It depends on the State itself to retain or abol-
ish the principle of representation, because it
depends upon the State itself, whether it shall
continue a member of the Union.
The States may then wholly withdraw from the
Union, hut while they continue they must retain
the character of representative republics.
The secession of a State from the Union de-
pends on the will of the people of such State.
It was known, though it was not avowed, that
a State might withdraw itself.
About the year eighteen hundred and twenty-
nine, the work from which the above extracts are
taken, was adopted as one of the text books on the
Constitution of the United States by the authori-
ties in charge of <he United States Military Acad-
emy at West Point. Your Committee have this
fact from General Tench Tilghman, of this State,
a grandson of the General Tilghman of the Revolution,
who was the friend and aid of Washing-
ton, General Tench Tilghman is a graduate of
West Point Military Academy, and the book from
which the foregoing extracts are taken is the iden-
tical school book used and studied by General
Tilghman whilst a cadet at West Point from
1828 to 1832.
In 1855, the eminent and distinguished Senator
from Ohio, who is now President of the Senate
of the United States, thus spoke in the Senate.
There are some Senators who profess a great
regard for the rights of the States. I am one of
those who have quite as much regard for the
rights of the States as some who make louder pro-
fessions on the subject than I do. I am one of
those who, not only when an election is pending,
but at all times, believe in the wisdom, the con-
stitutionality and propriety of the Virginia reso-
lutions of 1798 and 1799. I ground myself upon
those resolutions, and standing upon them, I de-
nounce this bill as a violation, not only of the
spirit of those resolutions, but as an attempt to
trample upon the rights of the States and deprive
them of the 'power to protect their own citizens
from aggression and abuse. Do gentleman sup-
114

Report of the
Committee.