The following gentlemen dissented from the vote of their respective States:—Mr. Ruffin and Mr. Morehead, of North Carolina; Mr. Totten of Tennessee; Mr. Hackleman and Mr. Orth, of Indiana; and Mr. Chase and Mr. Wolcott, of Ohio.
Mr. CHASE:—The sections which have been adopted severally, as a whole may not be acceptable to a majority of the Conference. They have been adopted by different votes and different majorities. I think a vote should be taken upon them collectively, in order that we may know whether, as a single proposition, they meet the approbation of the Conference. I move that a vote be taken upon the several sections as a whole.
The PRESIDENT:—It is the opinion of the Chair that this motion is not in order. Each section, when once approved by a majority of votes, stands as the order of the Conference. These sections have been severally taken up, amended, and adopted, and no further vote is necessary or proper, except by way of reconsideration.
Mr. CHASE:—I think the motion an important one, and with all deference, appeal from the decision of the Chair to the Conference.
The PRESIDENT:—The question is, Shall the decision of the Chair stand as the order of the Conference?
Mr. CHASE:—As I have no wish except to secure a fair vote, and the opinion of the Chair may be technically correct, I will withdraw my appeal.
Mr. FRANKLIN:—Having adopted the report of the committee, I think now there should be an expression of the Conference upon the question of secession. I therefore move 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. BARRINGER:—I move to lay that resolution on the table. This is a Convention to propose amendments to the Constitution, not to make commentaries upon that instrument.
Mr. CLEVELAND:—I ask a vote by States.