, 1861-01-17

ernnent Is mere voluntary association oi States,
to be dissolved at pleasure by one Of the con-
tractng parties. If this be so, the Confederacy
is rope of sand, to be penetrated and dissolved
by the first adverse wave Of public opinion in
any Of the States. In this manner, our thirty
three States may resolve themselves into as
many petty, jarring, and hostile Republics, each
one retiring from the Union without responsible
ity whenever any sudden excitement might i'm
pei them to such a course. BY this process a
Union might be entirely broken into fragments
in few weeks which cost our foreiathers many
years Of toll, privations, and blood to establish.
Such principle is wholly inconsistent with the
history, rs it was framed with the greatest de-
liberation and care. Il was submitted to Con-
ventiOns Of the people Of the several States for
ratification. Its opponents contcnded that it
conferred power upon the Federal Government
dangerous to the rights Of the States; whist its
advocates maintained that, under fair construc-
ton Of the instrument, there was no foundation
for such apprehensions.
In that mighty struggle between the first in
tellects Of this or any other country, II never
occurred to any individual, either among It's
opponents or advocates, to assert or even to in
tinlatc that tleir efforts were all vain labor, be-
cause the moment that any State felt herself
aggrieved, she might secede from the Union
W nat u CfuSuluR NOulu uaNC
proved against those who dreaded that the
rights Of the States would be endangered by
the Constitution The truth is, that it was not
until many years after the origin Of the Federal
Government, that such a proposition was first
advanced.
1t was then met and refntcd by the conclusive
arguments Of General Jackson, who, in his Mes
sage Of the 10th Of January, 1883, transmitting
the nulhfying ordinance VI South Carolina TO
Congress, employs the following language: "Tbe
right of the people of single State To absolyc
themselves at will, without the consent Of the
other States, from their most solemn obligation
hazards the liberty and happiness Of the millions
composing this Union, and cannot be acknowl-
edged. Such authority is believed to be utterly
repugnant both to the principles upon which
the General Government is constituted, and to
the objects which it was expressly formed to
attain. 1t is not pretended that any clause in
the Constitution gives cOuntenancc TO such u
theory. 1t is altogether founded upon inference,
MT from any language contained in the instru-
ment itself, but IRON the sovereign character OF
the several States by which it was rauiicd; but
il is beyond the power Of State, like an indi.
vidua, to yield portion Of its sovereign rights
to secure the remainder" In the language Of
Mr.. Ma1lsOn who has been called the iather oi
ths Constitution, "it was formed by tho States,
that is by the people in each Of the States, act
ing in their highest sovereign capacity, and
IO.Intd consequently by the same authority
winch formed the State Constitution NOr Is
the Government Of the United States, created by
the Constitution, less u Government within the
strict, st sense Of the term, within the sphere OF
its powers, than the Governments created by
the Constitutions Of the States are within the
several spheres. Ii is, like them, organized into
legislative, executive, and judiciary departments.
1t operates like them, directly on persons aLd
things, aud, like them, it has at command q
physical force for executing the powers conf
milted to il. Il was intended TO he perpetual,
aud not 6e annullcd ut the pleasure Oi any Oi
the contracting parties Of the COhfederat.on--L
perpetual Union between the States; aud by
tue thirteenth article, it is expressly declared
that the articles Of this Confederation shall bC
inevitably preserved by every State, and the
U. n shall be perpetuated.
Tho preamble Of the Constitution Of the
UHitCd States, having express reference To thC
articles Of Confederation, states il was eStab'
lished in order to form q more perfect Union
though this does not include thu essential attri'
butte Vi Ip.rpctuty; but that the Union was
designed to 10 perpetual, appears conclusive
trUm the nature and extent Of tue powers co =
lerrrd by the Constitution on the Federal Gov
ernment.- These pOwers-the highest attributes
Of national sOvcrciguty-place both the SwOrt
and the purse under its control. i.}
Congress has power tO make war, and L
make peace, to raise and support armies ant
natives, and TO conclude treaties with foreign
governments; il is invested with the power u
,Ou money, and TO regulate the value thereof
and 10 regulate commerce with foreign nationS
aud amOng the several StatgS IL is not Beces
sary To GnuIneraIe the other high powers Mhlel
have been c0nlerrud upon the Federal Govern
mcnt, in order To carry the enumerated power
into elect Congress possesses the exclusive
right tO lay and collect dut es on imports, aud
in common with the States, 10 lay and collect al
| other taxes. The Constitution Inns not Onl!
conferred these high powers upon Congress, bu
it has adopted eiiectual mCans TO restrain tn
| States from interfering with their exercise 10
that purpose. a.....
Il has, in strong prohibitory language, ex
| prvsSly declared, that 10 State shall enter int
any treaty, alliance Of cOniederacy, grant let
ters Of marque and repriSals, coin money, emf
bills Of credit, making none but gold and silve
coin tender III payment Of debts, pass any bIl
Of attander, er PtSt taetO law, or laws impairnI
tac obligations Vi contracts; moreover, withOu
the consent Of Congress, no State shall levy an!
imiost or duties on any imports or cxporS, ex
cept what may be absolutely necessary lOr cXccu
ting its inspection laws, or IL they exceed tia
amount the exccsSeS shall belong to the Cnite'
States, and shall not, without consent Of Con
grcss, lay any duty on tonnage, keep troops o
ships OF war in time Of peace, or enter into an,
agreement or compact with another State, O
with u foreign power, or engage in war, unles
actually invaded or ia such imminent danger n
will nUI admit UG further delay In order st
further to secure the uninterrupted exercise q
these high powers against State intcrpOsiIiOn,
is provided, that the Court. and the laws Of tn
United States which shall be made in pursuance
thereof, aud all treaties made, Or which shall b
made, under the authority Of the United States
shall he supreme law Of the land and th
Judges in every State shall be bound thereby
anything in the courts or laws Of any State :