Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1880-09-30

REPORT OF MIR, MADISON ON THE RESO-
LUTIoNs OF 1850
{" 1t appears to your committee 10 be a
plain principlv founded in common sense.
illustrated by common practice and essen
tial to the nature of compacts, that where
resort can be had to no tribunal superior
to the authority of the parties, the parties
themselves must be the rightful judges,
in the last resort, whether the bargain
made has been pursued or violated The
constitution of the United States was
formed by the sanction of the states given
by each in its SOVEREIGN capacity. The
States, then, being parties to the constitu-
tional compact. and in their sovereign
capacity, il follows of necessity that there
can be no tribunal above their authority
to decide on the last resort whether the
compact made by them be violated and,
consequently, that, as parties 10 II. they
must themselves decide in the last res lrt
such questions as may be of sufficien
magnitude TO require their interposition.'
These resolutions and the report of MIR,
Madison on one side, and on the other
side letter of General Washington,
wherein he took strong ground against
them, presented the first issue that was
formally made after the adoption of the
constitution as to the nature of the gov,
eminent of the United States. The advo-
Gates of the resolutions maintained the
right of States to nullify any act of Con
gress, and to secede or go out eff the
Union at pleasure; the National Party
taking the opposite ground, claiming that
we were nation, and that there was suf-
ficient power in the government to coerce
into obedience all refractory subjects as
well as States
This first movement for dissolution of
the government which caused widespread
alarm, ended with the expiration or re-
peal of the Objectionable acts 1t was the
first period in the history of our govern
ment when this principle of State Rights
was sought to be put in practice. The
secession movement slumbered until 1882,
when South Carolina made her first
famous attempt to dissolve the Union, the
alleged cause being the tariff.
an ordinance of secession This second
attempt at secession took precisely the
same ground as the first. 1t was again
| claimed that the States did not constitute
Nation, that they were Independent
| sovereigntes and could not be coerced ;
and, on the other hand, that the people
did constitute Nation; that 50 far the
sovereignty of the States was lost or
merged in it, and that it could not be at.
tackled or dissolved by any party or par
ties to it, and that such an attack was
treason, and carried with it all the penal
ties attached to that great crime.
But General Jackson did not propose
that the Union should be dissolved on
such or any other pretense, and he took
prompt steps to protect the property OF
the United States within the confines of
the State of South Carolina.
He garrisoned the forts and arsenals,
and he anchored a naval force off Charles.
town, and stood ready, on the first act OF
resistance to the laws, to cry havoc, and
let Slip the dogs of war. The action OF
| General Jackson at that time prevented a
disruption of the Union, and for a time
the secession snake was scotched, but not
killed. 1t was apparent, even then, tba,
slavery would be the next pretense which
would be made to put in practice this
principle of State Rights. The South a
that time was fighting for principle, and
being the governing power in the Demo
cratic party, succeeded in having adopted
as one Of the cardinal principles of that
party, this heretical doctrine
The first secession resolution endorsed
| by Democratic National Convention was
in 1910, at the time Mr. Van Buren, was
renominated The resolution is as fol
lows:
THAT the Federal Government is one
, OF tjmGted powers derived solely from the
! Constitution, and the grants of power
! shown therein ought to be strictly con.
strued by all the departments and agents
! of the governments; and that it is ineXpe
| dient and dangerous to exercise doubtful
| constitutional powers"
This resolution was repeated at the
National Democratic Convention Of 1914
and 1913. At the convention of 1852, the
south accomplished its grand purpose by
committing the whole Democratic Party
to the doctrine, in all its length ard
breadth, of the right Of secession, by The