Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1861-01-14

fully as a state; although manifes,jy they
! have perverted the power Of the state to an
unconstitutional purpose.
A class Of politicians il New England set
up this theory and attempted to practice ui,-
on it in our war with Great Britain. Alr.
Jefferson did nos hesitate to say tbat states
must be kept within their constitutional
sphere by impnlsion, if they could not be
held there by attraction. Secession was
then held to be inadmisSob!a III the face Of q
public enemy. But IL il is EDtenahle in one
case, it ia necessarily so in all others.
fully admit the originality, the sover-
eighty, and the independence Of the several
states within their sphere. But | hold the
federal government to he equally original,
sovereign, and independent within its sphere.
And the government Of the state can no
more absulve the people residing within its
limits from allegiance TO the Ur!on, than
the government Of the Union can Hhso!ve
them from allegiance to the state. The con
stitution Of the United States, and the laws
made in pursuance thereof, are the supreme
law Of the land, paramount; to I'll l"giSia-
tion of the states, whether made under the
constitution, or by even their organic con-
! SenElOaS. lue Lllob Cdu uS oCSo'NSN, b't
by secession, with or without armed force
but only by the voluntary conseat OF the
people Of the United States, collected III the
manner prescribed by the constitution of
the United States.
Congress in the present case, ought not to
| be impassive. 1t ought, if it can, to redress
any real grievances Of the offended states,
and then it ought to supply the President
with all the means necessary to maintain
the Union in the full exhibition and dis
Greet exercise of It's authority. Beyond
this, with the proper activity on the part OF
the Executive, the responsibility Of saving
the Union belongs to the people and they
are abundantly competent IT, discharge 1t.
| propose, therefore, with great Difference,
to address myself to the country upon the
momentous subject, asking Il hearing not
less from the people withia what are called
the seeding, than from those who reside
within the adhering states
| Union is an old, fixed, settled habit Of the
American people, resulting from convictions
of its necessity, and therefore not likely to
be hastily discarded. The early states,
while existing as colonies, were combined.
though imperfectly, through common al
| legiancc to the British crown. When thar
| allegiance ceased, no Cne was so prcSumptu-
Gus as to suppose political existence com
| patible with diSunion and, therefore, on the
same day that they declared themselves ln-
| dependent, they proclaimed themselves ais1
| confederated states. Experience In war and
in peace from l775 until 1897, only con-
vnced them Of the necessity OF converting
that loose confederacy into more perfect
and perpetual Union.
| They acted with a coolness very different
| from the Incorporate conduct Of those who
now on one side threaten, an, those VIII" Oh
the other rashly defy disunion. They con
sidered the continuance OF the Union as d
subject conprehending nothing less than
the safety and welfare of all the parts OF
which the country was com posed, and the
fate Of an empire in many respects the most
interesting in the world. | enter upon the
su biect of continuing the Uniun now, deep
ly Impressed with the same generous AID
loyal conviction. How could it be other
wise. when, instead OF only thirteen, the
country is now composed ot thirtJ-:hree
parts; and the ernpire embraces, inS;ead OF
only four millions, 10 less than thirty nil
lions OF inhabitants
The founders Of the constitution moreover
regarded the Unjoa SIS 10 mere national o.
American interest. Ua the contrary, they
confessed with deep scasibltity 5nti Ii seam
ed to them IL have been reserved ior the
people Of this country % decide whether So
cies;es II men sre really capable -! c>;HHilSh-
ing good government upon rejection ""c
choice or whether they are i;,rcrcr destined
to depend for their political constitutions Oh
accident and force. Tuey feared, therefore,
that their failure to continue and perfect the
Union would be u misfortune to the natlons.
How much more, sir, would lis overthrow
now be a calamity 70 mankind.
Some form Of government is Indispensable,
here rs elsewhere. Whateyr! form, we have
every individual citizen and every STATE
| must cede to i; some natural rights, I" in
vest the government with the requisite pow
er. The simple question, therefore, !or Is
now to decide, while laying aside all piqra,
passion, and prejudice is: whether ii CON
| duces more to the Interests ut the people .!
! this country TO remain fJr the general par
poses Of peace and war, commerce inland
| and foreign, postal Communications al nome
and abroad, the care and disposition ot the
public domain, colonization, toe prs.nlza-
! tion aud admission Of new states, and gen
orally, the enlargement ot empire, one na-
tion under our present constitution, than 1T
would be to divide themselves into separate
confederacieS or states.
Our country remains now As II was Iii
| lT87-comp posed not o! detached and distant
territories, but Of one whole wci!-c"nnecte'i
and fertile region lying within tie temper
ate zone, with climates and soils hardly
more various than those oi France or Of ita-
ly. This slight diversity quicken> n"1 am
plihes manufactures ana commerce. Oar
rivers and valleys, rs improved by art, iuF-
nish Us Il system Of Highways uneqralied in
the world. The different forms OF labor II
slavery were no! perverted 10 purposes oi p"-
litical mbition, need not constitute IN eic-
nent of strife in the cnn(ederncy.
Notwithstanding recent vehement eXArcS-
sions and manifestations Of Intolerance 10
some quarters, produced b. intense parts
an excitement we are, in tact Il homogene-
Gus people, chiefly Of one stock, with acce,-
sions well asSimlatea. We have, :"%ctica!-
ly, only one language, one religion, onc SE>-
| tenn of government, and manners aud Gus.
toms common to all. Why, then shall He
not remain heucefGrth as hitherto, one pea
pie?
The first object Of every human society is
l., ....l