The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1851-01-01
The Vermont Multiplying Law"

The National Intelligencer, OF Dec. "a,
has communication, under the above head,
from which we quote the most important
portion. We arc not disposed to occupy much
more space with this subject-having e1-
pressed our views two weeks since, and quo
ted pretty literally from the opinions OF 9TH
era. There are, however. some statement,
in the following extract, which VIC desire
our readers 10 see:
The people Of Vermont are in fact, as
they have always have been represented TO
be, attached to the Constitution and the I'm
ion. They are in principle, by education,
and in practice, peculiarly, law-abiding peo-
pie. They will not fail to see, and to feel,
that the law of their State comes in direct
conflict with the act of Congress Of the last
session. If one is constitutional, the other
canno. be. If the act Of Congress be un,
constitutional in their judgment, it does not
justify notification by State legislation.
That is not the proper method to test the
question Of constitutionalty. There is O
remedy provided by the Constitution itself
That remedy, by resort to the supreme
judicial power, is one which they fully un-
derstand and appreciate, and one 10 which
they arc accustomed to submit.
The people Of that State have surely mol
forgotten tho position taken by their repre-
sentalives in Congress when notification
was threatened from another quarter. The
language Of one OF hor Senators OIL the hooi
of tho Senate during the last session is still
on record. Vermont had urged upon Con
gress, in certain resolutions Of her Legisla
turc, the adoption Of what is commonly call
cd the Wilmot proviso. The Sou th, or
large portion OF the South, regarded such
restriction as unconstitutional or, as a dislin
guished Senator express d it, as "usurpdtion.
And iptimstions by no means equivocal wer
given Of resistance under the sanction O
State authority. On that occqsion the Sen
stor from Vermont, afier showing that tn
question as to the power Of Congress 10 lin
il slavery in the Territories was a mere con
sti.u,ionsi and Judicial question, goes on t
say:
:" Such being tue character Of the issu
between US, whatever determination ma
exist here or elsewhere, and however FL 10
'ly and earnestly the issue may be maintain
ed by the respective parties 10 it, yet gen
'tlemen will perni: me TO say, that all threat
'and violence, all purposes Of disunlon, {
separate State action, (nullifcation,) an
any and all measures not justified nor cal
ed for by the Constitution, are, in III
Judgment, altogether premature"
And again Suppose the Wimot pre-
: yiso should be enacted has the time arri'
ed for independent Stale action, by way {
resistance 10 the action of Congress, call
usurpatlon or what you please No, sir
mo. yet. The Constitution has provided i
remedy. The trainers Of tina, instrument
foreseeing tina, there might be a dlflerenc
of opinion in defining precisely ha powei
conferred by it, have provided a peace
full tribunal fol-. the adjustment of such cor
'troverses."
Such was the language held by Vernon
to the South. She may now with great pro
priety take the advice to herself If the la
is, in her judgment. ineSpedient, unwise, q
pernicious, let her appeal 10 legislative di
erection for its repeal. In the constitutions
organ where that discretion rests, she ha
her constitutional right, and she and her sis
ter free Slates have preponderating influ
snce. II il be unconstitutional, let her e
10 the Judicial tribunal established by III
Constitution for its Judgment in the matte
In short let The constitutional remedies b
exhausted, before rssorting TO those measure
Of resistance, disorss nization, and revolution
which, when lhrestoned elsewhere, have me
with the universal end unmitga ted reproba