Mineral Point tribune. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1854-1858, 1857-04-28

lliS equal power pres .rees each sover-
elghiy within Its sphere, and while ii is
acknowledged and resp ected, the harmo-
ny OF the system Is undi>turbed but dis
regarded, denied or impaired, confusion
speedily, collision inevitably, ana destruc-
ton ultimately must follow.
But 1t has been said tha, this is nuIlifi-
cauon-nuIllhcauon OF what? Cau IL be
sand that 10 insist upon the covenants of
the constitution IS notification? Is ad-
herence 10 those rights reserved TO the
States and the people publication ? Is il
nuILilIcauon for the judicial tribunals of
the country TO inquire into the constu,lon-
ahty or an act Of the federal legislature (?
I Is II notification for citizen OF a sover-
4 elgn State to appeal from the manac!es OF
/ a federal tuncuonary 10 the judicial pow
/ er TO test The Legality Of their application /.
/ oh the coatrary, II Is Conservatism In is
/ uusei legitimate sense, acting within It's
/ constitutional scope 10y Constitutional
( means through Ins.rumentalues OF It's own
! recognition. Instead OF attempting TO
nu-iIfy law OF Congress, it is only as
Ssrtlng the supremacy OF the tuudainen-
tai law limiting and prescribing the pow
eFs OF that body. Instead OF packing up
her duds and whiSking out OF the Union.
that she might scold the more freely.
Wisconsin planted herself upon the plat
/ form OF the constitution, and insisted up
on Il strict observance OF Its grants and
covenants. She stood upon her reserved
rights aud powers, and appealed to the
compact OF The Union for the business Of
her claims; not by force-uot by hos.ile
esisieuce-not by lumuIluous demonstra-
uoh, bus by precisely the same forms ana
nStrumentaireS which the Federal Gov
eTnment employs to execute and defend
ITS Delegated powers, VIZ, by due process
of law, md before her regular cons LUTON
al tribunals. Ii tins posIuOu be called
hulliilcation when assumed by State,
what shall II be called when assumed by
the federal tuuctlonaritsl
But | can not dwell on this subject. l.
seems TO me that II the States nave no
1gnt 10 Judge Of, protect or defend their
reserved powers, except by permission o.
The Federal GoveTnment-iI The latter IS
the sole and exclusive Judge thereof, as
well as OF lis own delegated powers-lf
lhe States have no constitutional means
of selt-protectIon or defense-tnen State
sovereignty Is cheat, for Of what ayal.
IS the name OF sovereignty If 1t can ouly
be exercised at the suffrage Of a superI-
or! Let II be remembered that Wlscol-
SIN proceeded according 10 the forms o.
law, at least, aad sanding upon what h-r
older sisters had instructed ner were her
Constitutional d-Ieno,o, sae Q.d aot h.s!-
tate to lnlerpose her sovereIgu.y IN behdil
OF the complaining citizens, until the va
ldity OF ms Imprisonment should be fully
tested according 10 the forms which IN.
constitution had Itself recognized and
made perpetual. And | do not hes;la,e
TO affirm, that If the States shall improvI-
tutIy rcllnquIsh, or rather abandon this
power, or Ii 1t shall be wrested from them
Il spite OF their remoustrances, then the .
stTongholdS OF personal liberty are d. /
mohsned, and tae cItiZon IS at tae mercy 4
OF power which he Cau neither inns /
nor control. repeat, that ii Tie consli- |
tutlonal aud legal means OF defending !
their reserved powers, and IN. constI,u- !
tlonal rights OF their cluzens, shall be de- /
iIed to the States by the Federal Govern
neut, It requires not the vision OF the /
seer 10 predlci the alternate remedy.
One of the citizens OF Wisconsin pre- /
oO'i'Co ~ li47 proper dbluOIity OF tue /
STATE ms complaint, alleging thai he WAS !
uhlaW,uliy rest aIIed OF Ills ilberty. Tae /
2,dLe was bound 10 inquire mo the cause.
she Was touId to project hlm against all |
Restraint, except that which was author
lzed by her own law, or by laws enacted /
within the scope of the leg.sI4uve power /
oi tne Union. Il held by virtue OF law /
oi the latter kind, the power OF tne State !
ceased ; if not, the State was bound to IN /
terpose her sovereignty between her cIti- +.
zen and the unlawful aggress.ons of the I
federal funcnoaary. The qu-suon being
fairly presented 10 thet rILunai to wAicn
complaint was made, II could not be
avoided without gross derchcJion Of Guy.
ihe court -NcrcIsed i Judgement n slidl
case as IL precisely all olners, and ajJu-
dicdtod accordingly. The court thought
the Fugitive Slave Act OF 1850, unau-
taoriz by the federal constitution, and
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