The New York herald., 1875-03-09
THE NATURE OF OUR UNION.
LECTURE OF HON. GEORGE TIcKNoR CURTIS BE-
FORE THE NEW YORK ASSOCIATION FOR THE

LECTURE OF HON. GEORGE rICKNoR CURTIS BE-
FORE THE NEW YORK ASSOCIATION FOR THE
ADVANCEMENT OF SCIENCE AND ART.
Last evening brilliant assembage OF the
wealth and culture OF New York gathered in the
church OF Dr. Rogers at the corner OF Fifth avenue
ana Twenty-rst sti eet, TO lisen 10 lecture by Mr.
George Ticknor Curtis. delivered before the New.
York Association for the Advancement OF science
ana Art. Among the distinguished audience were
Messis. August Belmont, Peter cooper, David
Dudley Field, Judge Plerrepont, Dr. Doremus,
Waldo Hutchins ana 5. l. Prime the President OF
the society.
Mr.. Curtis said:-'Ladles and gentlemen, nave
not thought 1t proper tRat address oil this cnar-
acter should be extemporaueously delivered. 1t
Is a subject TO be handed with all the precision
tnat one can use; beg you, therefore, to be con-
tent with the soberness ofa written discourse.
will treat my subject in an historical manner. l
do not wish to enter into the politics OF the times
but there Is q topic relating 10 our civil war that
can be discussed. To proceed with narrative OF
historical facts, it will be found tnat IN
the early days-even soon after The iorma-
ton OF the federal government-the paper
called the FederaIst, in which appeared
the famous articles written by Hamilton,
Madison and others, had the effect OF placing the
government under certain restrictions. Even
then the question OF the new constitution TOOK
place. There can be no question that the States
making the constitution thought that the people
OF those states after the Revolution had
RIGdr TO SELF-GOvERNMENT,
but they also had right 10 transfer tner power
TO a certain depository. IL Is THIS iact which
makes our government so difficult 20 be under
stood by intelligent Englishmcn. How Is IL pos
sibe,n - often asked, "to possess Two supreme
powers ~ When our civil war first commencei
nearly all the higher classes were on the SIDE or
the South. This was owing, no douot, To desire
to see our Union broken up anu preference Tor
what was supposed TO be the weaker siue and.
lastly. tle ImpossibillIJ OF understanding The
theory tnat the government had the rignt 10 re-
strain the states from seceulhg, while they
pointed 10 our own revolution as an example.
The question was asked, "Nny could not powers
be resumed after they were deposited III Il central
power ~ The answer WAS according 10
American constitutional law the powers or the
government are lXed aud nreyocaDie." The
speaker here summarized tae various IawS paSseu
in the earlier days OF the Republic and spoke or
the Dulllfication act OF South Carolina, aud Its IN
nuence on the southern people, and tari1 excite
ment IN 1880, when led To the famous discussion
between Webster ana Hayne. and he analyZed the
different arguments.
The famous discussion between Calhoun and
Webster then was entered into. lhe
DOCTRINE OF STATES FIGHTS
was declared 10 pe u natural sequence OF nullln.
cation and secession, the natural result OF the old
SOU nern political teachers.
In-conciusiCn Mr.. GURUS said The powers OF
the general government are speclaI and enumer-
atcd, and those not enumerated remain with the
states and the people and this line OF demarca.
tion must Le observed II we wisn 10 preserve our
liberties: II not, We snail have government
more despotIc than Russia, ana not less because
1t may rest on universal suffrage.
Alter the address the association was addressed
by Judge Pier repont, VINO proposed vote OF
tnapks; this was seconded, ana alter o short
speech by Mr.. David Dudley Field. who hignly
compIimented the lecturer. the meeting ad.
jOuIped.