Ypsilanti sentinel. [volume] (Ypsilanti, Washtenaw Co., Mich.) 1843-1900, 1844-03-20

shown here for such legislative resolu-
tons, that have asked fhe indulgence of
the Senate while l endeavor briefly to
explain to you the views which. on the
grave and important question to which
those resolutions gave rise, | entertain.
But | desire first to premise, and on
that poiut | wish TO be distinctly under
stood, tina. there is no desire nearer my
heart, than that l may be permitted, con-
sistentIy with the general good, to advance
the prosperity and the true aud best in
terests of the community within which
dwell; nor Cal, | conceive of any earth
Iy satisfaction more pure or more eleva-
ted than that which consciousness OF
having promoted those interests would
induce. That I may the better compre-
, bend them, it will con,inne to be matter
of much qualification to me that the con-
s,ituted authorities of the beautiful State
in which live, should be pleased to COM
municate their wishes to me and it shall
be my pride, and my pleasure, to strive
to give effect to them, so far as | can,
consistently with those duties of higher
obligation, which l owe to that Constitu.
ton which have solemnly sworn to sup.
port. Beyond that point cannot CO.
cannot seek 10 give effect to wishes that
may seem to conflict with the fundamental
law of the land, nor at the sacrifice of
any Of those great principles Of civil and
political freedom upon which the Consli.
luton itself is founded, and which are be-.
low it, all about it, and interlwined will,
it. So much being promised. sir, l pro-
coed to say, that in that which believe
is called s'lhe doctrine of instruction." l
do not affect to be learned. have great
respect for those experienced and emf.
nent Statesmen whose opinions are, in
this particular. unlike my own; and, leas,
of I'll, am disposed TO condemn, with ar
rogant posi,iveness, any opinions such
gentlemen may have announced. But,
in the performance of my public duties
here, must take as my guide my own
convictions of right and truth (; my own
individual opinions, and not those of 9TH
ers. And now. sir, as to this right, assn
med by the constituted authorities of
sSts...,cc, 70 ":as.ricf," to command, any of
the constituted authorities of this Gener-
al Government, in d matter of duty here,
| can perceive no ground upon which it
can rest.
am not altogether a stranger to public
life. / have, at different times, been
member of various legislative and other
deliberative bodies and, although it be
true that nave never been placed in cir.
cumstances in which it became my dmy
to form an opinion OIL this particular point
until since had the honor of a seat here;
yet, from the time first felt myself com.
petenl to form any opinion upon any POI
political subject, the leaning of my mind
has always been against the right assum-
ed. And | have INDUCED in the belief,
sir, that brief consideration ofthe origin
and the features, in this respect, of our
complicated forms of Government, will at
once show the heretical character and
tendency of the asserted claim. No A.
merican statesman will assert that, like
the hereditary nobility of Europe, men
are here born legislators-that any here
are "rocked and handled from their era
dies into powerp' All political power.
with is, is deriuatiue. Nor can 1t be Justly
claimed that any aggregate political body,
within the limits of the Union. possesses
any political right whatever, unless by
grant from the body of the people, in their
own fundamental law, the Constitution !;
for, with the body of the people, all polit-
ical power ultimately rests. The people,
then, of all the States, in the exercise of
their unquestioned right. were pleased to
prescribe for themselves and for US two
distinct co.existing systems of Govern.
ment each acting within its proper
sphere, each Independent Of the other.
and each sovereign and exclusive of the
other, while thus moving within its pre-
scribed orbit. In adopting such a plan,
all former analogies were manifestly dis
regarded. The Amphyctlonic, the Acha.
ian, the Hanseatic League, furnish no
presidents neither did the Association
Of the Cantons of Switzerland, nor the
Germanic Confederacy. In those more
ancient establishments the aggregate pow
sr acted only upon States, upon Souer-
'ignties, as independent political bodies.
That was the defect of the old Confeder.
ION. and 1t proved a fatal one. But, un.
Ter our existing systems the aggregate
lower of the whole acts directly upon the
states, but upon the people, upon natural
'ersons, and upon individual property
md those natural persons react directly
pon their own Governments, whether
'late or National. Our plan Of Govern.
nent was then a novelty, an anomaly
nd, violating the maxim of the jurists, it
reated imperium in imperio; and each
Government is sovereign within its prop
+ sphere. Your act sir, is sovereign
nd paramount, and will be enforced,
rhile Congress shall continue within The