Year: 1861




committee OF thrty-three, Of which We have
the following report;


Mr.. Corwin rep, Ohio,) Chairman Of the
committee of thirty three, brought up his report,
and proceeding to address the House, he said:-
II was not his intention to occupy the time of the
House at any great length. He was there to dis
charge the duty which devoived upon him as one
of the committee of thirty three, and to present
to his colleagues the motives which had induced the
committee to come to the result they had. 1t Is
now thirty years since be had taken his seat on
that floor. Two years after that time, he was
called upon. in his representative character, a
subject very nearly akin, if not identical to that
which now unhappily distracted the public mind
from one end of this distracted republic to the
other


At that time portion Of the Southern people,
led on by the State of South Carolina, had de-
clared, in convention of her people, that a Ger.
tain act Of Congress, known as the general law
for the collection OF the revenue in the shape of
imposts on foreign merchandise, was unconstitu-
tional, and upon that the State determined to
absolve herself from all her constitutional obl-
cations, and had endeavored to 'secede' from the
Union. That, he believed. ww not the word
then employed TO characterize the action of n
State intending to withdraw. The cause which
had mpelled the State Of South Carolina to
withdraw from the Union at that time was sym
pathized In 10y so &C other Southern States.
though IL was not the same as was now alleged
as the cause Of the present distraction in our ma
tonal affair. South Carolina then determined
for herself, as the purport was announced, that
the act of levying duties on foregn merchandise
was unconstitutional, and its nature and tenden.
cy oppressive to the people. South Carolina
announced that under this belief she would with
draw herself from tue Union, and establish an
independent Republic Of her own. The doctrine
now asserted In several parts Of the Union, and
rs carried out by South Carolina was that an un.
constitutional act passed by the Legislature of n
State. was ofitself sufficient ground withdrawn
from the Union, if any State should choose to
consider that unconstitutional law as breach of
the compact which bound IL to the Federal
Union.


When these unhappy differences, which so
much distracted the public mind from 1891 to
1893 were at last settled and composed, he little
dreamed that near the termination Of his natural
life, aud still nearer approaching the close OF his
public life, he should be again called upon to net
in n matter so closely connected in character
with that other act to which he had referred. lie
believed, however, that history, ia every age,
since the first occupation OF the globe by man TO
this hour. eyinced that where great deal of
liberty existed, where the blessings of liberty
were most enjoyed. that the social combination
was always in danger of being disturbed by the
lccntious conduct OF some party organization.


IL might have been supposed that at some pc
riod Of the history Of this confederatcd republic.
there would be a tendency TO fall of from the
center Of attraction, and eventually, if not speed
lily, there would be an agitation among some OF
the States of the Union, and from causes con
nected Herewith, we might expect some day or
other, attempted dissolution Of the bonds which
hold us together as a nation. That was the very
question that they were now called upon TO con-
slider, well as the nature Of the means by
which the evils so dreaded were TO be averted
In considering the question whether the Govern.
ment had any legislative power, rs il was sup
posed II had, to coerce portion Of the great ma
tional combination to obey tho laws Of the Gov
ernmcnt of the United States, he would, so faI
as he could, look into the matter as question o
constitutional law.


He thought gentlemen on both sides had mis-
understood the facts bearing on the question
. and the meaning ofthe word coercion applied
to the Government. Again, they were mistaken
in the supposition that all the laws that might
A be considered fatal TO the existence Of the Re
public of the United States. as now constituted
might not be enforced without any attempt
whatever at coercing any State taking this oil
that position. Ii it were true tina. State might
, withdraw itself from all connection with its fell
low States of the Union, it did not follow that il
State did not choose 20 avail itself Of the ben
, cfts conferred by the Union and the laws. that
each law vital TO the existence of the Union may
not be enforced without disturbing the peace OF
that State that s,if State ever did withdraw all
the laws might be enforced without disturbing
her political relations to the general Union and
if State should secede, whether it did under
the specious garb of State sovereignty or not, he
was unable to sec how it was that any dstinc.
number of men, combined to give force and coun-
tenance to the existence of the laws of the Uni
ted States, could pass laws TO make any differ
ence in the measure of the offense, if it be Of
fense, denominated treason. The facts which
had come to his knowledge of the course taken
haG been fully submitted to the committee. Now
it was supposed that the causes of the complaint
which had led to this strange and eccentric
! movement of the Southern States, either had no
foundation in fact, or if they had these causes OF
complaint could be removed ard the people
might hope that the public tranquility would be
restored. That brought him TO the consideration
of one or two topics which he would briefly pre-
sent. They were compelled, in matters of this
kind, to resort to every species of information,
not, perhaps. always accurate. but the best that
they could command. II had been alleged that
unconstitutional laws had been passed by several
of the States, which laws had a tendency to en-
barrass the operation of the constitutional laws
of the United States, and that these acts were in
the judgement of the Southern States, sufficient
cause for dissolring their connection with the
Union. These laws had acquired the name OF
personal Liberty Bills" in some of the States
And here they woXld find that they we're placed
exactly in the predicament and position of a le-
gal indication, as they werein 1888. to determine
with reference to the laws of the United States
: 1t was then alleged that unconstitutional laws
had been passed by the Government, which had