The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1879-11-27

OF? Is 1t conceivable that Washington.
Jefferson, Madison, Hancock, aud tAe.G
c0mpcers, with the cXceS>es Of the French
Revolution ringing in tLe1r ears. could bc
torgetiul OF the maxim that no tyranny j.
more oppressive and calling than the tyranny
OF passion moved majority?
Nothing is better established in history
tnan that the colonies We're jealous OF all CON
cesslons 10 the central government. and Il
little jealous OF one another. The smaller
States We're naturally fearful Of being over
Swallowed by the larger. Is 1t reasonable to
suppose amy one Of the thirteen after having
safely fought through seven years war
and having for eight years exercised soyer-
eighty, as an independent commonwealth,
would deliberately vote to surrender It's IN
dlvldua!ity, and bind its neck on Ill TINE ~
come in an iron yoke, under a law which
conferred on the majority the right to WELD
all the power of the government, the army
and the navy, to enforce upon its people
measures perhaps detrimental to their wei
fare, and their sense of honor? The very
idea is absurd
HISTORIC FACTS.
The debates in the convention which
framed the.constitution show that the States
were tenacious of their rights to a degree
which threatened to break up all attempt at
Union. For weeks and months there was
daily. wranglipg. 1t is unquestionable. that
"a portion of the delegates favored strong
government, union Of the people instead OF
| the States a Nation, In fact; but they were
decidedly in the minority. The .jealousies
ofthe States precluded the adoption of any
such measure even had it passed the con-
vention., One Of the advocates Of the Ma
tional scheme Governor Morris, of New
York; himself said on the floor of that
body
He came here to form compact for the
good Of America. He was ready to do SO
with all the States He hoped and believed
that all would enter into such a compact
\ But as the compact ,oas to be rol-
untary it is In vain for the Eastern States
to insist on what the Southern States will
never agree to-
What does this language imply, if not
that the Union was to be "a compact, by
the States, and was to be voluntary?
The defeat of the Nationalists in the CON
vcntion is made very plain both by the min
utes of the convention (of which unfor-u-
nately only few copies are eNtant, one OF
which is i'll the family OF the writer and
the memoirs Of the members. Early In the
session. when only half dozen States were
present. a resolution was adopted declaring
that "a National government ought to be
estabIished.' But at a later period, IN full
convention, the resolution was resclnded,
and the words the United States substi-
tuted This alteration says President
Madison in his "papers, dropped the
word National and retained the proper til
tle.-The United STATES
1t is worthy to remark, | think, that the
words nation or National do nos appear
in the constitution, in any connection; nor
are such words as American, or people,
sgnifying collective nationality to be found
in it the phrase in every instance being
'the United States.
Mr.. Madison. who is called the Father
Of the Constitution, declared the Union
10 be-':a compact oHoag the States in their
highest Sovereign capacity. Edward L!v-
incston Of New York, did not hold Mr.
Lincoln 5 theory that the Union created the
States for he described the constitution as
"a conaoact By which the people Of each
state have consented to take from their
own Legislatures son,e of the powers hcy
had conferred upon them, aud to tra"Ie'
them. 1rtth 0tller enumerated powers. TO the
government of the United States, cre"tea by
compact. WI,
William Henry Harrison, the great Whig
leader, wrote, in lo3S,-''our Union Is
Tnion Of Sovereign independent States.
Mr. Jefferson went so Tar according to
John Quincy Adams as to concur In the
doctrine that the separate States have
right to interpose in cases Of palpable lntrac-
tion of the constitution by the government
Of the United States, and .'he thought the
State Legislatures not only competent to de
clare such acts null and void, Jut to mike
tIenl 50, to resist their ececution aeithin their
lss0ect1re borders Jy physical force, and to
secll1e cl from, the Jnion, rather Nan to submit
to them. # attempted to he carried lnto ere
cution by torce.