Territories, and its protection and
security therein.

And further, as appears from the Journal, the Convention was not
prepared to deny the right of a State to secede from the Union. Mr.
Field, of New York, introduced the following proposition, which, on
motion of Mr. Ewing, of Ohio, was laid upon the table:

"The Union of the States under the Constitution is
indissoluble; and no State can secede from the Union, or
nullify an act of Congress, or absolve its citizens from
their paramount obligation of obedience to the Constitution
and laws of the United States."

After much debate and repeated attempts to avoid a direct vote, the
following proposition was rejected:

"It is declared to be the true intent and meaning of the
present Constitution that the union of the States under it
is indissoluble."

AYES.--Connecticut, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maine,
Massachusetts, New York, New Hampshire, Vermont, and
Kansas--10.

NOES.--Delaware, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, New Jersey,
North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennessee,
and Virginia--11.

On the last day of the session, Mr. Franklin, of Pennsylvania, moved
the adoption of the following resolution:

"_Resolved_, as the sense of this Convention, that the
highest political duty of every citizen of the United States
is his allegiance to the Federal Government, created by the
Constitution of the United States, and that no State of this
Union has any constitutional right to secede therefrom, or
to absolve the citizens of such State from their allegiance
to the Government of the United States."

Mr. Ruffin, of North Carolina, moved to postpone the consideration of
the same indefinitely, and the resolution was thereupon postponed by
the following vote:

AYES.--Delaware, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, New Jersey,
North Carolina, Ohio, Rhode Island, Tennessee, and
Virginia--10.

NOES.--Connecticut, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maine,
Massachusetts, and Pennsylvania--7.

For these reasons and others the Commissioners from Massachusetts
supported the proposition originally made by Kentucky, and introduced
by Mr. Baldwin, of Connecticut, recommending a national convention for
the purpose of revising the Constitution, and of providing for the
exigencies likely to arise from the changed and perilous condition of
the country. This