Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1863-07-09

twelve articles have at different periods been addeC
to the Constitution Of the United States by way o
explanation, definition, or amendment, and thus
the nation has repeatedly set its seal to the suffi
cheney and eligibility of this mode for the obtain
the letter Of that Instrument
The clear expression in the Constitution # the
right and means Of Ieaee:ul modification of the
Governme t is Of course tantanouut 10 xcu.
sion of til right revolution by force for the same
ends Nor in giving utterance this sentiment
do we speak without the authority of great Lame.
which give weight to any opinion
When in the year 1912 portion Of the people
of Rhode Is'ra "..umed the right Of employ
ing force to substitute the authority Of Mr. Dorr,
and Of the Constitution under which he claimed to
act for the Legitimate Governor of the State acting
ruled by the Executive ard Judicial Departments
of the National Government that no such right
pertanel TO any State part of State under the
Constitution Of the Upion. President Tyler
promptly placed the national forces at the CON-
mand of the regularly constituted authorities for
the urpose Of aiding to put down the rebellion,
which, discardiDg the forms Of political agitation,
had assumed the proportions Of an armed oppos-
ton 10 the existing organization Of the State. The
principle which this was done received the sane
ton Of Mr. Calhoun, then a member of Mr.. Tyler's
Cabinet, and in a letter written from his home in
South Carolina, under date of July 3, ,lS43, he
declared it to be the duty of the Federal Govern
ment, under the guarantees of the Constitution,
promptly to suppress physical force an element
Of change, and to keep wide open the door for the
full and free action of all the moral elements in its
favor" In this letter Mr.. Calhoun argued against
the rghtfulness necessity of resort to force for
the redress of grievances, to remedy which the
Government had provided organic agency, open
to all the States, under such limitations and re-
strictions as had become of binding obligation on
them all by virtue Of their accession to the Consti
tuition. To this effect he then wrote as follows,
and invite particular attention to his views be-
cause of their bearing on this discussion:
"Al changes in the fundamental law of State ought
to be the work OF time ample discussion, and reflection;
and people who lack the requisite perseverance go
through the slow and difficult process necessary at
to guard against improper Innovations and to insure wise
VI
uslnon instead Of reform where reform may be- prac-
cable, can preserve their liberty Nor would it be desra
be if it practicable, to make the requisite changes
without going through long previous process Of discus
sion and agitation
The very complication of system of Government
many distinct sovereign and independent States each
with its separate Government and all united under is
calculated To give force to discussion and agitation
before known and to diffusion of political ntei
gence heretofore unknown in the history Of the world II
the Federal Government shall do lis duty under the guaran
tees Of the Constitution By promptly supprssing physical
force element Of change and keeping wide open the
door for the full and free action of all the moral elements
in its favor No people bad SO fair start All that
lacking that shall understand in all it's great and
beautiful proportions, the noble political structure reared
by the wisdom and patriotism of ancestors and TO have
the virtue and the to preserve and protect it,
The justice of this view must be clear to all.
Would that all our countrymen had the virtue and
sense to act according to its imperative sugges
tions Then would the sword fall from the hands
of those who are now arrayed against the peace
and dignity of the State