American telegraph. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1851-1851, 1851-06-13

relief from the evils which she anticipates. In
a paroxysm of fear she throws away her only
shield against the fanaticism of the North, which
is the most powerful foe with whom she is CON
tending.
For this she has no color Of right under the
Constitution, nor under the Virginia resolutions
of 1898, drawn up by Mr.. Madison. the father
and advocate Of the Constitution. The question
which drew forth those resolutions was, whether
portion Of the people of the United States,
less than q majority could decide and declare
for itself an act of Congress to be unconstitu-
tional, and therefore refuse to obey it; and to
that extent the resolutions 60, and no further.
They do not say that by such refusal the Union
is dissolved, or that the recusant portion of the
United States may therefore withdraw from the
Union, and abandon the Constitution, which its
| friends, and Mr. Madison at the head of them,
labored so hard and struggled so long to obtain.
AT that time no one for a moment entertained
the thought that every State, as soon as she
found herself in n minority at the ballot-box,
had right to withdraw from the Union. The
remedy for the passing of an unconstitutional
act Of Congress is, by those resolutions, sup
posed to be the right to refuse to execute it :
the right of notification only, not the dissolu-
ton OF the Union; and even this right Of nulli
hcation docs not arise, according to the terms
Of the resolution, but in the case of "a delib-
crate, palpable, and dangerous breach of the
Constitution, by the exercise Of powers not
granted to it. 1t must be case not Of light
and transient nature, but of nature danger
GUS to the great purposes for which the
Constitution was established" SIT must
be case, moreover, not obscure or doubtful
lin its construction, but plain and pdlpable
Lastly, it must be o case not resulting from q
partial consideration or hasty determination,
{ hut o<o ~ - -,
and deliberate adherence" These are stated in
the resolutions themselves, (of 1882 not as
justifable grounds Of dissolution of the Union,
but as grounds of resistance of some unconsti-
tutional act; resistance not incompatible with
the existence and integrity of the Constitution.
No such case, however has yet occurred, and it
is by no means certain that it ever will occur
If the fanatics of the North should ever obtain
the majority in Congress, and should pass a law
abolishing slavery in the United States, there
can be no doubt that it would be Uetoed by the
President, who is bound by the Constitution
fart 2. sec. 81 and his oath to stake care that
| the laws be faithfully executed y and there is
| no probability that such an unconstitutional law
can be supported by two-thirds of both Houses of
Congress, or by the Supreme Court of the United
States. South Carolina, therefore, has no rea-
sonable ground to apprehend the evils and inju-
ries which she seems to fear, much less to make
her fears ground of complaint against the
United States; whereas the Constitution and
laws of the United States are the only barrier
against the horde of fanatics who are seeking to
overrun the country. ,gs. ,;.. ,.... ..,.....I
What madness, therefore, is it to surrender
that barrier, in the hope of forming new gov.
ernment strong enough to put down these
fanatics, control the slaves, compete with the
Government which will remain as the Govern
ment of the United States, and maintain its own
respectabilty as one of the nations of the earth.
A dissolution Of the Union can give South
Carolina no indemnity for the past nor security
for the future. Every thing which Congress can
constitutionally do for the protection of the
peculiar institutions of the South has been
done, and there is no reason to doubt that all
laws which may be constituionally passed for
the accomplishment Of that object will be exc
cuted in good faith, even if it should be neces-
sary to call out the entire military force of the
United States for that purpose. Nothing that
South Carolina can do will dissolve the Union
If she should refuse to perform the duties re-
quired of her by the Constitution, as portion Of
the United States, and her Senator'S and Repre-
sentatives should withdraw themselves from
their respective chambers; and if the State
should refuse to appoint the time, place and
manner of choosing Senators or Representa-
tives, or should fail to attend the session Of
Congress, so that no quorum should be formed
and should refuse to appropriate money for th'
support of the Government, so that "the wheel.
of Government should be stopped" yet tn,
Union would not thereby be dissolved. The
Constitution and laws would remain, and the
President must "take care that the laws be
faithfully executed" !" and for this purpose, and
to enable the marshal to discharge this duty,
the judiciary also will remain in the full exer-
else Of all its powers; and, although Congress
may not be able, for want Of quorum, to make
new laws, the old ones would not thereby be
abrogated or repealed.
conclude, therefore, that it is not in the
power of South Carolina to dissolve the Union
and if she could, it would be unjust to do so,
after having enjoyed the full benefit Of it for
more than half O century.
WASHINGTON, June 6, 1851.
IsToLERABLE OPPRESSION. "A number of
girls working in the factories of Lowell were
induced, under promises of high wages and ex-
cellent treatment, to 60 to Columbia, Georgia,