New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1862-02-26
DAvIsIsM.

sages Of the Revolution, George washington
standing at their head, assisted by such men of
worldwide and enduring renown as Benjamin
Franklin. Alexander Hamilton James Madison,
Roger Sherman, Rufus King, and Charles e.
Pinckney. That Constitution, though avowedly
formed by "We, the People of tho United
" not the several States" was ratified by
Convention of the People of each State sep
arately. Every State then in existence thus
accepted it; every State since formed has In
like manner and with scarcely a whisper OF
dissent adopted it. The Government thus
established was expressly designed, not to con-
tlnue, but TO supersede Confederation
whereof the weakness and the incapacity for
good had been demonstrated BY rugged exPe-
rience in war and in peace.
The Constitution thus established 10 now the
law of the land-of every portion OF the United
States-by the deliberate and unprompted
choice of the Sovereign People. And this Con-
stitution expressly provides that
No State shall into any treaty asnce, oojedrd-
lion keep troops ships of w'r. in time Of peace
enter into any agreement or compact with smother State or
with foreign power. engage In war unle" actually
invaded ac, &c.
Thi. Constitution and the OF the United States which
shall be made in pursuance thereof stdH be the "p,sme lao
II land aud in State 'hs be bound there
BY anything in the Constitution laws Of auy State to the
contrary notwithstanding"
And when a leading delegate from this
State wrote to James Madison, asking if New
L tha tpti ta- n
specified term of years BY way of experiment,
be was answered empha,icay No-the Consti.
tuition was made not for day, but for all
" time" and as such must be accepted or re-
jected-subect, Of course, to the right of the
People to modify or amend it, as is provided
in the instrument.
Now, can any man believe, in view Of these
notorious, threadbare facts, that Jefferson DAVIS
considers State really authorized and q. lib
erty to dissolve at pleasure the bonds which
attach her to the American Union : ld he
intend 10 be understood, when he received q
thorough education ut the e1pense Of the
Union, that his duties to tbat Union would at
any moment bc terminated by the assumed
withdrawal tn refrom Of tho State in which he
resided When he took ss a senator the SOL
emn oAth OF ndoh;y to tue Federal Consiitu.
ton. did he understand, and dcsire Diners to
understand, that be held himself bouad ihereb,
only until his State shond see HI to pass a.
act of Secession Does he not well know ths
no such qualified aud temporary allegiance
would have been accepted by his ieltw-sen-
ators and the County
Admit the right OF Secession, aid the Coz
sttution becomes the merest rope OF sand
while the Union is u smoAe.wreaih which any
gust may dis,pote. 10 imagine that such
men as Washington and Franklin, Hamilton
and Madison, would have united IN training
such q Government and fondly expecting 1t t.
stand forever, is to deem them the shaDwest
IDIOTS that ever rped the doing' Of statslmen.
We hold that Jefferson Davis is dishonest
in his cool assumption that Secession IL con.
stitutonal right-that his Inaugural is q con-
scious fraud on ignorance and bind passOE-
that he knows better than all this, ard is
misleading his dupes to their ruin. A State
has, within her allotted sphere, rights which n
county, a township, has not but to throw oil
at will the National Government to wheel she
has once deliberately adhered is not within
her power, any more than within that of 4
tow nshp or county.
| Doubtless, there inheres IN all nations rish.
to change or modify their forms of Go;ern-
tna al hv Iaf in,
immortal Declaration OF Independence-a tight
not under but above the Constitutional -ight
which preceded and transcends all exiting
forms. This right may be asserted BY the
sword; but it need not be in this age and
country. Had the Slave States or the Cotton
States really wished to get out of the Union
we insist that they had only to prove slch to
be- their deliberate and emphatic choice, and
they would have been suffered TO 90 peaGably.
So grave change could not have been Elected
in day nor year; but, had the South really
desired 1t, she might with patience anG effort
have secured it. We said 80 nj the tune
We are strengthened in our conviction By
events that have since trabSpired.
Why, then, were violence and outrage re-.
sorted to- Why were sub-treasures and
arsenals robbed, navy-yards and fortresses
rav!fhod from the Nation that had constructed
aid paid for them Why we've National yes
sells seized, National regiments ireacherously
disarmed and surrendered, and finally Fort
Sumter bombarded, as if with implacable intent
TO challenge the North TO deadly combat, and
light the flames OF civil war;
We answer--and there is no other raiiona
solution of the problem-Because the eonsyira-