The Woodville Republican. [volume] (Woodville, Miss.) 1847-1853, 1850-06-18

vybep the.r orpris1rs believe laat % urge (
their slaves 10 their murder Is a righteous
act, syvco, producer Of peace, when a
maspine. cold.hcarted, cruel, coyetousnesa
is the life Of those whose power il Is to
WELD the law according to their sense Of
ypstios" "In the next place. says Mt
Clay. "thcre is the constitution Of the Uni
ted States. In the next place, there is the
oath which we all lake Ia abide by that
constitution" Here now Is a wonderful, a
miraculous ark OF safety like running inioa
house, the falling structure Of which places
us in the danger we fly to escape. Here
now is a sweet spot for protection, when dis
regardinp il. alone makes us fear for our
safety. What good does the "oath' DO
when the heresy is applauded, hat there isa
power to govern a member Of Congress
above that constitution? What good does
il, when the constitution itseli is construed,
80 as to ruin those for whose protection it
was agreed to!
"In the next place, there is the necessity
of .he concurrence Of the W. branches OF
the National Legislature before any act OF
legislative infection o wrong antake place
This would doubtless be excellent pro-
lection for us, when the large majority in
those two branches is Influenced by the mo-
tives, and act upon the opinions we have
herein before set forth.
an the next place, there is a veto of the
President of the United States applicable to
any unconstitutiona legislation which might
take place in relation to this institution"
All! does Mr.. Clay see sCme good in the
"one.man power?" But our last President
was elected, holding the principle that,
'whatever is, is right"-whatever Congress
should pass, not with haste or manifest
want of consideration, or plainly unconstitu-
tional, would be proper. Is there danger of
our rights being passed in haste, or want Of
consideration, after so long a war upon
them? and as for "plain unconstitutional
tyr after the barriers of the constitution
have been once broken, after its strict limits
have once been passed in such a manner,
and on such principles as would injure the
South, and require the veto-there is nc
bounds, no method Of finding unconstitu-
tionality. 1t is like passing in a storm with
out compass or rudder, from the sheltered
haven to the broad and raging ocean, no
guide, no certainty but destruction.
"Last of ALL" says Mr.. Clay, "while
we refer to peaceable and civil reme>
dies, there is the Supreme Court of the
United States, ready to pronounce the
amendment of every unconstitutional
law which may happen to receive the
sanction of the Executive branch ofthe
Government. Taloro 10 aIso tho rvspon-
sibility of Representatives and Senators
to their constituents and lastly, though,
trust in God we shall never have oc>
casion to use it, there is the final resort
to arms, and to make resistance when
oppression and tyranny become intol>
erable."
As to the first of these projections" the
Suprems Court, we only remark that if the
decision of that court on any question which
we considered compromised ON honor (the
only possible compromise in most cases. were
against us, we, Of course, would not submit
to it, for We do most humbly conceive that
the creature is not greater than the creator
that the Supreme Court is inferior to the
sovereign States, which called it into being.
The quality of the second 'protcction'-
the responsibility of the Congressman-we
illustrate by this, that we can only hold MIR.
Foote responsible, and have no power (ex-
cept through the disregarded constitution
over the majority of others with whom he
acts. Ii is also a fallacy on the part of Mr..
Clay, for it is not the members of Congress,
but their constituents, those to whom they
are responsible, from whom we are to
eAPect evil members OF Congress perhaps
arrogate too much Importance to themselves
If MIR. Clay be SO anxioust to avoid the last
resort of which he speaks, why does he urge
measures to bring it about? The only way
to avoid it is to regard strictly the Consti
tuition, so as that no further protection will bt
sought, for after that has proved insufficient
any other than force, if aggressions contin
ue6, would be useless. We can put n,
trust in the integrity or the sense of justice
o fmortai man, particularly of political dab
blers. They must be bound by moral o
physical force,
=
3 MIR. RlTCHIE, OF THE UNION.
> MIR. Burke, junior editor of the Washing
/. / NMn IT,,sa. L. al - " -