Year: 1860




10 may be assumed a conceded fact that the Amer
lean Union cannot be preserved or reconstructed If de-
sroysd unless the States Of tho minority section are
1.-The mus! be CIV TO the States, THE TRnCNEs OF
our system by which e ctual protection b, assured
to them" Mr.. Calhoun TO this unwilling conyic
ton at the close Of career aud suggested the
idea Of dual executive You have put forth the plan
of dual Senate | respectfully enquire if the South
could not 20 farther still and demand concurrent
sectional maiorilies in both houses Of Congress. re-
cent writer Whose book entitled The Lost Principle IL
worthy of public attention. has declared that "the Con-
sttuton of the Uuited States Is indeed compact be-
tween States but it is also a compact between slave
holding and nonsavehclding sections" To prove this
position argument and authority abundany adducsd
by him. An equilibrium between the sections in the
FIRST days OF the government was Its predominatng prn
cple II constituted indeed the very basis Of It's crea
ton. That equilibrium has been destro' ed. Its res
toration 10 some form Is the only by which the
government can be rescued from the dangers which
yiron H. aud the American Uuion perpetuated.


Convinced Of this and satisfied that the equilibrium be-
tween the sections il restored should be perfect aud
complete venture to submit TO your maturer judg-
meat and more enlightened understanding, the following
propositions suitable amendments to the Federal Con
stltnton


lst Upon the demand of the Representatives present
from any two States pending the consideration Of any
BILL order resolution, the the slave
holding and non-slaveholdng States shall divide into
separate Houses and the concurrence Of both Houses
shall be necessary TO tho passage OF the BILL order, or
resolution so pending at the time Of the DIVISION
When such division is so demanded the Speaker OF
the Housa OF Representatives shall designate member
of each House Chairman, whose duty II shall be
to have the taken by ayes and noes and without de-
bate Immediately upon the taking OF the vote the two
Houses shall reassemble the House of Representatives
of the United States and the Speaker of that body shall
cause the vote of each House be announced and de
clare the question to be carried rejected, the
may be.


~. Upon the demand OF the Senators from any two
States pending the consideration in secret open ses
sion OF any impeachment treaty. nomination TO office,
bill order resolution, the Senators from the slave
hodirg and nOn-slaveholdng States shall divide into
separate chambers. The Of twothirds OF
the Senators present in each chamber shall be
to conviction in case OF impeachment, and tor the
ratification Of treaty. And the OF ma
ory of the Senators present in each chamber shall be
necessary for the confirmation Of u nomination TO Office,
or for the passage Of BILL order, resolution When
such division is demanded the President OF the Senate
shall designate Senator Of each chamber to act as
Chairman whose duty il shall be have the vote taken
by ayes and noes and without debate Immediately upon
the taking of the the chambers shall reassemble
as the Senate Of the United States when that body shall
cause the OF each ch amber to be announced, and
declare the question carried rejected the may
he.


The restraint thus imposed upon the action of the





blessings of which no man ioresee. The Govern
ment would indeed be in theory only but practice
a confederation of Sovereign States, with certain dele
gated powers to be used for the common benefit OF all
and incapable of being perverted TO the injury and op
preston of any, Confined the few great Chi rcts for
which it originally created IL would move in Ap
pointed orbit with the order which marks the working
Of material laws aud vndicate the great truth, that
Government properly instituted for the common good
and benefit Of ALL and not the greatest good TO
| lhe greatest number. ut would make the Unon a
Union in truth bond OF mutual affection aud brother
hood and not me connection used by the stronger as
the instrument of dominion and aggrandizemcnt" over
the weaker have not wearied you with the cousdera


ton of the disease which has seized upon the vtas o
the Constitution Its diagnosis pretended by every
thinking man North and South have ven ured in am
plfclion OF your own idea TO suggest remedy which
would certainly reach ard eradicate It, VIII the remedy
be appedg The responsibility Of answering this solemn
question rests the States composing the stronger sec
ton Those of the weaker are in minority, both o
States and populations; and Of consequences in every dc
partmeit of the Government They then cannot be res
ponsbe for on act which requires the OF two
thirds Of both Houses Of Congress- two thirds OF the
States originate and three ourhs OF the latter to con
| summate.


With such difficulties in their way the States Of The
weaker section do nothing. however dpOsed to save
the Union and the Government without the aid and co
operation Of the States composing the stronger section
but with their aid and cooperation both may be saved
On tue latter therefore the responsibility OF invoking
the high power which alone apply the remedy-and
If they fail TO do OF all the nsequences which MAJ
follow" VIRGlNlUS