The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1865-06-09

right OF State to secede at pleasure !;
and who does not see that the few
words in the beginning of the Confed-
crate Constitntion, which constitute the
little innocent alteration which it is as
serted only made it better than the old
one, is substantially an epitome of these
resolutions; the foundation Of the
whole doctrine of the resolutions being
the idea that the constitution was a
mere league between sovereign States.
III any one doubts IS to the construc-
ton placed upon this Confederate con
stitution. by those welding the desti-
MES of the Southern Confederacy while
It lasted, let him read the intercepted
dispatch of J. P. Benjaulin, Secretary
of State, to l. G. c. Lsmar, Confederate
| Commissioner at st. Petersburg dated
Richmond, January 18th, 1868, and ex-
;pressly purporting on its face to give
the views of the President, Mr.. Davis.
l will read portion of this letter taken
from the Weekly National intellgen-
Ger, of the 2nd April, 1868 1t is as fol-
lows:
saThe Constitution Of the Confederate
States is an agreement made between
independents States. BY its terms all
the powers of government aresseparated
into classes as follows; e
Ist. Such powers as the States dele
gate to the General Government.
Cd. Such powers as the States agree
TO refrain from exercising, although
they do not delegate them 70 the Gen
eral Government
Sd. Such powers as the States, with
/ out delegating them to the General
Government, thought proper to exer-
else. by direct agreement between
themselves, contained in the Constltu-
| ton. e awa usrIEb "a a
4th. All remaining powers OF sover-
eighty, which, not being delegated TO
the Confederate states by the Consti-
tuition nor prohibited by it to the
States. are reserved to the States re-
spectively or to the people thereof
On the formation of the Constitution
the States thought proper to prevent
all possible future discussions on the
subject of slavery, by the direct exer
cise of their own power, and delegated
no. authority to the Confederate Govern
ment, save immaterial exceptions pre-
sently 70 be noticed -
Especially In relation to the lmporta-
ton of African negroes was It deemed
important by the States that no power
to permit it should exist N the Cons
federate Government.
The States, by the Constitution, (lghieh
IS treaty het,ceen Themselves q the most
solemn character that lStatss can Hlaks)
unanimously stipulated that the impor-
tation of negroes of the African race
from any foreign country, other than
the slaveholding States or territories Of
the United States of America, ls here
by forbidden, and Congress- Is required
to pass such laws rs shall etteotually
prevent the same.
It will thus be seen that no power IS
delegated to the Confederate Govern
ment over this subject, out that It ls in
cluded in the third class above referred !
to. of powers exercised directly BY the
States
Thus according to Mr.. Davis, the !
Constitution Of the Southern Confeder.
acy was simply a treaty between the
States
But suppose the eleven States which |
went into the rebellion could have sue I
ceeded in achieving their Independence
of the Government Of the United states |
and could have established themselves
as a separate and independent Govern
nent under this treaty constitution, !
what would have been the relative
position of the State of Tennessee IN
this concern2
/ l say to you, fellow-citizeDs, that II
these eleven States could have gone OF
peaceably and established themselves
as 8 separate Government under that
constitution without the shedding OF
one drop of blood or the expenditure
Of one dollar of money, the world has
rarely seen a worse ruined State than
the State of Tennessee would have
been.
This Confederate Constitution pro.
vided that on the demand of any three
States, Congress was required to call q
convention of all of the States, and
when any of the proposed amendments
passed this convention, it was to be-
come a part of the Constitution when
ratified by the Legislatures or cOnven
tions of Esgo thirds of al the States, as
one or the other mode might be adop-
ted.
This is entirely new mode ofamend-
ing the Constitution, and requires the
ratification, Of only two thirds of all the
States, while the old Constitution re-
ouired three fourths.
e This Constitution was fixed up by
the politicians Of seven of the cottoa
States in convention at Montgomery,
in which convention Tennessee had no
voice. Some kind of a farce of an
adoption was effected amid the roar Of /
artillery and the clash of arms on the
first Thursday in August, 1861, after
the league and the ordinance Of separ2- |
ton had done their work
Now it is a well-known fact that eight
ofthese eleven States nave q unity of
interest in their leading agricultural
productions, and the products chiefly
raised in. these differ from those chiefly
raised in the remaining three, viz:
North Carolina Virginia and Tennes
see
Now eight being more than two
thirds OF eleven, these cotton States
Ctu4A lave GHhuAeA AAo AOnNlANuALUn
at pleasure Is II not plain that the re-
naming three would have been ct the
mercy Of the eight See here with
what usurpated cunning these South.
ern politicians spread their net for all
who they thought would probably come
into it Gould not the rnlinR classes Of
the cotton States have Incorporated in
TO the instrument their favorite ideas
OF aristocracy or monarchy. And, be
sides, these cotton States mad maiOri-
ties Ia both houses of Congress over
the other three How vain then was
the argument once made in this coun-
try that Tennessee would have a mon
oply IN the sale Of hogs, mules, dc, be-
csuse lafTs would be passed excluding
States North OF us from the Southern
market How long do you think the
Southern planter would lay heavy i'm
port duties on hcgs and mules or auy~
thing else which you have to seu, and
he has to buy, VIXEN it is % his inter
est to get them IS cheap az be can.
: And besides, suppose these cotton
planters should have taken IL into
their heads to change the Constitution
~ a. " iAA1h1 "a hiNt . Ah@-hDAs uN NHEE
msj0rities Of both houses Of Con-
gress, IS other Laws are passed.
Could they not BY laying heavy
export duties on the article OF
tobacco for instance have made the
sweat and toll Of the Tennessee farmer
support them in their luxury aud ease.
AID could they not, if they should have
taken a fancy thetwsy, have laid such
export duties on your corn snd pork.
Do, IS TO have amounted 70 prohibi-
ton OF all expectation Of these arti-
cles whatever, and thus have compelled
you 70 carry yoar produce 70 their own
doors, and let them have itpretty mach
81 their own prices
Now, is it not plain what would soon
have been the result Of this system z
These Tobacco and grain grosine states
would not long have submitted 20 this
unequal and unjust balance Of power
in the government apainst them.
bat would have soon seeded espe-
cially as the right Of secession is one Of
the cardinal featEres IN the Constitu-