The Hillsdale standard. [volume] (Hillsdale, Mich.) 1851-1909, 1876-02-01
FUN AND SOUND SENSE
Congregational wiz wishsus MACK.
gusrdfsn.


Townsend, OF New York, upon the
Centennial bill:
Now / want 10 say word in reply TO
the gentleman from Virginia (Mr.
Tucker) who talked to us so long yes
terday, aud 30 eloquently about the
Constitution. He seemed rather to
sneer at my friend from Maine (Mr.
Frye who could not understand the
qualities of a strict constructionist's
opinions OF the Constitution. Now /
acknowledge myself in the same csta-
CORY with the gentleman from Maine.
As = lawyer, should have confidence
enough in myself TO think that could
sit down and como to some sort OF
conclusion about the Constitution, as
10 what you might do under il and
what you might not. But in the school
Of strict construction God only knows
and it II only because believe in
Gods omniscience that I can believe
'that God knows"-what q "strict con-
struction" OF the Constitution would
be. Laughter.
must not say, Mr.. Chairman, (Mr.
Wood. OF New York, that you and /
have seen this out for q great while,
for you are a young man compared
with myself. Laughter. But have
seen this thing out certainly since 1880.
Mr.. Calhoun, from 1916 to 1924 be-
lieved that the only true method OF
supporting this Government was by
duties on importations. IL happened
that New England ran all the ships
while his part of the country did not
run any. BY and by 1t happened to be
the fact that these unconstitutional
Yankees took advantage OF the state of
things which the strict constructionists
from South Carolina had created, and
they went to manufacturing. By 1924
our great apostle Of strict construction
had his donbts, and by 1880, he discov-
cred that this method of raising means
Of supporting the Government by du-
ties on importations was altogether un-
constitutional. He could not find any
.h;ng ahout 10 in Madisvu's wrItIug,
aud presume he had the same manual
the gentleman from Virginia (Mr.
Tucker) read from yesterday. He was
in as much trouble as a distinguished
gentleman here . few years ago was
about the proposition to pave Pennsyl-
vania avenue. He declared he could
not find the name of Pennsylvania
avenue in the whole Constitution from
beginning to end. Great laughter. !
In 1880 Mr.. Calhoun aud South Caro-
lima, his home, Ut was different South
Carolina from what it is to-day and rep
resented differently, resolved to nulify
the acts OF Congress-, Mr.. Chairman,
we, above all others, remember who
was President then; il was not James
Buchanan; il was Andrew Jackson. And
he said, "By the eternal, I will hang
every South Csrolinian who undertakes
to nulify the acts of Congress higher
than Haman." Mr.. Calhoun did not
give up his opinions. but he gave up
the fight, rs i think a certain other
| fight would have been give up had An
drew jackson been in the Presidential
chair instead Of James Buchanan.
From 1880 to 1860 we had it off and
on, in season aud out OF season, and
without any season and without cessa-
tion, arguing that we were not nation
arguing that we had no power to live.
But even during that time the great
stict constructionist, Mr. Calhoun, had
this question presented to him /:
"Shall this great nation suffer the peo.
Pile OF Ireland to starve in their famine
or shall the nation from its abundance
send them food?" The great father Of
strict construction voted for that prop
os:tion. And 1 commend TO the future
studies and reflection OF the gentleman
from Virginia, who addressed us so
eloquently yesterday (Mr. Tucker that
vote OF Mr.. Calhoun. / am bound to
mention incidentally that it would help
the Democratic party to conciliate the
Irish vote. Laughter. / do not
think that influenced his vote; no, he
was above it, away up in the cerulean
region Of the Constitution. Great
laughter.
Again it happened that Yankee ad-
venturer up in the polar regions OF the
icy north found the Resolutc, a ship
which had belonged to the squadron OF
Sir John Franklin. and Mr.. Mason. Of
Virginia, . great strict constructionist
and i believe il was the same one
that went to Europe with Slidel to help
the Confedersts cause-bciisved that
IL was his duty and privilege 10 move
in the Senate to appropriate $40, 600 to
at up that ship and send 10 home 70
England. That was all under strict
construction.
I said I could not understand this
constitutional question. do not want
nv friends on the other side who par
ticipated in the "lats unpleasantness"
TO suppose that in what am going TO
say I intend TO say anything unkind,
for am not; i only want TO talk this
matter over a little, aud do not want
any gentleman to shake his head at me,
because that scares me. am simply
trying to find what this constitutional
question means.
About 1860 and 1861 IL was held by
some gentlemen that under the Consti-
tuition q man owed his 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 consti-
tuition of their own State and in virtue
OF their rights under the Constitution
Of the United States. One gentleman
after another left this hall because he
thought il was his duty to 'follow his
State" under the Constitution. They
went out and fought gallantly. against
our people. say not word in dis
paragmeut Of them. / stand here &c
give the right hand Of fellowship to
sny man wbo loves our political Zior
and glories In the stones thereof, what
ever may have been his past sntece
dents.
Robert Il. Lee, whose body, il seems
rests in the district and in the town o.
the gentleman from Virginia (Mr
Tucker, held an Office in the Unitet
States army. He resigned that posi-
tion, and did so under a belief that 4
was his constitutional duty TO "follov
his State" Well, tho fight began
But il was found as soon as the fgh
J did begin that Harry Gilmore, o.
J Maryland; Blanton Duncan, Of Ken
tucky; John @. Breckenridge, OF Ken
. tucky; aud Humphrey Marshall, o
} Kentucky, all felt themselves just n
strongly bound to follow "the Consti
tuition" and fight against their owl
States, neither Of which ever went on
OF the Union. as Lee and the gentle
! men above mentioned did 10 fight 70
theirsl Now, how can /, q poor un
sophisticated Yankee, living up wher
the air is less pure, less cerulean, nm
: derstand what the gentlemen mean b.
: constitutional scruplesi They must x
. out because their State goes out; an
they must 20 out and fight becaus
/ their States does not go QUIT
But / have another constitutions
; difficulty, and I want particularly !
a ! command n 10 the strict consfructiOr