The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1884-08-10

Vice. Presidency from the Free Sellers md
Conscience Wings. This Representatives Of rad. /
icni anti slavery idens proposed that tho Don.
stitution OF the United statos DO so amended
that no subsequent amendment thereto
| 'hnvlng for It's object any Interference
with slavery shall originate with any
State that does not recognize that relation
within its own limits. or shall b valid
Uithoh tie assent Of operv one Of the States COM
posing the Union" Not only did this overture
go incomp arably further than nnv act Of sub
mission to the slave power which had earned
for tho Northern Democrat the spithot Of
douRhface" but a. Mr. Blaine Justly snys.
mo Southern man durinR the long agitation
Of tho slavery question. extending from 1920 70
1860. had ever submitted so extreme PROPOSE
tion IA that OF Mr.. Adams. The most precious
mnnimsnts Of personal liberty mover had such
deep onbedment In tho organic law OF tho ro-
| public rs Dir. Adams now proposed for tho pro.
lection OF slavery. The wellgroundod jeal-
ousy and fear OF tho smaller States had
| originally secured provision that their right
| to equal representation In the Senate should
never DO taken from thom. even by an anend-
nsnt Of the Constitution. Dir. Adams now pro-
| posed to give an equal safeguard and protec-
| tion to tho Institution Of slavery"
| A curious incident connected with Mr.
| Adams's comportnent at this crisis Is recallsd
| By Mr.. Blaine. After advocating the Critten-
| don Compromise by arguments Identical with
those which in 1850 no had denounced Mr..
Webster for using In tho 7th Of March speech.
| Mr.. Adams proceeded to arraign the OREGON
ciiablo disunionists OF tho South. He was a
good deal embarrassed by a Southern member.
| however. who quoted resolutions which Mr..
Adams had introduced In the Massachusetts
Legislature in 1914. and which had been PASSED
BY that body. respecting the annexation Of
Texas. He had declared therein thnt the
| Commonwealth OF Massachusetts,. faithful to
| the compact between the people OF the United
States according to the plain meaning and In
toni in which 1t was understood and ac-
coded to by them. 10 sincerely anxious for
| its preservation: and that It Is determined. as
| 1t doubts not other Statss arc. to submit to I'M
delegated powers in no body Of men on earth
and that the project OF the annexation OF Texas.
unless resisted on tho threshold. may tend to
drive these States into q dissolution Of the
| Union" The reader will agree with Mr. Blaine
| that this resolution was unfortunate for Mr..
| Adams In his later role OF defender OF the
| Union. since it really Included and justified
every constitutional heresy entertained by Mr.
| Calhoun and claimed for tho State Of Massa-
| chusetts every power OF secession or dssolu-
| ton which was now assorted by the Southern
| States"
Tho author OF this history docs not fail to
|
singular resolution Just quoted. The impros-
| sion Is current that the view Of the inllssolu-
| bility OF the Federal bond advanced by Mr..
| Webster In his controversy with Dir. Calhoun
at once became throughout tho Northern States
the dominant conception OF the nature Of the
| Union established by the Constitution. Yet
hero wo see that eleven years after the Web
sterian doctrine was formulated the Senator'S
| own State affirmed Numerically adverse prin-
/ II. -. ..l-..s IL.
| ing Of the Federal relation which he had pro-
nouncod inapplicabic. For this correction Of q
popular error regarding the influence exerted
BY Mr.. Websters definitions and theories before
| the outbreak Of war rendered them highly
convenient to the advocates OF coercion we
are indebted to Mr.. Blaine. lie reminds us
that Mr.. Webster in one OF his ablest speeches
lin reply to Mr.. Calhoun. In February 1888 de-
| voted his great powers to demonstrating that
tho Constitution was nota compact and that
the people of the States had not 'accefed to
it. Mr.. Adams had unfortunately used the two
| words which, according to Mr.. Webster. be-
, longod only to tho lexicon Of disloyalty. II.
said Mr.. Webster. in adopting the Constitution
nothing WAS done but accsding to a compact.
nothing would seem necessary in order to
| break 1t up but to socede from tho Same COM
pact Accession. as q word applied to political
association. IMPLIES coming into league. treaty.
or confederacy. Secession implies departing
from such league or contcderacy. Mr.. Adams
had further declared that the people OF 1lassa-
chusctts are faithful to the compact according
to the plain meaning and intont in which 1t
was understood by them But according to
Mr.. Webster. and in accordance with the prin-
ciples absolutely essential to maintain a con-
situtional government. Massachusetts had no
part or 10. in deciding the question which Mr..
Adans's resolution covered. II Massach usetts
reserved to herself the right to determine the
sense in which she understood her accession
to the compact of the Federal Government. she
gave full warrant to South Carolina to deter
mine for herself the sense Of the compact to
which she ncceded and therefore justified the
action Of the Southern States" 1t Is evident
that Mr.. Blaine. by unearthing this peculiar
incident In Mr. Adams's career. has sgnally
helped tho reader to tako a just view OF the
position occupied by Southern Democrats
with reference to secession. With what show
OF equity or decency can We arraign Southern
States for proclaiming in 1860 principles iden-
teal with those which only sixteen years be-
iore had been solcmny affirmed by the Massa-
chusetts Legislature?
Mr.. Adams was not the only panic stricken
Republican who was ready to abjure every
thing for which he had previously eontended
whom he saw the South bent on executing
threats of Secession which Northern mon had
moro than once uttered In bravndo. consti.
tutionRl amendment passed both Houses OF
Congrcas BY tho requisite two-rhirds vote. and
had 1t boon sanctioned by tho States TO which
1t was afterward submitted. would have taken
the place Of the present thirteenth amend
mont. Nothing could more tmpressively at
test the impotence OF anti-slavery sentiment
IN the early months OF 1861 to control the Re-
, publican party. which professed to owe
its existence to great moral ideas. than
q comparison OF the proposition. In which emil.
nent Republicans heartily concurred Or tacity
acquiesced. with that which WAS subsequent
substituted for it, Mr.. Corwin's proposal. rati.
fed by Congress. was that no amenLmen,
' shall DO made to the Constitution which viii
| uuthurza or give To Congraas tho nox.er tc