Glasgow weekly times. (Glasgow, Mo.) 1848-1861, 1860-12-13


Union, 10 establish Government, which
ctud act directly upon the people, and to
execute Its own laws without the inferno.
dlate agency Of the States. This has been
&C, onplished by the Constitution of the u.
nited States.
The Government, created by the Consti-
tuition and deriving lis authority from the
sovereign people Of each of the several
States, has precisely The same right TO ex-
crclse lis power over the people of all the
States in the enumerated cases which each
one of them possesses over subjects not
delegated to the United States but reserved
to The States respectively or 10 the people,
to the extent of the delegated powers
The Constitution of the United States is as
much a part of the Constitution of each
State and is as binding upon IFS people as
Thought had been textualIy inserted therein.
This Government, therefore, is great
Ind powerful Government, invested with
all The attributes of sovereignty over the
special subjects 10 which its authority ex-
tends. lis trainers never intended TO i'm
plant N lis bosom the seeds of its own de-
siruc'ion; nor were they at its creation.
guilty of The absurdity of providing for its
own dissolution.
II was not intended by lis trainers TO be
the bsseIess fabric OF a vision, which, al
The touch Of the enehanter, would vanish
into thin air, but substantial and mighty
fabric, capable of resisting the slow decay
of time, and of delying the storms of ages.
Indeed, well may jealous patriots Of that
day have INDUCED fears, that Government
Of such high powers might violate the re-
served rights Of the States, and wisely did
they adopt the rule of strict construction
Of those powers, TO prevent the danger, but
they did not fear, nor had they any reason
TO imagine, that the Constitution would
ever be so interpreted as to enable any
State, by her own act and without the con.
sent OF her sister States, to discharge her
people from all or any Of their Federal obi.
cations. -..
II may be asked, then, are the people Of
the States without redress against the tyr
amy and oppression of the Federal Gov.
ernnenl? BY no mean. The right Of re
sisance on the part of the governed against
the oppression of their governments, can.
not be denied; it exists independent of all
NohoAAAhNOboi anu has uCCl GASIClSCQ o. OIL
periods of the worlds history. Under IL
old governments have been destroyed, and
under il new ones have been replaced II
is embodied in strong and express Ian
guage, in our own Declaration of Indepen-
dence, but the distinction must ever be OBJ
served that this is revolution against an es
tablished Government, and not voluntary
secession from il by virtue Of an inheren,
constitutional right.
In short, let US lock the danger fairly in
the face; secession is neither more nor less
than revolution. 1t may or it may not be
justifiable revolution, but still il is rev.
olutien.
What, in the meantime, is the RESPONSE
biiiy and true position of the Executive?-
He is bound 10 take care that the laws be
faithfully executed, aad from this obligation
he cannot be absolved by any human power
But what if the performance of this duty, in
whole or in part. has been rendered i'm
practicable by events over which he could
have exercised no control? Such at the
present moment is the case throughout
South Caroline. So far as the laws Of the
United States TO secure the administration
of justice by means Of the Federal Judicial
ry is concerned, oil the Federal officers
h within its limits, and through whose agency
u alone these laws can be carried into execu-
lion, have already resigned.
We have no longer District Judge. or
District Attorney in South Carolina. In
fact, the whole machinery of the Federal
Government necessary for the Distribution
of remedial justice among the people has
been demolished, and it would be difficult,
if not impossible, TO replace ii.
The only acts Of Congress ON the statute
book, bearing on this subject, are those of
the 27thof February, 1875, and the Ord of
March, 1907. These authorize the Press.
ident after he shall have ascsrtained that
the Marshal with his posse conlitatus is un-
able to execte civil or criminal process in
any particular case, 10 call forth the militia
and employ the army and navy 10 aid him
in performing this service, having first by
proclamation, commanded the insurgents 10
dispense and retire peaoesbIy 10 their res
pective abodes within limited time. This
DUTY cannot by any possibility be performed
in State where no judicial authority exists
10 issue process; where there Is no Mar
shall 10 execute, and where even if there
were such an officer, the entire population
would constitute solid combination 10 re.
sist him.
The mere resistance of these provision,
proves how inadequate they are, wilhou,
further legislation, 10 overcome united
opposition in single State, not 10 sneak
OF other States who may place themselves
in similar attitude. Congress alone has
power TO decide whether the present laws
cannot be amended so as 10 carry out more
effectually the objects Of the Constitution.
The same insuperable obstacles do no, lie
in the way Ct executing the laws for the
collection of the customs. The revenue
still continues to be collected as heretofore
al the Custom House, at Charleston. and
should The collector unfortunately resign.
successor may be appointed to perfo, N this
duty. Then. in regard 10 the property of
the United States in South Carolina, this