The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1900-12-16
AMERICAN COMMON SENSE CAN BE
TRUSTED TO SOLVE PRESENT PROBLEMS
Radical Reforms While Ignorance and Passion are
in the Ascendancy Will Relieve None Of Evils
of Situation, But Will Likely Breed Others.
BY WILLIAM LINDSAY.
UNITED States Senator from Kentucky. ]

the con tinuance of free institutions. The
Dlien and sedition laws OF the elder
Adams. led TO the adoption OF tbs Ken
lucky and Virginia resolutions OF los ~
and opened the eyes Of the American i'eo-
pie to the fact that the opinion was thch
entertained by some OF the greatest states
men that the union OF the States was in
the nature OF a compact, md that the
violation of any OF the terms OF tnat
compact by the general government ah-
solved each State from its Obligations,
and that each State was the final judge
OF the supposed Injunction and possessed
the right TO determine whether it should
withdraw from or continue a member of
a un.cn which the trainers of the Con
st!tuticn had fondly hoped was to prove
perpetual.
LOUISIANA PURCHASE.
1t was claimed by those who opposed the
ACQUISITION OF Louisiana that the cree
ton of new States out Of that territory,
and their admission :nto the Union with
out the express consent of every state,
would be in contynvention of the Federal
compact, would reduce the relative inn
portance and impair the dignity of the orr
Sinal States, and be equivalent in law ana
in morals TO the dissolution of the Union
The enactment of the protective tariff
laws of 1925 was denounced a gross vio-
Iat.on OF the Constitution and was follow
ed by the multiplying statutes of South Car
DINA, which would have.led to civil war
but for the firmness of President Jackson
and. the adoption by Congress OF COM
promise statutes gradually relieving the
hardships against which the agricultural
states most bitterly complained
The acquisition of The Territories coded
by Mexico in 1SiS led to questions touching
the institution Of slavery that for time
, seemed beyond the possibility OF peaceful
settlement
That discussion accustomed the minds
! of the people to the contemplation of the
! irrepressible conflict that eliminated in
| the Civil War, and was only settled at
last by the destruction Of an institution
| for the existence OF which the people
of all the States were Mike resPonSih e.
! but the evils Of which fell with peculiar
| weight on those States where the pro-
! titabie character of African slavery pre-
+! vented its eradication during the earlier
| years OF the republic.
HAS SURVIVED.
] The Union has not only survived all
! these disturbing issues, but rests on a
f., tirrner basis to-day than ever before No
| one now asks what we shall do with the
! territorial issues Of the past. but how we
| shall meet and dispose of the questions
! arising out of the duty we have assumed
| of deciding the destiny of the people who
came 10 us with the territories acquired
| by the treaty restoring peace between the
| kingdom Of Spain and the government OF
tie United States.
! Are The people OF the United States to be
| henceforth divided into citizens and sub
! jects? Does the Constitution follow the
| flag or are lis berefiCient provisions cor
f. fined in their operation to the American
| States. between whom it constitutes the
| bond of union. until the representatives
| of those States shall extend It's provisions
f; to the stranger brought under our juris-
! dict:on by the fate of war or by treaty,
J leaving those representatives free TO de-
| eide as American interests, American
| honor ana American magnanimity may
| require2
! These are the questions that are now be-
| ing asked on every hand The interest
! aroused IN every section of the country
| among people Of every class encourages the
| hope, as il gives reason for the belief, thnt
| the ultimate settlement OF these absorb
ing issues viii not be inconsistent with
our theory of government or in conflict
with the practica! application of the great
| principle Of the Declaration of Independ-
enee.