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Show 350 TJH; AG I1'A'riON TN 1 8~.1: 7- 50. pttblien.n. Thcr is no express prvvi:-don to that c[ ect, bnt it rt' nltH from that important 1wction which g uamntces to every ta te in t h i~ Uuion a n']Hiblieau fo rm of o·ovcrnmcnt. Now si r what is }H'Ol)OS<'d? IL i, proposed, from a vnn-uc I 1 0 I ind ·G ni te, CJTOJieou , n,nu mo:t dangerous conception of pri\'nte individual li berty, to overru le t his great common lib •rty wlli<"11 the p oplc hnve of framing their own Consti i ntion! ~ ir, th right of . clf'-govcmmcnt on the part of indi vitluals is noL ucar so caHily to be estnl> li ·hcd by nuy cour c of rcaso tling as the rig ht of a eo nlmuni ty or State to sclf-govcrnme11L. And yet, f·ii r, th ere a.ro mcu of such delicaLc feelin g- t>n the snbjccL of liberty-men who cannot possibly bear what they ca ll. In ve ry i11 one section of the country, nl thongh 11 0L so mn<'h .'IH.ve ry ns an insti t ntion in dispen ·able for the good of both rnre:-IIH'n so . qnrn n1i sh on th i poin t, that th t•y arc rr acly Lo . tr ike dn\\'n the high r r ight of a commur1i t.y to go \'Cl'll th cmse lve:-:;, in orrler to mn.in taiu tho absolute right of indi\'idunls in cv 'ry possible condition to govern Ll1 em ·elves !" In 1 4 8 J\[r. Calhoun said: ·X· ·X· ·X· * ·X· * 11 'rhcre i.· n. very strikin g- cl ifl'ercnce bet ween the position in whi c.:h tho slave holding aml norHdavehol di11g Sta te::; stand in rcfercnec to Lhc st1 l>ject u11d er co 11 ~ id erat ion. 'l'hc fo rn1cr desire no action of the Govcrument; demand no law to give t hem any ad vantao-c in the 'l'crri to ry about Lo be established; arc willing to leave it, and other 'J.1crri to rics bclongi ng to the United S tate., open to all their citizens, so long a: thry conti11ue to be 'l'erritorics, and when tLcy cca.'c to ue so, to leave it to their inhal>iLa nts to form such governments ns may suit them, without rest ricLion or condition, except that imposed by the Oousti Lu tion, as a prereq11 isitc for admission into the Union. In shor t, they arc williug to leave the whole snhjcct where the Constitution and the great and fundnm entnl prineiples of solf-govemment place TilE AGTTA TTON TN 1847-50. 351 . On t11e cont r111·y, the non-slaveholding Stutes, instead ttf. o l) C·t ug wil linhn · to le' a'v e i t on this IJ roud and eqnal founda- b· on, d CIn "w nd the i. ntcrJ)O ·iLion of the G overnmcn t., and .t ho passage of an art to cxclndc the citizens of the slavehol<.lmg < • • • • • , • , , • , • St a~,. es f1· o111 cmFor r•• tttnoo- With thetr property mto the letri - tory, in order to give their citir.e. ns, . and those they may 1 . 1 ., . . permit, the exclusive right ofsetth~1g 1.t, w.n e h .rcmutns.m that condition, p repar n.to ry to subJ cLtng 1t to hke restnctions and co nrl itions when it becomes a StaLe." * * * * * * "But I go fnr thcr, and hold that justice and the ?onsti-tution arc the easiest and the safest guard on wh1ch tho question can be settled, regarded in r eference to party. It be settled on that g round simply uy non-action-by may I . . f 1c av.m g tile reen itorics free and op.e n to t 1e crnrgralion 0 all the world so long as they cont111ue so; and when they become States to ado pt wl1alevcr Constitution they please, wi th the si11glo r c:-:;tr ict.iou, to be rcpnbl icn n, in order to theit· ndmi.·sion into the Union. If a party cannot safely take this broad and sol id position, nnd successfully maintain it what other cn.n it take and nutinlain? I f it cannot m 7 ain lain itself by an appeal to the great. principles ofju. lice, the Con 'tilutiou, and self-p;ovcrnment, to what other, sualcicntly strong to uphold them in public opinion, can lhey appen.l ? I gr ntly mistake t he ehnractcr ol' the people ~f this Union, if such an uppcal would not prove succes:;ful, If cithe1• party should have the magnu,nimit.y to step fon~ard and boldly make it. I t would, in my opin ion, be I~ccciV~d wi tll shouts of approbation by the patriotic nnd intellwent 111 every quarter. 'I' here is a deep feeling pcrv.ad ing tl.1e coun try thllt the Union anti our political institutiOn ' arc 111 danger, which such a course would dispel." January 12, 1848. In the Senate of the United States, |
