Clarksville weekly chronicle. [volume] (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1865-1867, 1866-07-20

writing can make IL sufficient? II this |.
net sufficient, Is not that other prominen,
fact that all the Southern States have agreed
not to further urge the right Of secession
sufficient2 It's repeated, are not these suf.
ficient2 II they are not, Is II not satisfacto.
rily settled that our people are determined
to have but one Government If the mat
ter Is not put at rest upon these facts, wha,
can be done to make it more certain2 Will
a system Of political prescription and war d.
it2 Will a resort to the powerful enginery
of embittcred rule doit2
Ah Gentlemen, there Is power back Of
and behind all written laws and Consti,.,.
tlons--the lex non scrpta of our common
nature. mean the law of self preservation;
the right of revolution; and when men,
moved by a common interest and sympathy
band themselves together for purposes Of
protection and mutual justice, written for
mulas are Of no avail. The right TO preserve
what one considerers his own, tramples
upon all opposition. The right Of revolu.
ton is God-given. ~
This subject of secession has been needless
ly handled by the politicians. No one need
go to the Constitution either to justify OF
condemn II. n y nut-sssfctIy rconstitution.
al question. In the late civil war the issue
was, upon one hand: 1--WE viii not further
continue our union with you"--on the other
hand: ave can not consent to separation;
our people and States must all be united
under one government, else we are ruined
the security Of the whole people lies in our
union."
The Southern States unite in support Of
their position; the other States unite in sup
port of theirs. The Southern States having
withrawn from their connexion with the
Others, take possession Of all the public pro.
pretty in their territory, such as arsenals,
dock yards, forts, ETC., and the other States
make war upon them. Mr.. Davis says
"My people want to live by themselves y
Mr.. Lincoln says: "My people say you must
not withdrsw--you must remain with ms,
or all is lost" and the result ia, that Mr..
Lincoln's people are the most numerous and
powerful, and they carry their measure
Mr.. Davis people surrender to the stronger
power, and agree, upon coondition that they
be not further molested 30 long as they obey
the law, to urge their desire for separation
no further.
The practical question of secession, then,
is for the present settled by the force Of
arms. But is that final settlement of the
right or wrong Of the matter? Does II
change the character of our government or
the opinions Of the people ? Is there any
power short Of Omnipotence and the sword
that can prevent intelligent men from choos-
ing their own government Is there any.
thing in the genius of American institutions
repugnant to this idea? Is it not the chief
corner stone of American liberty? The
war has only settled the question of secession
as practical measure-the right, If such
exist remaining as before. The great
weight Of American opinion is against the
propriety Of dissolution-which time will
certainly demonstrate to be correct conclu-
sion; but however much we may deprecate
it we must admit the right of revolution.
If then, the matter is practically settled,
therecan be no utility in multiplying words by
heaping amendment after amendment upon
the already acknowledged fact and especially
when the Constitution already contains all
that words can enforce on that subject
Amend your creed, and let the Constellation
alone. A generous and lawful treatment Of
of the powerless peopls of the South will
do thousand fold more to prevent secession
and strengthen the bonds of union between
us, than seventy-fve amendments to the
Constitution. Unite the hearts of the peo.
pie, and you need no further guarantee.
But IL these facts and this reasoning be al,
sophistry, still the proposed amendment does
not cover the case. What is It's object p
First, to incorporate the Civil Rights Bill into
the Constitution, and make constitutional
that which has already been declared law
second, to weaken the political power of the
South and third, to make it illegal in the
Southern people to pay what they can't be
compelled to pay as the case now stands.
Is there anything to be gained by the gov.
ernment in breaking down the political
power of the Southern people7 Has not
experience demonstrated chat with all their
power, after full and fair trial, they are
willing 10 abandon the contest2 VIII a
people surrender their arms before they are
thoroughly convinced of the utter hopeless
ness Of their cause? And when they have
fully and terribly struggled as no people
ever before did for four years, and surrender
their cause, is not that sufficient Ought
not every good man to be satisfied? ire NOT
all those who fought the battles already salts.
fed; and were they not content when the
last gun was laid DOWN.
A careful diagnoasis of this constitutional
amendment fever may well suggest doubts
whether it is not the party that is in danger
instead of the government Let the people
get together, and the country is safe.
But it is not my purpose to duscuss the merits
of the amendment as proposed. My object
is to state my reasons for opposing Its ratifi.
cation by our State Legislature.
Eleven of the States are not represented al
all. We are told that they are not entitled
TO representation. Let us look at this ques-
ton. If they are not 80 entitled, there must
be reason for 1t. Are they States, or are
they territorries2 Does Congress propose to
ignore us in our present condition when sub
mitting to us the amendment Are we not
States for that purpose2 Are we regularly
reorganized2 Are our Legislatures, as a,
present constituted, fit bodies to act upon
national subjects? Congress is satisfied
with us for all these purposes.
Again, then, l ask, are we States2 II
States, by what right are we denied repre-
sentation2 Are we In state Of war and
all our people In revolt2 Are we not Or
ganized, and are not all our State Govern
ments acting in perfect harmony with the
general government?
If the States attempted dissolution of the
Union and failed, and are now reorganized
and returned to their allegience, what ID
there in our system of government that can
justly deny them their proper representation
It is raid they lost their right Of representa-
ton. Can that right ever he regained p
Will 1t ever be restoredf If SO, how 2 BY
the States assuming their original position
as States of the Union In uniting them
selves together as Confederacy, did they
not hold the same system of State organiza-
tion Was 1t not simply change Of ale
oiapce another union which States beley-