Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1854-06-30

desk, | shall be pardoned for showing simply
how few plain words will put all this down.
The authentic report in The Globe shows what
actually said Where that is read, 1t rem
ders anything else superhuous. But the SEN
ators who have been so swift in misrepresenta-
ton deserved to be exposed Now, Sir,
begin by adopting as my guide the authentic
words of Andtew Jackson in his memorable
veto in 1882 Of the Bank of the United
States. To his course was opposed the author
ity OF the Supreme Court, and this is MS re-
ply; If the opinion of the Supreme Court
covers the whole ground of this act, 1t ought
not to control the coordinate authorizes OF
this Government. The Congress. the Execu-
tive, and the Court, must each for tself be
guided by its own opinion OF the Con- titutlon.
Each public officer who takes an oath to sup
port the Constitution, swears that he will sup
port it as he understands it, aud not as it Is
understood by others. 1t is as much the duty
of the House of Representatives, of the SEN
ate, and of the President, to decide upon the
constitu6onality of any bill or resolution,
which may be presented to them for passage
or approval, as it is of the Supreme Judges,
when it may be brought before them for jul
dicial decision. The authority of the Supreme
Court must not therefore, be permitted to
control the Congress or the Executive, when
acting in their legislative capacities, but to
have only such influence as the force of their
reasoning may Deserve" Mark these words:
" Each public officer who takes an oath to
support the Constitution, swears that he will
support it as he understands it, aud not as it
is understood bv others" Does any Senator
here dissent from this rule Does the Sena-
tor from Virginia: Dies the Senator from
South CarolinaH At all events, for myself,
accept the rule as just and reasonable.
In swearing to suppnrt the Constitution,
at your desk, Mr., President, did not swear
to support it as you understand it, as the
gentleman from Virginia understood it, nor
as the Senator from South Carolina uI.-
derstood it, with bloodhound, or at least
dog in it. paving to get free his hinder parts,
in pursuit OF slave. No such thing, sir.
swore to support it as l understood it. Now
l will not occupy your time, nor am dis
pose, at tn m ment, nor does occasion re-
quire, that should go into any minute criti-
cism of the clause of the Constitution for the
surrender of fugitives from lBbor assuming,
i'll the face of commanding rules of interpre-
tation, all leaning toward freedom, that i'll the
concise language of that clause, palterlng in
double sense, the words employed can be
judcially regarded as equally applicable to flu
gitive slaves which is often and earnestly de-
to freedom, then desire to say, that, as | un-
derstand the Constitution, this clause does not
impel me to any personal obligation; especially
it does not impose upon me any obligation to
render any personal assistance in the surren-
der of a fugitive slave. AS a Senator, l have
taken the oath to support the Constitution, as
understand it; and, understanding it as l
do, am bound by my oath to oppose all en-
actInents by Congress on the subject, as tia-
grant violation of the Constitution-and esi E.
cially must l oppose the last act, las tyrannical
usurpation. Here my duties. as a Senator,
under the oath which have taken, end. In
no Inspect, oy my oath as a Senator. can l be
constrained to duties in othar capacities, or as
a simple citizen, which are revolving to my
conscience even though required by positive
enactments. Now in this Interpretation ofthe
Constitution 1 may be wrong-others may diff
fer from me, and will act according to their
understanding. For myself, shall act ac-
cording to mine. Upon this statement of my
constitutional obligations stand, and to the
inquiry whether would render any personal
assistance in surrendering a fellow man to
bondage, l reply again: sis thy servant a dog
that he should do this thing" And in look
ing around upon this Senate, might ask fear
lessly how many there are i'll this body, il,
indeed, there is a single Senator, who would
stoop to any such service. Until some one
rises, and openly confesses his willingne to
become a slave hunter, l will not beIeve that
there can be one And vet, honorable and
chivalrous Senators have been prompt to
judge me, because | ope " declared my abaor-
renee of service at which every manly bosom
must revolt "Sire, l have found in Bayonne
brave soldiers and good citizens, but not one
cxecntioner," was the noble reply of the Gov
ernor of that place, TO Charles the Ninth of
France, when he ordered the massacre of St.
Bartholomew and such spirit, | think, will
yet animate the people of this country, when
lEessed to the service of dogs. To the ques-
ton which has been proposed, whether Massa-
shusetts will, by State laws, carry out the of
fensiye clause Of the Constitution, l reply,
that Massachusetts, at al times, has been
ready to do her duty under the Constitution,
as she understands it. and | doubt not will
ever continue OF this mind more than this
| cannot say. In quitting this topic cannot
forbear to remark, that the assaults on me, for
my disclaimer OF all constitutional obligat.o on
to render personal assistance in making a
man slave, come with an i'll grace from the
veteran Senator of Virginia. State which,
by its far-taned resolutions OF 1898, assumed
to determine its constitutional Obligations,
even to the extent of nulliicatlon, OF an act of
Congress; and also with an ill grace from the
veteran Senator of South Carolina-a State
which, at later day, arrayed itself openly
against the Federal authorities, and which
tt reatens nu ALLEGATION as often as babies cry.
He then dwelt upon The riding of the mails in
South Carolina, and the letter of Postmaster
Kendall, in reply thereto. Oh, Sir, there is
particular incident in the history of South
Carolina, which should have made the Senator
from that State hesitate
1t is not many years since Massachusetts,
commissioned distinguished gentleman, of
blameless life and eminent professional quail
ties, who had once held seat in the other
House, Samuel Hoar, to reside at Charleston
for year, in order to protect the rights Of free
colored citizens of Massachusetts, to test the
constitutionality of statute of that State, so
gross III its provisions, that an eminent charac-
ter of South Carolina, a Judge of the Supreme
Court, had characterized it as trampling upon
the Constitution, and direct attack upon the
sovereignty of the United States But this
agent OF Massachusetts, an unarmed old man,
was prevented from performing his duties,
driven from the State by a respectable mob
and the Legislature subsequently sanctioned
the lawless act, by placing on the statute
books an order for his expulsion. And vet
the Senator from South Carolina holds up his
hands in holy horror at tho imagined delin-
quencies Of Massachusetts toward slaye-hunt-
ers, and also at my own open refusal to render
any aid. Before this Senator undertakes to
lecture Massachusetts or myself, let him re-
turn to his own State and first lecture there,
The Senator from South Carolina, in SUBJ
lime extacy of Slavery, burst forth in the
ejaculation that Massachusetts, at the time