Semi-weekly Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, South-Carolina) 1851-1852, 1851-04-22

".Mr. A. J. Dargan, has declared himself, says
the Wadrshoro Argus, "a candidate for Congress
from this District" This we arc glad to hear.
Mr.. Dargan is a Whiy-and out aud ont seccs-
sio!,ist. We hope he will be e!ecIrd But what,
in the report of the proceedings Of the meeting,
at which VI. Dargan was declared, as reported
by le Argus, that was most strange 10 us, was
Mr.. Ashes sentiments. We give an extract ofa
colIoquy, in which is embodied the political faith,
as there expressed Of Mr.. Ashe:
Mr. Ashc denied the right OF Il State to ST..
cc;lc. There was no power in the federal Con.
e.iutipn, nor in the construction OF any part
thereof, under which u State could possibly Sc
ccar The United States Constitution, and
all WAS made in accordance therewitn. were the
supreme laws of the land, and that every State,
rs well rs every individual, was houud to nbrv
thcm as such: That no STATE could do any act
at variance with, or contrary TO- the federal Con-
sitution; and that as Secession would be CON
trary to the Intent and meaning of that in>trn.
ment, State had no Constitutional git whist.
ever to seccdr.
Mr.. Ashp thought the supreme Court of tie
l.. States the proper tribunal for determining
the consti!ntonaity Of n Law.
MIR. Leak asked Mr.; Ashr ii he believed the
Chief executive OF the nation had the power
or ought to exercise ii il he had to call out
the the troops OF the United States to oppose Il
State in its sovereign capacity as a State. Mir.
Leak wanted Mr.. Ashe to give Il positive and
decided answer to this.
Mr.. Ashc said that it was not ONLY the priv-
lego, but the duty, of the President to see that
al! laws made by Congress under tie Cons,itu-
tion were duly executed. lie was sworn to do
so: aud that when he did not he was pcriured,
and therefore acted wrcng. That when Il State
i'll its sovereign or any other capacity, acted
against the constitution, or any laws made there.
under, it became the duty of the executive to
use all the power of the General Government
to force such State into subsection, even though
the State might he crushed thereby. lie wist :.
ed it distinctly understood that the right, but it
was Lis bounden duty TO do So
Mr.. Leak asked Mr. Ashe what course y
State--North Carolina, for instance--ousht to
pursue, II Congress were to go outside the
Constitution and abolish slavery il tho States
| Mr.. Ashe said that if ever Congress did
such an act, North Carolina would rise as one
man and resist such an usurpation to the death.
Mr.. Ashe believed that every State had this
natural and inalicnahe right hut that it was
natural right, aud not derived from the L. 5.
Constitution; and that it was revolution or re-
roll and nat secession.
| Mr.. Leak then intimated to Mr. Ashe that Us
the federal government was much stronger than
any of the States, or number OF such States,
there was a likelihood that such State or States
might be crushed in the struggle, and asked
what thea
Mr.. Ashc said that was very true; bat that
the aggrievcd State or States must trust to the
Justice of their cause and to their God, rs did
| their fathers in the revolutionary struggle, when
fighting power so immensely superior to them
| selves rs Great Britain then was.
We wonder il Mr.. Ashe, has ever read the
tenth Article Of the Amendments to the Consitu.
,on We rcnscribe it. Tie powers not dele.
gated to the United States by tho Constitution,
nor prohibited BY il. to the States are reserved to
rhc States, respectively, or to the people" Wha,
power in conflict with secession, was delegated By
the States to The Federal Government! Or, in
what clause does the Constitution, prohibu seces-
sio:: II Mr.. Ashe has ever seen either in the
Cors,itutior. we have nc.. I. is strange read.