The Washington union., 1857-05-01
THE SUPREMACY or THE LAW.


phatically government Of law. Laws based on the
constitution Of the United States and those of the re-
spective States enacted IN conformity with that in
strument constitute the supreme and only supreme
power in this government. They direct ema-
nation from tho sovereignty OF The people, through
the agency of those who represent that sovereignty
for the time being; and for people thus circum-
stanced to rise in opposition to those laws is in
fact to rebel against themselves The obligation to
obey these laws is imperative until they are repeal
ed by the same authority by which they were enact
ed, or declared unconstitutional by tribunals whose
acknowledged prerogatiye it is to decide on their
validity. That which constitutes the sovereignty of
the people of the United States is not the power to
resist the laws by force but to repeal them when OBJ
noxious or oppressive by the agencies by which
they enacted, Surely, this is sufficient to sat
isfy reasonable people.
This being, then, government of laws, it must be
evident that il exist only so long implicit obe-
dience is paid to the law for, without this, there
be government, because in the United States
no other authority is recognised. In the absence of
laws there is no will of one man to prescribe our
rights and our duties, and should at once re-
lapse into state of anarchy, resort TO despotsm
as the lesser evil.
1t is undoubtedly true that liberty sometimes
becomes tyrant, and that laws are enacted which
frequently bear hard on the minority as others on
majority, of the people-whether from the ignorance
or selshness Of the Legislators is matter of no con-
sequence in this connexion. There is no system of
government that can completely shield the people
from its abuses and if it were ever so perfect it
must necessarily be administered by imperfect man,
imbued with those very fobles, passions, and in
rmities that render the restraints of government
necessary. No government, therefore however per-
feet in theory, be free from imperfection in
practice; and all that rational, patriotic peo-
pie ought to expect desire is power conferred
on them by the law, peaceably to relieve them
selves from all the grievances it may incidentally
inHict by the exercise of privilege In which they
all equally partake. In this position the people
| of the United States stand at this moment. If
the majority is aggreved, the remedy is at hand
| and may be speedily applied 1t is only to cast a
little piece of folded paper into the ballot-box and
the thing is done If they are dissatisfied with their
lawmakers or their laws, they may choose agents
means which if successful will efecually PROSTATE
all laws and all authority but that of mobs of igno-
rant fugitive slaves nstigated by turbulent fanatics
unprincipled demagogues, and designing hypocrites.
The abolition backrepublicans therefore stri-
king at the very roots of this government of law
when, under pretence of an abstract principle of
right they set themselves up the sole interpreters
Of that law and claim the privilege Of resisting it at
pleasure; nay, what is still more wickedly pre-
posterous, attempt to inaugurate in its place prin
cples in direct conflict with that law which is sane
toned and recognised by all other citizens as the
only sovereign to whom they allegiance. Their
course is still more outrageous when they not only
scof at the law, but array themselves in direct and
violent opposition to its execution, and nstgae igno
rant, revengefu slaves to riot and murder in order
to arrest the operation of law based constihl
tional provision, sustained by the authority of Con-
gress and sanctioned by compromise to which they
themselves were parties.
1t must be evident that no government of law can
exist where band Of runaway slaves not recognised
as citizens, armed with bowie-knivcs and revolvers
and secretly instgated and abetted by incendiary
white men, some of them calling themselves ambas-
sadors of God while at the time preaching doc
trincs that justify treason and murder skuk from all
legal responsibility, and leave their miserable dupes
to bear the brunt of the law Still less can gov
ernment of law exist where those appointed to in
terpret it, as well those by whom it is administer
ed not only assaied by every epithet of oboquy
and abuse but exposed to every species of persecu
tion from the infuriaed zeaots who have attained
temporary authority by deuding and debauching the
people.
Can reasonably expect good laws from legis-
latve body composed of majority of members sub
ject to such perncious influences? Can we reasona-
bly, anticipate independent tribunals to interpret the
laws or firm and upright officers to administer them
when one in the discharge of indispensable duty
is assaled in its character its motives, and its ac-
ton by such epthets only belong to the meanest
most despicable and depraved Of mankind and the
other performs his duty at the risk of being nur-
dered by runaway slave foaming fanatic?
Reverting to the late decision of the Supreme
Court, let for moment contemplate its scope and
tendency. II simply declares that negro is not
citizen of the United States nothing more 1t
trenches not the rights of any State nor does it
prohibit Massachusetts, New York, or any other
State from making citizens Of anybody they please
negroes, ourang- -outangs, baboons apes, or ring
. -.