The Van Buren press., 1900-06-23

show, also, that the government wa
not adopted by the people of the United
States voting as one people and In theil
aggregate capacity, but was made opera
tive In the State only when that Statt
should choose to make 1t so by its owr
voluntary choice. Were mistaken II
this, then, 1t would have happened tha
upon the adoption of the constitution BY
eleven States Ia majority of the whole
people Of the United States as well as 6
majority Of the States) 1t would instant
ly have become operative in North
Carolina and Rhode Island, whether they
agreed to 1t or not. As / have shown,
they did not for more than year agree
to 1t and no attempt was made by Wash.
ington Of Virginia or Adams Of Massa
chusetts to force them to do SO. This
question was of vital Importance at the
outbreak Of the civil war and is of great
interest now to properly understand the
tremendous proportions Of the struggle
itself. Such wars as this can result
only from profound conviction on either
side and from different reasoning about
abstract questions, such as the sover
eighty of state, the character of gov
ernment, the right Of peaceable secession
where the States seeding have, as they
think, saffered palpable and dangerous
invasions Of their constitutional rights
The Southern statesmen argued that the
States, all equally sovereign, for the
purposes OF mutual protection and ad
vantage, had entered into compact
under the constitution whereby general
government was established to effect
these purposes having certain defined
powers, and that all powers not granted
In the constitution were reserved to the
States or to the people that the govern.
ment being limited In its powers could
not be left to determine the extent of its
powers, and that In the last resort when
4 State believed that its rights under the
constitution were being destroyed and
when other parties to the compact were
openly and knowingly violating Its plain
provisions, 1t was under no moral or
legal right to further observe that con
stitution, was remitted to its original
right Of self preservation, and II 1t
seemed expedient might withdraw from
the union
On the other hand, Mr.. Lincoln and
the North generally thought that the
government was national In its creation
that II was the creature Of the people Of
the United States In the aggregate and
that therefore questions of seeding
from 1t must be decided by the whole
people, and that no one State had Il
right to say that 1t would go out Of the
union. 1t Is true that at first blush the
the preamble TO the constitution seems
to support this view In that II says
1--WE the people Of the United States In
order to form more perfect union .
do ordain and establish this consti.
tuition A sufficient answer TO
this is that such an Interpretation would
be contrary to the seventh article Of the
constitution which declares that the
ratification OF the conventions of nine
States shall be sufficient for the estab
lishment Of II over the States 40 ratifying
II, and would contradict the plain facts
Of history. Furthermore, the preamble
as adopted by the constitutional con &.
vention read, 1--WE the people OF the
States of Massachusetts, Rhode Island
etc. naming all the thirteen states.
II was reported to the committee on
style appointed by the constitutional
convention, who saw the objections to
reciting In the preamble the names OF
States that might not adopt the consti
tuition and they therefore struck out the
names and made " read as we now have
II.
No power was granted 10 the general
government to abolish slavery, but II
was a matter left with each State to
regulate far itself and although 1t ex 2.
listed then In some Of the States and not
in others, II WAS nevertheless made the
express duty Of State, when a slave
fed to 1t from his master In another
State, to deliver II up 10 him on demand
This provision went into the constitution
and every officer In the Union from con.
stable to governor, North and South
whether he believed In slavery or not
took u solemn oath to support 1t and mid
IN carrying II into effect,
Slavery, concede, was an evil and
one to be eradicated by legal and proper
means as soon as practicable, but In II.
institution the South was no more re
sponsible than the North and, whethe,
properly or improperly, slaves were
acknowledged 10 be property and, as u
matter OF fact, were property. Hence Il
II be true that we should not do evil that
good may follow surely then the North
ern States, however great their abhor
renee OF slavery, had no legal or moral
right 10 attempt its abolition contrary u
the constitution which they had sworn
to support, Many Of these States even
passed laws visiting heavy penalties upon
any citizen daring 10 obey the constitu
tion and federal slave laws and delive,
up TO u man that which was but HIS own
Socities wers formed 10 encourage slaves
to leave their masters and an under,
ground railway provided to get them
safely Into Canada attempts were made
TO incjte them to insurrection and those
persons fomenting this intestine strife
and who escaped TO Northern States
were given q safe haven, and Northern
governors refused, contrary 70 an OK.
press provision Of the constitution 70 do,
liver up those fugitive felons on demand
Soon, too, u party arose In the North
which openly spoke Of Y law higher than
the constitution, which constitution, 70
TAR ~ slavery was concerned, they d.