Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1888-03-01
COMMUNICATED.

Messrs. Editors Il do not think il ne
cessary to 60 into history OF the making
and adoption of the Constitution ofthe Un-
tied States in order to come TO q proper
conclusion as to the points Of difference be-
tween your New Haven correspondent c.
and myself. We all know il was adopted,
and that il is the supreme law OF the land
and supplemental thereto are the amend
ments legally and CoRsfitHtioRally made. Il
was adopted by only eleven Of the original
thirteen States, Rhode Island and North
Carolina deeming it their duty and interest
to stay out Of the Union after the Constitu-
tional compact and union was entered into
and formed for over three years, having
been admitted into the Union during the
administration of President Washington.
ALLOW me mere 10 say, rnar II Is signitl-
cant fact that these two of the old thirteen
States were not coerced either to stay out
or enter the Union, but were admitted upon
their own application and with their free
consent If the Southern States had been
treated with the same consideration and in
the same conciliatory manner, the Union
would have been preserved and there would
certainly have been no war. But then TO
the great horror of the moral North the in
stitutiOn of slavery would have continued
in existence. A bloody war alone could
extinguish this, and no consideration or
compromise, moral or political, could with
hold The Northern people from forcing it
on. l viii conclude this depression by sta
ting that the chief glory of that war re-
bounds 10 the South for the brave and gal.
liant defence made for their Constitutional
rights, and all the blood, carnage, agony
and destruction caused by it rest upon the
souls of the North This, in my opinion
is the way history will depict it unless the
history Is manufactured at the North.
The makers Of the Constitution rejected
the idea that any amendment of it should
be subject 10 the wish or demand Of the
people Of the United States. On the con-
trary, it can be amended or changed in only
two modes-the one generally chosen is by
resolution passed by two-thirds Of each
House Of Congress and adopted by the leg
islatures of three-fcurths of the States. Il
would seem from this that comparatively
small minority Of the people of the States
through their representatives could prevent
any change in the instrument knowing il
10 contain many compromises between the
States. they designed 70 make 1t very diff
cult OF change. Thus il provides that no
amendment that shall be made prior to the
year 1908 shall in any manner effect the
African slave trade. The limit in the first
dram was the the year 1900, but 1908 was
substituted by the votes of every one Of the
moral and philanthroplc four New Eng
land States except Rhode Island. which
did not Join In making the Constitution.
And here allow me % make another digres-
sion. In my humble opinion the provis-
ion in the Constitution which prohibits
Congress from interfering 20 prevent the
slsss trade for twenty years shows clearly
the intention Of its trainers that the United
States should not have thu power 10 abol-
ish the institution itself by any amendment
q Constitution or law Of Congress. So far
~ the Government the United States was
concerned, 10 was intended 10 be perma-
neat institution. leaving ID exclusively to
The States in which it existed 20 act in ne
gard 10 10 as they thought proper and con.
sisaent with their feelings and interest
They could not possibly mean that the peo-
PIE of the North should be encouraged 10 |
press sll sail during The time specified, 10 |
bring In an indefinite number Of slaves and |
hat the Southern States should purchase !
hem, and then when the Limitation 10 the |
irade expired OF any time thereafter the |
United States should be a. liberty 30 ahol- |
sh the property In the slaves thus acquir- /
ID Were the slaves brought here. f0v In
'tAnces In. 1907 10 beses free upon Ms in |
1857 II "a. then the men who bruught |
hem 70 The South, receiving their value in |
sod and guaranteeing title. we're extreme !
" righteous al other peoples expense. II