by the Federal powers. 8 porsio- q
which slucidatOh, has very strong bearing On Osr
| present position. page III.
If the representatives Of the people betray their
constituents there Is then no resource left, bst b
the ersrtion of that original right Of se-incs, lrhch =
paramotmt 10 al positive forIns II goUsrnussat; aa6
sokich ooainst he ussrpatiOn Of The H0Onai rulers
may be exerted with an Intimately better prospece
of success than against those Of the rulers Of an IL
dividual State Il may safely be received as az.
ION in our political system that the Stats GeusTn
nlent will in all possible contingencies, stt0rd con-
plete security against nUGSioRS Of Tie ptoc 0erTy ~
The national Ghority Projects Of usurpation canDot
De masked under pretence so likely 70 escape the
penetration Of select bodies Of as of the people
AZ large. The Legislatures l1in hare better HleGns q
anormoti0R, tiey caadsc0cer The danger at disGacs
and possessing all tie organs Of civil power and the
eenndence Of the people, they can at ones odnpf
regshr pan Of opposition, which they combine
an the resources Of the community. They can read
ny communicate tcih each other " tie Differed Aaes;
ana a'ate Their common forces for ls protection G er
common liberty The great extent OF this country i
/ further security. We have already experielt a3
| its utility against the attacks Of foreign enemy.
And 1t would have possibly the same efsct against
the enterprises OF ambitious ners in the national co-
els. Ifthe federal army should be able 70 ouell III,
resistance Of one State the distant Saes would have
It in their power TO make head tcit6 fresh forces
The advantages obtain in one place mast be s.
bandoned to subdue the opposition 10 others and the
moment the part which had been reduced to sab
mission was left to itself isefOrtA would be renew
ed, and its resistance IevlVe8
Notwithstanding all these explanations and arru
ments and 4 degree of influence and suthorify
never surpassed in any country, by and from An
association of az distinguished body Of men "a ever
were collected together with the immortal Father of
his country at the head The PEOPLE Firmly AsD
sTEADFAsTLY REFUSED THEIR SANCTION TO THE TSsTEr-
MENT they had fought for Independence too valiant
y; they had made too many sacrifices Tor liberty,
when won, to be lightly valued. or risk incurred,
touching its exstence il not that they dIstrnst
ed the Of the revolution and the age, Or feared
for themselves they wished to guard against others
who might rice the power, and they were determine
ed to transmit the blessings of liberty 10 their de-
scendants. Do not we OF this period think their
wisdom apparent?
FoIeseeing the total failure Of their labors. for
scarce one State would receive their Constitution
the trainers besought the people not to leave the
country without some Government and pledged
themselves that if the Constitution received a.
drawn, any and all the amendments claimed, should
be made.
1T appears to me susceptible Of complete demon
stration, that il will be far more easy to obtain sub
sequent than previous amendments to the Conssi-
tuition. The moment an alteration is made in the
present plan it becomes to the purpose of adoption
a new one, and must undergo new decision Of
each State"
Even then it was only accepted by the most
strenuous efforts Of the most influential men Of the
day in some of the most important States
Hancock and Adams, in Massachus; tts-HAmil-
ton and Livingston, in New YOrk-Franklin and
Morris. in Pennsy yivania. and Washington Madison.
Marshall and others, in Yirginiz-and that only By
small majority scarce half dozen in some States,
and in New York BY only two votes. quote fr IN
letter of Gov. Clinton, it sufficiently shows the
opinion Of all the others. upon this pointPage 4l3:
Circular Letter from the CsRUeOR Of ths State Of Esss
York. t. the Governors Of The seUsTal States IN Ds
Union:
SR:-"We the members Of the Convention Of this
State have deliberately and maturely considered
the Constitution proposed for the United States
Several articles IN il appear eEcptoRGbIe 70 a-
jority of VS. that nothing but the fules. coDfdencs
of obtaining revision Of them BY general con
venton and an invincible reluctante 10 separating
from our sister States. could have prevailed upon
sufficient number TO ratify it uuhouf stlpsdsag for
precious GmeRdRertS We all unite in opinion, that
such revision 1iR be necessary to recommend il -
the appreciation and supper. OF q uumerOasbOdy Of
our constituents"