The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1879-11-27
VOL N.-NO. [

Sustaining thi, yien. tie uo,orioQz uav-
/ ford Convention by I'll, NeV England u
( ccssioniSt> ia Geee4b,e. 81, deeAIcl in
a formal report that
y the States have ~ common umpire,
in cases OF deliberate. dangerous. and palpa-
blc iutractiono ot the constitution. affecting
| the sovereignty OF State and the Liberties OF
the people, II y uo' mia III, right, baf the
duty, n ctch Stat. T. iateryose ttS authority
fol. thtu prohcttou ~ III, Htuuer Lt>t otlce-
i,ted - Socu-e Hot ead
Many persons think there i reeogn.Ilonof
State Sovereignty in the constitution itself,
particularly the clause which reads
NO State shall, without the Consent OF
Congress lay any Duty Of Tonnage, keep
] Troops, or ships Of war IN time Of Peace, or
enter into any Agreement or Compact with
another State. or with foreign Power, or
engage in War, unless actually invaded, or
IN such imminent danger as will not admit
Of delay
II the States were merged into consol.-
dated Nation what need of this provision?
1t would be like forbidding one county of
State from making war on another county!
HOW THE CONSTITUTION WAS RECEIVED.
Finally, by series of compromises aud
concessions the constitution was adopted.
The three main compromises were, lst
with the smaller States in making them
equal in the Senate with the larger 2nd,
with the Southern States, in recognizing
slavery, and enulnerating three -ffths Of the
slaves with the white population. 3ed, with
Georgia and South Carolina, in allowing
them to continue the slave trade until 1903.
With all these concessions the convention
was indlsposed to accept the instrument.
Two out of the three oe'egates from New
York seeded from that body in disgust
Two out ofthe four Massachusetts delegates
refused to sign. So did Oliver Ellsworth of
Connecticut, afterwards Chief Justice of the
United States. So did luther Martin, of
Maryland; and Patrick Henry, Geo Mason
Edmund Randolph, and Geo. Wythe, of
linians, at, first. Rhode Island refused to.
send delegates, aud did not assent to the
Union until May, 1890. North Carolina, af-
ter a heated canvas, wherein as stated in
Mai. J. w. Moores new history Of the State)
Gen Tom Person. and others, did not scru-
pie to denounce General Washington for
signing the constitution. a strong anti con
stitution convention assembled at IIilsboro.
Coy. johnson, Judge Iredell. Col. w. II.
Davie, ard others, urged ratification. Viii
lie Jones, Timothy Boodworth DR.. Cald-
well, Elisha Bate, Col. 10 Mcdowell, and
Judge Spencer, lead the opposition but
scorned to debate against ali instrument
whose defects they regarded - apparent.
The result was Its rejection by large ma
jorify.
When the constitution was finally acccded
to b. the States. their ratification were ac-
companiel by explicit declaration of their
own c21sfructt1a thereof At least SIX Of
the States, or half Of the Union, made it
CONDITION precedent that
lst. The enumeration in the constitu-
tson Of certain rights shnH MT be construed
to deny or dSpptuge others retalned ~ the
Stutes
ond The powers not delegated to the
United States. BY the constitution, u1r pro-
hibitei hy It to the States. are reserrcd - he
Stotcs. respectively
With these explanations Of the meani1g
Of the Constitution, eight States at length
ratified it. Then Virginia, whose quartette
of great sons, Washington, Lee, Jefferson
and Madison, had done 30 much for the
general independence, came forward to make
the ninth .State* which By the constitution
was sufficient to create the Union But she
took care TO attach to her ratification the ex-
press declaration that the potcers gyanted TO
the Itttoa Ly that act mtght be resumed
whenever the same should be perverted to
the injury or oppression Of the people"
So that Tirginians explicitly claimed the
right Of secession from the, very day they
entered the Union.
4 mouth later, July Goth, 1883, New
York, after weeks Of angry discussion, rati-
fed the compact BY vote Of 80 TO = and
~New Hampshire ratified days previous but ths