The Northern star, and farmers' and mechanics' advocate. [volume] (Warren, R.I.) 1830-1834, 1833-01-05

lion. would earnestly admonish them
to beware of the specious but false doc
trines by which it is now attempted to be
shown that the several states have not re-
tanned their entire sovereignty, that "the
allegiance of their citizens was transfer
lred in the first instance TO the govern
ment Of the United States," that ga
State cannot be said to be sovereign and
independent whose citizens owe obedience
to laws not made by it," that " even un-
der the royal government we had no sep
arate character" that the Constitution
has created national government"
which is not "a compact between Sover-
eign States"-" that State has NO
RIGHT TO sEcEDE"-in a word, that ours
is NATIONAL GOVERNMENT, in which the
people Of all the States are represented,
and by which we are constituted "o ONE
|pEoPLE"-and that "our representatives
in Congress are all representatives, of the
United States, and not of the particular
States from which they come"-doctrines
which dproot the very foundation of our
political system-annihilate the rights OF
the States-and utterly destroy the liber-
ties of the citizens.
1t Itrequires no reasoning to show that
the bare statement OF these propositions
demonstrate, that such Government as
is here described, has not single feature
of confederatec republic. 1t is in truth
an accurate delineation, drawn with a
bold hand, Of great consolidated empire,
-" one and indivisible," and under what
ever specious form, its powers may be
masked, it is in fact the worst OF all des-
potisms, in which the spirit OF an arbitra-
ry government is suffered to petvade its
institutions protesting to be free. Such
was not the Government, for which our
fathers fought and bled, and offered up
their lives and fortunes as willing sacri-
flee. Such was not the Government,
which the great and patriotic men who
called the Union into being in the plenit-
ude of their wisdom, framed. Such was
mot the Government which the fathers OF
the republican faith, led on by the Apostle
of American Liberty promulgated, and
uccesslullv maints aimed in 1897, and ny
which they produced the great political
revolution effected at that auspicious era.
To Government based on such princi-
pies, South Carolina has not been vol
untary patty, and to such Government
she never will give her assent.
The records of our history, do, indeed,
afford the prototype Of these sentiments,
which is to be found in the recorded opin-
ions of those, who, when tho Constitution
was framed, were in favor Of " firm Ma
tional Government" In which the States
should stand in the same relation to the
Union, that the colonies did towards the
mother country. The Journals of the
Convention and the secret history of the
debates, will show that this party did pro-
pose to secure to the Federal Govern
ment an absolute supremacy over the
States, by giving them a negative upon
their laws, but the same history also teach
es us that all these propositions were re-
jected, and Federal Government was
finally established, recognizing the SOW
ereiyhty of the States, and leaving the
constitutional compact on the footing Of
all other compacts between "parties hav-
ing no common superior" r.p.,
1t is the natural and necessary conse-
quence of the principles thus authoritative
" announced by the President, as con-
stituting the very basis Of our political
system, that the Federal Government is
ur limited and supreme; being the excfu-
sive Judge of the extent Ofts own powers,
the laws of Congress sanctioned by the
Executive and the Judiciary, whether
passed in direct violation of the Constitu-
ton and rights of the Stated, or not, are
I" the supreme law of the land" Hence
il is that the President obviously consId-
ers the words, " made in pursuance OF
the Constitution" as more surplusage;
and therefore when he processes to reclte
the provision of the Constitution on this
subject, he states that our "socIAL COM
PACT i'm express terms declares that the
laws of the United States, its Constitution,
and the Treaties made under It are the
supreme law of the land" and speaks
throughout of "the explicit supremacy
given TO the laws of the Union over those
of the States"-as if a law of Congress
was of itself supreme, while ii was neces-
sary to the validity Of treaty TINT
should be made in pursuance oi the Con
stitution. Such, however, IS not the pro-
vision of the Constitution. That instru-
ment expressly provides that =" the Con
stitution, and laws of the United States
phich shall be made in pursuance thereof,
L A