The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1851-02-26

OHASE anu tl0 AOOtItlOu O0s
The Last Dlscovsry In PeJitics.
The latest discovery in political science is
that where law is unpopuIar it cannot be exc
cuted; OF, us Mr.. RHErr annoupces thu pro-
position, that it cannot be executed even 10 those
States where there may be q majority in favor
Of its execution. We did not understand Mr..
RHErr as combining his proposition 70 the Fuei-
tive Slave law, though that may have bsen HE
intention. If it is true Of chat law, however,
il must be equally true Of all other laws, ex-
cept 10 far as the peculiar nature the property
contemplated by the Fugitive Slave law in
wolves peculiar difficulties in it's execution.
We think that Mr.. RHErr, in the Senate
debate Of Monday, stated the propagation ip
general TERMS, The admission OF its. trulh
strikes at the foundation Of all Rovefnmsst:
certainly Of all republican or democratic gov
eminent. and leaves the world to look or hops
for reposs only in the arms Of despotism. Ith
. PRONUNCIATION Of the doctrine that the majori-
| ty cannot govern-but that the minority every
where have the substantial power Of govern
ment; and the instruction no doubt to b de-
rived from it is, that it is in the power Of
South Carolina, or the Secessionists, to pre-
vent the enforcement Of the laws Of the Unitsd
States. II an unpopular law cannot b execu-
ted in Massachusettsif it Is impossible to
compel obedience TO q law without concur
rent feeling in its favor" among the people
Of Massachusetts,, of course it 10 equally Inn !.
possible to execute law in South Carolina
without the same concurrence. s pa IS ~.
Suppose we carry out the doctrine. What
true of the Union Of States, is equally true Of
every State composing the Union. If 4 mi
nority can prevent the execution Of = Federal
law in Massachusetts,, it can prevent the exc
cution Of a State law in South Carolina. We
learn from the Charleston .Msrcswy that the
number Of Secessionists elected to the South
Carolina convention is La, and the number Of
anti-Secessionists is A. Suppose these figures,
then, to represent the relations between thetwo
parties in the State, there is very respectable
minority opposed to secession. They win be
opposed, therefore, to,the execution Of any laws
contemplating secession. How are such laws
to be executed "a
1t is not to be supposed that the minority in
South Carolina is any less effective, adroit, or
sets. They have in both States the same means
ofopposing the execution Of State or of Federal
laws. 1.-THE one can be successfully INSTRUCTED by
minority, 90 can the other. The processes Of
enforcing State law are no better than thosa Of
enforcing Federal law. As long, then, a.
there is a minority in South Carolina opposed
to secession, according to Mr.. RHErr's own
showing, no law looking to secession can be on !.
forced in the borders of that State ss
We differ entirely from Mr.. RHErr, = to the
imposbiliy Of enforcing Federal law when
it is opposed by the minority. The embargo
laws were a. unpopular in Massachusetts, as the,
Fugitive Slave law can possibly be. There
was no concurrent feeling in their favor but II
was not in the power Of the minority to prevent
their execution. Those laws wore denounced
by the press, the pulpit, and by public meet
ings, with as much bitterness and violence rs
personal interest could add to partisan hostility
but the laws were executed. individual IN
stances Of violation Of the laws took place, no
doubt; but we never understood that IL was
argued from those cases that law could not
be executed 1T were Objectionable to inconsid-
cradle minorities in particular localities. n -
Il :
Revenge laws are not popular in South Car
olina. A majority of her inhabitants consider
the tariff as merely legal process Of plumber.
In South Carolina, probably, as in other States
Of the Union, cases occur of smuggling, and
| other violations of the revenue laws; but does
any one undertake 70 argue from this fact that
the revenue laws cannot be executed .aass
But the Secessionists do not stop with an
| nouncing that the Fugitive Slave law cannot
be executed they object to the employment by
the Federal Government OF the means neces-
sary to- execute it--and then declare that its
non-execution is good cause for dissolving the
Union. They would not employ forcible means
against portion Of the people Of State-be-
cause that would be an unhallowed interference
with State sovereignty and State rights. They
would not resort to the constitutional power vest
ed in the General Government for upholding the
| supremacy of its laws; they would argue from =
single failure Of execution the general impossi-
bility of execution land from the constructive
non-execution the casus belE which 90 many
Secessionsts SO anxiously desire.
Mr.. RHETr's doctrines contemplate the ami
hilation of all government and the realisation
Of that beatifc condition in which every man
may be law to himself sis M nss
Flax and Cotton.
Last week we called the attention Of our
readers to the efforts now being made in several
of the manufacturing countries of the world to
prepare fax for spinning by aid Of the machine
| ry now used for cotton. Since then the arrival
| of the Baltic has put us in possession of later