The Van Buren press., 1867-05-24
will or caprice of a Congressional major.

will or caprice Of Congressional major
ity.
-
| have thus particularly brought to
your attention these acts OF the federal
I Congress, because, in my judgement,
/ their tendency il to reyolutionizc the
character of om government, and there
fore they vitality concern the people of
Connecticut. That the inhabitants Of
the prescribed States will peacefully sub
nit to the rule that has been provided
for them, no one can doubt. Their
| helpless to do otherwise, il nothing
else, assures this. That union of CO.
equal States under the constitution may
result from their submission, is my most
iervent hope. But questions of serious
import to us will still remain. Will the
precedent thus set by Congress be for
gotteny Will the constitution which is
impotent to restrain the fury Of a major
ity to-day, become the sacred shield it
once was for the minority tomorrow !!
| Will the sword that is so easily drawn
to establish the constitution now, be al
lowed to rest in its sheath if needed to
overthrow constitution hereafter? 1t
has been the honest boast and just glory
of the soldier that he has saved to our
people their old flag without star dis
placed or stripe brokcn-but useless
has been the sacrifice of these people no
longer retain their faith in constitutional
government If the charter Of our libcr
! ties has been lost, nothing has been won.
More than ever at the present time
should any infraction of the constitution
be regarded as public calamity. BY the
vast increase of our public Indebtedness
every question which concerns the gov
ernment credit here comes home to
every person in the land. BY that credit
all values are measured. 1t lays at the
| foundation of all our wealth, cur indus
try-of society itself. No calamities of
the past can exceed those which will be-
fall us if the public credit should give
way But how is it to be preserved if
the supreme law Of the land is itself re-
pudated In what market of the world
is that government trusted which is sway
ed by revolutionary factions, intent only
upon the qualification of ambition or the
indulgence Bipartisan resentment? Had
the efforts Of Congress been properly di-
rected, the industry and trade of the
whole country would long since have felt
the grateful influence, and the public
credit been strengthened.
1t has long been the pride of the pco-
pie of Connecticut that within their bor-
ders the first experiment was made to
govern man by written Constitution.
1t is not strange that they have been
quick to observe those signs which be
token danger to their chosen Govern,
mcnt. They are a law abiding and free
dom-loving people but, so long as their
own history is remembered, they cannot
forget that force, oppression, military
authority, are not the proper instruments
to bind Nation together--that no Gov
crnment can endure that has not its foun
dations laid in the affections of the peo-
pie.
Trusting in the intelligence of the
American people, let us indulge the hope
that, from our experience OF danger, we
may learn to secure our future safety
and that when calmer times succeed, the
true principles of our republican system
may be re established by means of le-
gally constituted Convention, and that
the foundations Of the Union shall be re-
laid upon equal rights of the States, with
the limited powers of the federal govern
ment and the indissolubility of the union
so clearly defined. that our continuance
as people-one and indvisible-mayb be
perpetual.
The paramount importance which the
events Of the past few years has given to
subjects affecting the federal relations of
our State, is my justification for dwelling
thus at length upon them at the present
time.