Indiana American. [volume] (Brookville, Ind.) 1833-1861, 1855-03-30

is u law winch protects the puDis
Treasury, by Withdrawing from the
State Courts certain actions agains
collectors Of the revenue. Who knows
now, without more examination thar
you allow time for us to make, on what
ground, or under what circumstances
or upon what exigency, that single de-
parture from the ancient system was
made? 1 do not know that l should
have been in favor af that departure
Nor can you show that the innovation
thus made, and which you now plead
as precedent, was necessary. We
are always wiser in our judgements in
retrospect than in anticipation. l can
now see, when the precedent is plead
ed to justify futher departure from
the ancient system, abundant reasons
to regret that the precedent was ever
established.
You tell me in the next place, that
there is danger of insubordination--
danger that the State Government viii
nullify the laws Of the Federal Gov
ernment- This is always the ready
plea for Federal usurpations. 1t is
the same ground which the British
government assumed towards the
British subjects in the British colonies,
when it transported them beyond seas.
to be tried for pretended offenses. ]
proclaim in your ears here, and pro-
claim it to my countrymen, that there
is no necessity and no shadow of ne
cessity for thisgreatandfearful change
From every tribunal in any State in
Union which renders a final Judge
ment that can affect the rights of any
public officer of the United States,
there is an appeal to the Supreme
Court Of the United States, reserved
to him by the Constitution and laws
of the United States; and that high
tribunal can, merely by its mandate,
annul the judgement and discharge
the party from all its consequences.
This, and this alone, was the security
which your forefathers established to
prevent the evils and dangers of insu-
bordinrtion by the State authorities
| proclaim, further, that when the
Constitution of the United States was
submitted to the people of the several
States, to be adopted by them, the
chief objection which was urged with
I trc most 1ers, the most enefyy, ard
the most effect, was that the liberties
Of the citizens weuld be brought into
jeopardy by the extended power ol
the Federal Judiciary. So strenuous
ly was this objection urged, that the
Constitution was not adopted, until il
was demonstrated by Hamilton, Jay
and Madison, in the Federalist, that
the State jurisdiction which you are
now about to strike down, was left to
the States, and could never be wrested
from them without an act of Congress,
which there was no reason to presume
would be passed.
Sir, this is an importsnt transactio /.
| warn you that it is a transaction toe
important to be suddenly projected,
and carried out with unusual and
unseemly rapidity. tits transac-
ton that will be reviewed.freely, bold
ly, and through long years to come,
You would have done well to have
given us a week, or a day, or at least
one hour, to prepare ourselves with
arguments to dissuade you from your
purpose and to stay your hands. Suf'
fer me to say, with all Difference, tha,
you would have done well ifyou had
allowed yourselves time to consider
more deliberately the necessity for q
measure 80 bold, and the consequent
ces which must follow IL.
/ repeat, Sir, that there is no ne.
cessity for this act. In every case
which Is intended to be reached by it.
the mandate of the Supreme Court ol
the United States annuls the Judge.
ment Of the State Court which ha.
mistaken its own powers, or encroach'
cd upon the Federal authority; and
the State itself. with all its dignit,
and pride, falls humbled and abased
at the foot Of central and imperia
power. Ihabitually contemplate cv'
erything connected with the develop
ment Of the resources, and with III,
extension and ACKNOWLEDGEMENT ant
glory Of this my country, with an en-
thusiam which | am sure do not nj
ways find burning in the hearts o
all with whom II Is my duty to act II
her Councils.-But. Sir, shuddel
when think that this development
this extension, this aggrandixement
and this accumulation OF glory. ar,
going on firmly. steadily and crush
ingly. at the expense Of these noble
independent States; that the majesti,
dome, while II spreads itself NOR,
widely and ereets itself higher an,
higher. Is pressing into crumbling
fragments, the pillars which constitut,
Its true and just support.
Sir, we have had, on this occasion
as we always have on painful occasion
Of this kind, pathetic illusions to tn,
safety Of this Federal Union. An,
these illusions have been addressed /,
me, although ] have hitherto beer
content to be a silent listener to thi
debate. What do you think must b.
the feelings Of man, himself Rep
resentatiye Of three millions, one.eigil
of your whole people-a Representa-
tive Of one-sixth Of all the freemen il
the Republic-a Representative o
even larger proportion of the Who'll,
wealth Of the country-a Representa-
tive Of your whole concentrated Com
merce-when he finds himself sur
rounded by men who think that
community so numerous and so intelli
gent. and enjoying such wealth an,
cherishing such interests, are so ia
habitually blinded by passion rs to b
disloyal to the Union on which a
their safety depends? Sir, almos
forget my customary toleration, whe
r | see around me men who know no,
the interests and affections Of the
E homes cluster and cntwine them
/, selves with every fibre of their ow
r hearts. and yet seem to forget tht
. those interesfs and afTections ,ra Al