New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1876-02-17

rather to en00r 0t my lE1euO IrOm mAlpo
(Mr. Frye) who could not understand the
quidaities of strict constr1ctionlst'e op'n'
ions of the constitution. Now, l acknowl-
edge myself in the same category with the
gentleman from Maine. As lawyer. l
should have confidence enough in myself TO
think that could sit down and come to
some sort of 2 conclusion about the constr
tutiOn-as to what you might do under II
and what you might not. But in the school
of strict construction God only knows-and
it is only because l believe in Coos ON,
niscience that l can believe THAI 200
knows''-what a 'strict construction VI
must not say, Mr.. Chairman Mr.. Wood,
of New York ], that you and l have seen
this out for a great while, for you are
Young man compared with myself. Laugh
Ter But have seen this thing out GER
tainiy since $780, The great apostle of
strict construction, Mr.. Calhoun, from 1916
to 1924, believed that the only true method
of supporting this government was by
duties on importations. 1t happened that
New England run all the ships, while his
part of the country did not run any. BY
and by it happened to be the fact that these
unconstitutional Yankees took advantage
of the state Of things which the strict con.
ST. uctiOnists from South Carolina nad
created, and they went to manufacturing.
By 1924 our great apostle OF strict constrnc-
tien had his doubts, and by 1880 he dlscoV.
cred that this method of raising means OF
supporting the government by duties ON im-
poriaeions was altogether unconstitutional.
He could not find anything about it in Mad
ison's writing, and l presume he had the
same manual the gentleman from Virginia
Mr.. Tucker read from yesterday. tie was
Ia as much trouble as distinguished gen
tleman here few years ago was about the
proposition to pave Pennsylvania avenue.
He declared that he could not lind the
name of Pennsylvania avenue in the whole
constitution from beginning to end. Great
laughter In 1880 Mr.. Calhoun and South
Carolina, his home lit was different South
| Caronlina from what it is to-day and repre-
81 nted differently resolved to nullfy the
| acts of Congress. Mr.. Chairman. We, above
| all others, remembered who was President
| then; it was not James Buchanan; 1t was
Andrew jackson. Aud he said. "By the
| eternal, will hang every South Carolinian
| who undertakes to nuliify the acts OF Con,
| gress higher than Haman." Mr. Calhoun did
not give up his opinions but he gave up the
| fight, as think certain other fight would
have been given up had Andrew been in the
presidential chair instead of James Bu-
channan.
| From 1880 to 1860 we had it off and on, in
season and out of season, and without any
season and without cessation, arguing that
we were not a nation, arguing that We had
| no power to live. But even during that time
the great strict constructionist, Mr.. Cal
houn, had this question presented to him:
shall this great nation suffer the people OF
Ireland to starve in their famine. or shall
| the nation from it's abundance send them
food!" The great father of strict construc-
| ton voted for that proposition. And COM
| mend TO the future studies and reflection of
the gentleman from Virgiana, who ad-
dressed US SO eloquently yesterday lMr.
Tucker), that vote Of Mr.. Calhoun. l am
bound to mention, incidentally, that it
cliate the Irish vote. Laughter. l do not
think that influenced his vote; Lo, he was
above it, away up in the cerulean regions OF
the constitution. [Great laughter
Again it happened that Yankee adven-
turer up in the polar regions of the Icy
north found the Resolute. ship which had
belonged to the squadron of Sir John
Franklin; and Mr.. Mason, of Virginia, q
great strict northumberland l believe it
was the same one that went to Europe with
Slidell to help the Confederate cause-be-
lieved that it was his duty and privilege to
move in the Senate to appropriate $iO, OOG to
fit up that ship and send it home to Eng
land. That was all under strict construc-
ton.
said could not understand this consti-
tutional question. do not want nay friends
on the other side who participated in the
'late unplessantness" TO suppose that in
what am going to say intend to say any
thing unkind, for am not only want to
talk this matter over little, and do not
want any gentleman to shake his head al
me, because that scares me. l am simply
tryiLg to find what this constitutional
question means.
About 1860 and 1861 it was held by some
gentlemen that under the constitution q
man owed bis first allegiance to his State,
holding that we were q confederacy Of
States: and as one State after another went
out, officers of the army and officers of the
navy followed their State" because they
thought they held they might under the
constitution of their own State, and in viz
tue of their rights under the constitution
of the United States. One gentleman af
ter another left this hall because he thought
it was his duty to "follow his State" under
the constitution. They went out and
fought calamity against our people, say
not word in disparagement of them. l
stand here to give the right hand of fellow
ship to any man who loves our political
Zion and glories in the stones thereof, what.
ever may have been his past antecedents.
Robert +. Lee, whose body it seems rests
in the district and in the to wn of the gen.
tleman from Virginia Mr.. Tucker), held an
office in the United States army. He re-
signed that position, and did go under q be-
lief that it was his constitutional duty to
''follow his State" Well, the fight began.
But it was found as soon as the fight did
begin that Harry Gilmore, of MARYLAND.
Blanton Duncan, OF Kentucky, John c.
Marshall, OF Kentucky, all felt themselves
just as strongly bound to follow "the con-
sttution" and fight against their own States.
neither of which ever went out of the Union.
a. Lee and the gentlemen above mentioned
did to fight tor theirs! Now, how can |,
poor unsophisticated Yankee, living up
where the air is less pure, less cerulean, un-
derst and what the gen,lepen mean by con-
stitutional scruples! tn must 20 out be-
go out and fight because their State does
not 90 ou!
MIR. WilIis-May l ask nv collea que
whether he comedies that there is no power
in the constitution to make the appropria-
ton here asked tor!
Mr.. Townsend, of New York-All have
to say is that l have here record that on q
certain occasion when man undertook to
look after the poor (holding up the Npw
for them. Laughter
Mr.. Willis-I will ask the honorable gen '
tleman-
Mr.. Townsend, of New York; have not
lime to 60 into that question. l want my
friend to get over his leannese, and "laug
md grow fat" Laughter
Mr.. Willis-I wish to ask the gentlem; a
y whether he finds his rule of construction j,
he book he holds in his hand or in the IL
,isiOns of the Supreme Court
Mr.. Townsend, of New York. l am ,o
~ m;,h e. III hoaI WIN tnat. am einI
Laughter. ~
nu' NV a.olneI c0nstitutiona' diff
80 "u 80. ao, o.oulary 70 CoD men(
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