The southern press., 1851-07-08
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Tia folieuiax coanuna1aat3An, whieh We take
from To AuaVata CAroaiele, II worthy the
especial attani5ou AZ al tha members Of the
constitptlonai Union party whose minds are not
made up nttaely to renounce the Republican
and 64afs mGhts creed, for the doctrine Of Fed
eraliam. Tia editorial of our neighbor to which
it is rsply contained ths following paragraphs !:
"a : tast then Of the sincerity Of his pledge
TO fuldl the obligations Of the Constitution and
laws Of tho land, we would respectfully ask OF
the nominee Gov. Mcdonald:
lsk Whether the Constitution does not en-
power Congress and the President to call forth
the militia, ito execute the laws Of the Union,
tosupPress Instructions and repel invasion.
I'd. Whether the laws of 1875 aud of March
1907. NE not now in full force; and,
81. In case Of opposition to the execution Of
the IA ws, or of insuFrection or secession in Geor
gia, or Carolina, or elsewhere. whether, il Gov
ernor Of Georgia, he will hey a call to furnish
the militia Of Georgia to suppress such insur-
rection or secession, 4pd to aid in executing the
obligations which may be imposed upon him by
the Consultation and laws Of the land!
Here follows the communication. Most of
its positions, If We recollect rightly those ta-
ken by Mr. STEPHENS in his famous speech
against the threats Of the administration to en-
plcy force against Texas.
TO ths Editor Of the Ckroaiels and Sentinel
S1R-No class Of people have greater or more
frequent reasons to excIaim, save us from our
friends" than those engaged in the public ser.
vice. The article which you reprint from the
Savannah Republican, on Gov McDonald's ac-
ceptance, il the best specimen of that sort Of
aagony" have recently met with Though as
much opposed to Gov. AicDonald's election az
the Republican" can possibly be, should be
very unwilling for the principles indicated in that
article to stand rs the opinions of his opponents
The gst of the article is to be- found in the third
question propounded. The first and second are
mere nonsense. The Constitution does au-
thorize the calling forth the militia to suppress
insurrections and repcl invasons," and the acts
Of 1795 and 1907 are yet in full force But
neither of these facts elucidate modify, or in any
way control the proper answer to the third
question. The answer to that depends wholly
upon the right of State to secede from the
Union. The act Of l795, with stringent limita-
tons, only authorizes the use Of the militia to
put down mob resistance, either to the laws of
the Uni ed States, or of the several States and
the act of 1907 only authorizes the regular
forces to be used in the cases where the militia
may be used under the act Of l705. This con-
struction Of the act of 1875, was we'll settled in
1882, and affirmed to be true by Gen. Jackson,
even in the message in which he denied the
right of secession; and because Of this con-
struction, he asked Congress for the Force bill,
to enable him to resist the lawful authorities of
the State of South Carolina That bill was in
troduced by Mr. Webster in affirmance of these
principles Of Gen. Jackson and his cabinet Yet,
both he and they denied the right of secession
Therefore if State has no right to secede, the
governor of Georgia would have no authority,
under the Constitution, or The acts of l795 or
1907, to "obey any call" for the militia of
Georgia to make war upon a seeding State
without further legislation. And if u State has
the right to secede, no call whatever for that
purpose, no matter how made, either in COM
pliance with further legislation, rs in the of
the Force BILL" or otherwise, would, or ought
to be, regarded by any governor of Georgia.
The Republicans article therefore, leaves the
question Of secession just where it found it, and
it had better let it remain there. Mcdonald has
planted himself upon principles and measures
odious to the people and destructive Of their
dearest interest. Keep him there. The Re-
publican newspaper" seeks to plant him upon
the corner stone of the Republican party.
Save us from our friends" the right of se-
cession rests upon the sovereignty of the
States-like that sovereignty it is indestructible
inalienable and incapable OF annihilation, and
will and orght to be exercised whenever the
public liberty requires it. The mission Of the
constitutional Union party is TO prevent it's ex-
ercise until then. A CITIZEN