The Plymouth weekly Democrat. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1860-1869, 1868-08-13

accepted. linen that we may know
whether the constitution was regarded as
a perpetual compact between the states it
is essential that we learn the design of
the parties concerned. To this end We
must refer our readers to the several state
conventions called to ratify the coustitu-
ton, also to the discussions in the feder-
al convention. When we refer to those dis
cussions we are 10 longer left in doubt as to
the true purpose each colony had whea it
became member of the compact The
citizens Of three Of these colonies discuss
ed, before ratifying the constitution, the
propriety Of reserving the right to with
draw from the union at pleasure, but no
such right was conceded; and from the
necessity Of the case could not be admitted
Alexander Hamilton, on the part of New
! York, IL letter to James Madison, sug-
sessed the propriety Of New York ratify-
Ing the constitution with q the reservation
Of a right to secede," If certain amend
ments to the constitution, proposed by
New York, were not adopted within a
given period Mr. Madison, the father
! Of the constitution, replied that the con
stitution required an " adoption a, toto
and forecer." III has" lie adds, "bee,
so adopted b. otlcr states" Thus We see
that no power Of the nature argued by NJ.
was conceded to any OF the states. We
also learn that the constitution was made
perpetual compact between those and
not temporary as republicans claim, that
it was unconditional and not conditional.
and that the only manner in which it
could be recinded was by all the states
&C Ing jointly. Then secession Was wrong,
no state having that right, then did Lin
coin speak truly when he denounced the
ordinance Of secession as null and void.
He never could concede to them the right
to withdraw from the union at their own
pleasure. Neither could the democrats.
When the south learned that the north
would not acknowledge their claim to Sc
cede they made war and determined to 90
out of the union by force. In this the
north did not sit quiet and see them 90
out of the union by force, but concluded
that they could not get out of the union
in that manner unless they (the north)
proved themselves incompetent to coerce
them. The war. then, was a struggle on
the one side to go out Of tho union, on the
other to prevent them from going out Ct
the union. The party claiming that they
had right to dissolve the compact was
forced to admit that it still was supreme.
and that it failed to create the severance
Had the south been victorious then would
the compact nave been rescinded by force,
but 50 long as they were obliged to submit
30 the north So long did the compact re-
main good. The war, it is true, prevented
the execution Of its requirements in those
states, bnt thai could not prevent an an
nullncut of its principles. Then, war did
nc. take those states on. Of the union, and
to-day they are just as much in the union
as Indiana, and are entitled 10 the same
rights and privileges. Mr. II. would say
that this doctrine would have maintained
slavery in the states, but the war itself
proved the destructive ELEMENT could
not exist with The war, and thrs persisted
when the war pershel. 1t follows, then,
that inasmuch as those states never were
ont Of the union that congress has 20
right to impose any act upon them which
it cannot impose upon US. Tho constitt-
ton requires that all laws shall be uni-
form and effect all people alike; but con-
sress 30 longer recognizes uniformity, bu.
contents itself with sectional lcy!sls ion.
We do contend that the recon. tructi on
acts are unconstitutional, and that the SUI
prcme court will SO decide whenever the
aforls it to Go SO. Mr.. II
says that history has been tortured too
much. Now I dare Mr. N. to point cut
one single misrepresentation made By me.
hold myself in readiness to point to the
pages OF history referred to and there
prove every historical fact as referred to
in my articles He is like many others
he dcspises historical facts DC knows that
history affords him no precedence for his
vague theories, and because he has no his
torical facts he aims to deprive every 9th
er one of those facts. He says don't yol
know that those persons admitted to Ro
man citizenship were not Roman citizens
lie speaks this in style to make us be-
leve that he knows all about it. that Glib
bon is but a poor scribe in comparison to
his loquacious mind. But suppose they
were nothing but barbarians, such as knew
nothing about government but royed
the wilds in hordes, were they more