The Yazoo Democrat., 1851-07-30


trcason--and every law OF the Federal Govern
mene az constitutional and obligatory, until de-
clared otherwise by the Federal Courts; the
government is at once the Judge of its own
powers, and the vindicasor Of its own suprem-
acy. For State TO pronounce the most fag-
rant usurPaiiun Of fhs government ansact OF
usurpatI0n and therefore void, ID to Incur for
its citizens the guilt and the penalties OF trea-
son. Nay, to attempt to withdraw the Sta e
from the obligations Of the Union, even for
acts of the government that may. afterwards
be pronounced by that Court which il one of
its departments, unconstitutional and void:
is, according to the theory Of your school, cir,
TO incur for all concerned in sUcH moveme nj,
the doom and the memory Of traitors. For,
upon your principles, seceqian for any cause
whatever must be resisted as overt act of
treason. To be sure, the fate y the sufferers
may perhaps. awaken some sylnpathy-as the
fate of O'Brien and Meagher ekcites now he
sympathies and murmurs cfthe civilized world
but no nation has a right to demonstrate
with England on account of her government
of Ireland. Ireland Is her property, England
will tell you; and these men (she will say were
attempting TO sever the union of Ireland and
England, and have thus merited and received
the doom of traitors. Even, sir, should that
paracea for all ills, the fugitive slave law, fthe
great Abracadabra which is to heal all politi-
cal distempers, and to salve and sooth all polit.
cal insults,) be repealed; and the resistanG Q
which 10 threatened by your party, should
follow such repeal; would not the obligation
of the government to punish such resistance
as rebellious and treas0nable be weighty
and as stringent (according to your doctrine)
as to punish resistance for any other cause?
Is not this fairly put, General! Can you in
candor deny that il is consequence of your
creed! Now does not this doctrine, fully
carried out, make the government absolute?
When the Congress and the Judiciary concur
in an act, what limit, what check can you con-
ceive to it's powers! Of course | mean al
ways upon your principles. 1t is useless to
press the argument further. Behold then the
difference between the exercise of secession
as an acknowledged political right, aud the
exercise of it as an act of revolution. The
one is a check the only effective check--to
powerful, ambitious, and rapidly centralising
government. A peaceabe resort to our origi-
nal status; revolutioniZing nothing, destroying
nothing, shedding no blood, confiscating no
property. The other. The other leads to CEN
traIization, to despotism, TO endless internecing
strife, or to a stagnant, passive, and dead sub
mission. -
Now, here is far moe important issue
than any heretofore made. Tho admission
of California the whole Sou;h complained OF
as wrong, but a majority of the Southern
States held that 1t was wrong that could be
compromised for. Bat you cannot cure de-
nlal of the right of State secession by COM
promise, for il involves a radical change OF
the spirit and essence of the government. This
issue is not only in the highest degree inn
portant, but il is recent also. Voters have not
declared heir opiuions on 1t yet. 1t has no
connection whatever with the compromise
measures, or with any other issue which has
as yet been made. man may detest the ad-
jnstment measures, and yet deny the right of
State to evade their effect by secession; or
ne may be willing To ncquiesce in these meas
ures, and yet be prepared to assert TO the last
extremity the right of State to secede from
the Union. The question is destined TO pro-
duce complete fusion and reformation of par
ties. Half the Wings of the South affirm this
right, whilst many Democrats Especially the
Proclamation Democrats they are called
deny il. Let them all deliberate well before
they precipitately and rashly take stand which
may place them forever in false position In
this daring attempt to revoutionze the funda-
mental principles, the very groundwork OF our
government, and to convert it into despo-
tism of numbers, State Rights-meu, whether
Wings or Democrats, compromise or anti
compromise men, should forget all party ties
and party names and make bold, determined,
and united stand for the preservation of this
the most important citadel of Southern rights.
I heard you, with surprise, at Yazoo City,
DENY that any Democrat had ever contended
for the right of State to .peaceabie secession
as q procedure not in contr tventIon OF
the Constitution. It is true that no party has
just claim to an ezclnsiUe property In this
doctrine. 1t has som times found countenance
! and favor with the Wings, w.ilst rejected and
denied by distinguished Democratic leaders.
This was especially The case In the disastrous
days of the Proclamation and of the Force
Bill. Bu. to contend that no Democrat hae
ever publicly favored X, is o position strangely
inconsiderate and incautious for statesman
so discerning & sagacious. Democratic states
menof the highest character, even Democratic
States, have given proof of their adherence
to the doctrine. When Jackson thunderec
from the White House that federal document
which is called ''the Proclamation" Virginia
justly alarmed, repudiated it's doctrines by
solemn act Of her Legislature, which wa
unanimously passed If nv memory serves me
The Richmond Enquirer denounced in trumPe
tones the deep and dangerous tenor OF It's Prln
/ ci2les, and the democratic press of the Souti
generally, echod the voice of the Richmont
Enquirer. Even the men who hailed 1t a
first Ced away by their devotion to Jackson
renounced it afterwards as wrong and Pernici
Gus, and in a few months after its publication
the rank and file of the Democratic party en-
tirey aD Dinred It as politicrl heresy. Randolph
Giles, Macon, Taylor, Roane, Tazzewell
/ have all testified in behalf Of this right-re
pudiating at the same time Gall but one O
then1-Mr. TnzzewelD the right Of State
nulljfy a law OF the United States and yet {
continue in the Union. Permit me this ques
tan, General--What is the meaning of Ken
tucky and of Virginia when they assert I
their famous resolutions Of '9S, the right of
State to inlerpose its sovereign authority. ant
Ito declare law of the United States null an
q of no force! These resolutions were cauti