The Daily clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1866-1888, 1867-05-05
The late war in the United States

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The late war in the United State
was the result Of antagonism of idea
growing out of the different rules {
construction applied to the Constitr
ton by the statesmen Of the two sec
tions The origin of those rple
is coeval with the establishment of th
Government. 1t is a fallacy to sur
pose that such collision would neve
have arisen, il slavery had not existed
1t is certainly true that the animosit
engendered by the discussion of tina
subject precipitated, or fastened tn
war. But we maintain that SLAYER.
was the preteTt, not the cause of it,
Fundamental differences of opinion
in regard to the powers Of Govern
ment, and the rules of constructed
were exhibited in the Convention whicl
framed the Constitution, and have di
.vided all the political parties which
have existed in the country since tina
time.
On at least three previous occasions
similar collision was barely avoided
We refer to the controversy in 1920
on the admission of Missouri; to that
or to the subject of the tariff, which
so nearly involved the Federal Govern.
ment and South Carolina in war in
1881, and to that or the admission OF
California, and the adoption of the
Cop7yomise measures in 1901
( .4ciple upon which war was ar.
4 NIil on those occasions, allow
ing all that is claimed for the
patriotic motive which led to
its adoption, became in turn
the fruitful source of all our subse-
quent misfortunes. We will be under
stood, of course, as referring to the
principle Of compromise, most errone-
ously SO called, as the South alone
made any surrender or concession.
To that principle, we can to-day trace
all the departures from the Constitu-
ton, which have resulted in the ship of
State being tossed, as it now is, upon
an unknown sea, at the mercy of the
winds and the waves. We can well
imagine, how a spirit of mutual for
bearance and concession could and
should, have entered into the deliber-
ations of the convention which framed
the Constitution. 1t was wise and pa
triotic, then and there, to indulge that
spirit The States represented were,
geographically, widely separated. AL
most every nationality Of Europe had
its type in the people inhabiting them.
Differences Of that character, as well
as those which may be supposed to
grow out of soil, character, manners,
and country, produced diversity of in
terest. Had each state pertinaciously
to some cherished local poll
cy, in the hope of advancing its pecug
liar interests to the exclusion or inju-
ry of that of others, the Constitution |
could never have been adopted. The
many discussions Of those subjects
would probably have resulted in a
of the convention, and q
wider separation from each other than
ihe war, through which they have just
passed, had effected with the mother
But recollecting that, shout
Ter to shoulder, they had gone
through the revolution, partners in
oils, and suferiEgs, and sacrifices
hat under one common banner the
sons of Massachusetts and Virginia,
If Connecticut and South Carolina,
Vermont and Georgia, had marched
o victory and independence, and that
he bones of their fallen comrades
we're then bleaching, and their dust
.ommingling on every battle field,
hey would have stood rebuked in the
,resence of such memories, if they
lad not manifested this spirit ofmutu
! concession in the adoption of
constitution for their common govern
nent. Our reverence for the illustri-
,us men who framed that Magma
1Harta of liberty, would be sensibly
diminished if they had not recognized
hat principle. Embracing in the wide
pread arms of an enlightened states
lanship and patriotism, the interest
f the whole country, and inspired by
wisdom which has never been equal
d by any assembly of men whose de- '
berations have been preserved for
ur instructions, they they ac- s
work which, to the end
ftime, will challenge the admiration |
every people in the struggle for !
'eedom. But in the administration !
{ the Government under that Consti- ]
ltion, very different principle should
ontrol. So long as not changed in the !,
lode prescribed, the provisionsof that n
institution are mandatory. They are, =
ca, yea-nay, nay. 1t is the higher I
w, the ssprema Ter, binding, equally
yery section, every interest and eve n
class. n
The President, in the chair Of STATE, v
e Legislator in the halls of Congress, 4
ID the Chief Justice invested with
e ermine, alike with the humblest !
iasant in his hut, must bow to its +
No one is so exalted that n
punitive vengeance cannot reach r
m, nor 50 humble that its protect 4
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