Daily national Democrat., 1861-01-15
speech OF Hon. A. johnson Of tennessee.

This able and patriotic Senator delivered q
speech in the Senate of the United States, on
the 18th and 10th of December, on the sub
jcct Of Secession, which is pronounced the
strongest effort that has been made in that
body for long period. The speech is oI
great length, and the Pony has brought only
a portion Of it, which is published in the
Union.
Mr. johnson, rs a Southern man, has taken
an honest bold and manly standard the coun-
try should honor him for it. lie says it Is
mot an invasion ofa State for the FEEDER
al Government to execute its laws, to take
care of its revenue; but if, in the execution
of the laws; it. in the enforcement Of the
| Constitution, it meets with resistance, it is
the duty Of the Government, and it has the
authority, to put down resistance, and cifec-
tually to execute the laws as contemplated 10y
the Constitution of the country"
Mr.. johnson proved that the Object of
changing the Confederation into a Union
was to endow the Government with the pow
er of coercion in the execution Of its enact
mcns.
Mr. johnson referred to the whiskey nsur-
rection in Pennsylvania. Mr. johnson says
on this head
The Constitution has been formed it has been
made perfect; or in other words, means have
been provided by which 1t can be made perfect.
II was intended to be made perpetual in reference
to the execution of the laws under it. What do
we find? As early as 1894 Congress passed an
excise law taxing distilleries throughout the
country, and what were called the whisky boys
of Pennsylvania, resisted the law. The Govern
ment wanted means; taxed distilleries; the pco-
| pie OF Pennsylvania resisted it. What's the diff
crence between portion of the people resisting u
| constituio law and all the people Of a State
! doing so?
Bu.because you apply the term coercion in one
case to a State, and in the other call il simply the
execution of the law against individuals, you say
| there is n great restriction. We do not assume
! the power to cocrce a State, but we assume that
Congress has power TO lay and collect taxes, and
! Congress has the right to enforce that law when
obstruction and impairmcntS arc opposed to its
enforcement. The people of Pennsylvania did
object they did resist and oppose the legal au-
thOrites of the country. Was that law enforced?
Was it called coercion at that day to enforce it p?
Suppose all the people of Pennsylvania had re-
sisted, would not the law have applied with just
force and would it not have been Just us consti-
tutunal to execute it against all the people Of the
State as 1t was to execute 1t upon part of their
citZcnsy
George Washington, President of the Uni
ted States, at the time of that rebellion, or
dered fifteen thousand men 10 the scene OF
action, went there in person, and stayed
upon the ground until the rebellion was
quelled
Mr.. johnson said that jackson stood with
regard to Notification in South Carolina
just where Washington stood with regard to
rebellion in Pennsylvania.
South Carolina has ceded to the United
States Government the land now occupied
by her forts. How can she now take it
back
Mr. johnson denies also the right Of Il State
TO socede, OH the ground that it may mate
rally injure the remaining States thereby,
even admitting, which he denies, that State
can pcaceably secede The Monroe doctrine
has always held out that no foreign power
should plant any more colonies upon this
continent. Suppose South Carolina should
form an alliance with foreign power, and
that power should be preparing to plant its
colonies on our borders, would we submit to
it? No. Neither can the States outside OF
South Carolina allow the possibility Of such
thing by permitting the secession of any
State from this Union.
The war with Mexico cost $l2O 000, 900 and
$4,000, 900 were paid for the Territory ac-
qured. This was from the common blood
and treasure of the whole people Has all
this been done just to let California step in and
just to let her step out The thing is absurd,
beyond expression.
And so he goes on, with an enumeration
of the heavy amounts paid, by the whole
people, for the territories out of which Louis
lana, Florida and other States have been
formed, and asks, if they are now to be suf-
fered to go out with all this territory, at
their own option, and without paying back
the millions Of money spent in their purchase
These are but few of the main features
of this great speech, and we regret that we
cannot lay at least an abstract of the entire
effort before our readers.