Fremont journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County [Ohio]) 1853-1866, 1856-01-11


enabled US to contend successfully on battl
fields against foreign foes, and has elevate,
the feeble colonies into powerful States, an
has raised our industrial productions, an,
our commerce which transports them, to tn
level Of the richest nations Of Europe. Anc
the admirable adoption of our political in
Stitutions to their objects, combining loca
selfgoyernment with aggregate strength
has established the practicability of a gov
ienment like ours to cover a continent witt
confederate States.
The Congress of the United States, is il
effect that Congress of sovereignties which
good men in the Old Word have sought fol
but could never attain, and which impart,
to America an exemption from the mutablt
leagues for common action, from the wars
the mutual invasion, and vague aspiration
after the balance of power, which convulse
from time to time the governments of Eu-
rope. Our cooperative action rests in the
conditions of permanent confederation pre-
scribed by the constitution. Our balance
of power in the seperate reserved rights Of
the States, and their equal representation in
the Senate, was the fundamental condition
of the Constitution. Without it the Union
would never have existed. However desi-
rous the larger States might be to re-organ-
ize the government so as to give to their
population its porportionate weight in the
common counsels, they knew it was imposs-
ible, unless they conceded to the smaller
ones authority to exercise at least anegative
influence on all the measures of government,
whether legislative or executive, through
their equal representation in the Senate
Indeed, the larger States could not fail to
preceive that the smallest power was equal
" necessary to them, for the security of
their own domestic interests against the ag-
gregate force Of the general government.
In q word, the original States went into
this permanent league on the agreed prem
ises Of uniting their common strength for
the defence of the whole, and of all parts;
but of utterly excluding all capability of
aggrt s ion. Each solemnly bound
itself TO all the others, neither to undertake
nor permit any encroaehment upon or inter
with another's reserved rights.
Where it was deemed expedient, particu-
lar rights of the States were expressly guar
teed by the constitution; but, in all things
besides, these rights were guarded by the
limitation Of the powers granted, in the com
pact Of Union. Thus the great power Of
taxation was limited to purposes of common
defence and general welfare, of the several
States, and those purposes of general vel
fare and common defence were afterwards
defined by specified enumeration, as being
matters only of correlation between the
States themselves, or between them and
foreign governments, which, because of their
common and general nature, could not be
left to the separate control of each State.
Of the circumstances of local condition,
interest and rights, in which aportion of the
States, constituting one great section, of the
Union, differ from the rest, and from anoth-
er section, the most important was the pc,
culiarity Of a larger relative eolored popula-
ton in the Southern than the Northern
States. r aars
A population of this class, held in nsubjec-
tion, existed in nearly all the States, but
was more numerous and of moro serious
in the South than in
the North, on account of the natu-
raj difference of climate and production;
and it was foreseen that, for the same rea-
sons, while this population would diminish,
and sooner or later cease to exist in some
States, it might increase in others. The
peculiar character and magnitude of this
question of local rights, not in material re-
ations only, but still more in social ones,
'aused it to enter into the special stipulationSs
If the constitution.
Hence, while the general government, as
we'll by the enumerated powers granted to
t, as by those not enumerated, and there
ore refused to it was forbidden to touch
his matter in the sense of attack or of
enee, it was placed under the general safe
,uard OF the Union, in the sense of defence
lgainst either illsaSion or domestic violence,
Ike all other local interests of the several
states. Each State expressi; stipulated,
S well for itself as for each and ali of its
itizens and every citizen of each State be- !
anne solemnly bound by his allegiance to
he constitution, that any person held to
erYice or labor in one State, escaping into |
not, in consequence of any law
r regulation thereof, be discharged from
uch service. or labor, but should be deliver
d up on claim of the party to whom such
eryiee or labor might be due by the laws
f his State. -.--l esr s-..t
Thus, and thus only, BY. the reciprocal
of all rights of every State against
Interference. on the part of another, was
be present form. of government establish
by our fathers and transmitted to US; and |
y no other means is it possible for it to e1-
st. If ono State ceases to respect the
ights of another, and obtrusively intermed- |
les with its local interests-if a portion of |
he States assume to impose their institu-
ions on the others, or refuses to fulfil their
Obligations 10 them we are no longer united
ricndly States, but distracted, hostile ones
nth little capacity left of common adyan-
age, but abundant means of reciprocal in
ury and mischief.
Practically, it IS ilnmaterial whether ag-
.ressivo interference between the States, or
refusal on the part of any one to
omply with constitutional obligations, arise
ON erroneous conviction or blind prejudice,
,hether it be pcrpctratcd by direction or in
ractiou. In either case, it is full of threat
. 1 .l..,,,.a- - tl,o l,,ro1,I;t,, &c 1to ITY;or