The Hillsborough recorder. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1820-1879, 1860-10-03

the Constitution of the United States does
not apply to them, they live under another
constitution Of powers perhaps more limited.
lmean the paramount law of necessity. They
are in the condition of bands and hunters or
miners located in the wilderness. who may
adopt such rules and regulations as may be
absolutely necessary for the protection OF
persons and property, until Congress ac-
knowledges their independence by admitting
them into the Union on the same footing with
the original states. At that moment, and not
before. the powers Of limited sovereignty
accrued to them and may be exercised to
protect or destroy local Institutions which
may have grown up while the Legislative
power was limited to the absolute necessity
of the occasion. If il be said, that the law
.9t necessity may be transcribed and regula-
lions adopted to destroy some kinds of pro-
perry instead ofprotecting il. answer that
such regulations would be an assumption Of
power not justified by the law Of necessity,
analogous to usurpations of power in organi-
zed communities, remedies perhaps, but
for that reason none the less unjust.
II this be not the true theory in relation to
our territories, when does sovereignty there
in begin Is the frs. settler a sovereign /?
Does sovereignty accure when there are ten,
or one hundred, or one thousand, or ten
thousand settlers? Where shall we draw
the line and pronounce that ON this side the
settlers live under the law Of necessity, and
on that they become rightfully sovereigns
The Constitution of the United States was
not made for territories but for states, as its
name implies. 1t has, by strict rules Of con-
struction, nothing TO do with territories out
side of the states united, beyond the protec-
ton and disposition of the common proper
~ therein. II seems to contemplate that the
territories shall be left to themselves until
they have population adequate to the for
nation of a respectable community, when
their independence should be acknowledged
and their admission into the Union granted
on the sole condition that they adopt re-
publican government.
But if there be doubt as TO the power ui
Congress TO legislate for the territories, is il
not safer and more consistent with democrat
ic principles TO deny the power than to as.
sumo III Some Of the original states, when
admitted into the Union, had not the popu-
latiun of third.rate city OF the present ,lay
and no harm would be likely to arise by leay.
ing the territories to themselves until they
have doubled the population Of Delaware Of
Rhode Island in 1880. But would il not be
incompsrably better TO admit them into the
Union as states, with much less population,
than to leave them to be bone of contention
among demagogues and disunionists. ,Iistur-
/ bing every essential interest Of the country
and jeopardIzing the union Of the existing
states:
Let US briefly consider the practical work
inss Of the remedy for Southern wrongs,
which you suggest, in case black republi-
can is elected 10 the presidency. You ask
is it wise, il we do not intend to submit ID
such consequences, to allow black republi.
can President 10 be inaugurated, &c., and
you say, If the South should think upon
this subject. as do, no black republican
President should ever execute any law with
in her borders unless at the point Of the bay.
sons"
know there are men in the South who
would sacrifice their lives and endanger the
communities in which they live, upon point
ofhonor, and that such men often fire up with
unwonted herceness If reminded Of the pro.
bable consequences Of their own rashness.
But the time has come when consequences
should be looked in the face, not for purposes
OF defiance, but that we may consider wheth-
er the policy which would lead to them is
required BY Southern interests or honor.
llnw do YOU propose to prevent the inau-
guratinD Of Black Republican President,
should such an one be unfortunately elected
Will you come 70 this city with an armed
iorre, and attempt 10 prevent an Inauguration
By violencei In that event force would be
met by force, and there would be instant civil
war, 10 which tie country AMI the world would
declare the South to be the aggrcssor.
lie w0uI be inaugurated, here or else.
where, 10 spite Of you. Well, suppose YOU
then attempt 70 seccde from the Union and
resist the execution Of the laws Every
lawyer IN the South knows that every citizen
Of every state is az much bound by the laws
81 the United States, constituiionally enac.
ted, as BY the laws Of his own state, and that
it is as impossible for the state TO relieve its
citizens from allegiance TO the United States
as Il is for the latter 20 relieve them lrum al.
legianee 70 their own state. And ii i the
ssOrn duty ni the President TO take care that
the laws shall be faithfully executed upon
every citizen 81 every state, aud as long as
we have faithful President they will be 81
executed, il the courts, the matshals, the ar.
my aud navy, remain faithful to tbeirrespec-
/ tive trusts.
South about reserved rights aud notification
secession, aud not coercing sovereign state,
&C., when 10 fart the conventions represent
ing The people Of the several states which
adopted the constitution. made no such re.
serystions, but bound their constituents. one
and all, 10 allegiance to the Constitution Of
the United States, a. firmly as similar con-
yentions bound them 20 the state constitution.
And although the general government cannot
technically c0efee state into obedience 20
its constitutional laws. Tie pretended re-.
served rights d notification aud secession,
tteFefnfa as in alfecf uafItfa, tnor. 0s.s Ia.