The Wyandot pioneer. (Upper Sandusky, Ohio) 1853-1868, 1860-12-06

accordance with the Constitution, and without any
of the Confederacy That each became parties 70 e
Union by the vote of its people assembled IN Con
yention, any Of them may retire from the Union
In order to justify secession constitutonal Iee
j. must be on the principle hss the be- dissolved
at tpeasure by any one OF the contract,us tn n.na
trated and dissolved by the ars adverse of public
opinion in any of the States In thus manner our my
three States may resolve one psrn1 W from tS
Union without responsibility, whenever any sudden sx
citement might impe them to suTh course. Dy sn
in few weeks which cost forefathes many years OF
TOLL privation, and blood to establish.
Such principle is wholly inconsistent ith the MS
tor ss we'll as the character the Federal
After was framed, with the greatest deieeration and
care n was submitted conventions of the people OF
the several States for ratification Its provisions were
discussed length in these bodies composed of the nrt
men of the country. Its opponents contended that 1t
conferred powers upon Federal Government danger
the rights of the States whilst its advocates main
taned that under fair construction of the instrument
there was no foundation for such apprehensions. In
that mighty struggle between the first inteects Of this
any other country never occurred to any individual
either amon1 its opponents advocates. to assert or
to intimate that their efforts all vain labor
she might secede from the Union. What crushing ar
gument would this have proved against those who
gered by the Constitution. The truth is that it not
un til many after the origin Of the Federal Govern
ment that such proposition first advanced 1t was
then met and reuted by the conclusive arguments OF
General Jackson. who in his message OF 10th January,
ls33 transmitting the nullifyng ordinance of South Car
olna to Congress, employs the following language 81
1.-THE right of the people of single State to absolye
themselves at WILL and without the consent of the other
States from their most solemn obligations, and hazard
the liberty happiness of the millions composing this
Union, cannot be acknowledged Such authority Is Dc
leved to be utterly repugnant both to the principles
upon which the General is constituted and
to the objects which expressly formed to attain
tits not pr tended that any clause the Constitution
gives countenance to such theory 1t is altogether
founded upon inference not from language contain
ed in the instrument ITSELF but from the sovereign chsr
bU yyhi
is it beyond the power of State, like an Individual 10
yield portion Of its sovereign rights to secure the re-
called the father of the Constitution: TT was form
ed by the Staesthat is by the people In each OF the
States, acting in their highest sovereign capacity; and
formed fy the same authority which formed
the State constitutions"
"Nor is the Government of the United States, created
by the Constitution less Government in the strict sense
of the term within the sphere Of its powers than the
are within their several spheres is like them,
ganzed into legislative executive and judiciary depart
ments 1t operates like them, directly on persons and
things and, like them it has at command physical
force for executing the powers committed toit."
1t intended to be perpetual and not to be annulled
at the pleasure OF of the contracting parties
The old articles of confederation entitled ARTICLES
of Confederation and Perpetual Union between the
states and by the 18th article it is expressly declared
she articles of tits Confederation shall be invola
bly, by every State and the Union shall be
petua" The preamble the Constitution Of the United
States having express reference to the articles Of Con-
federation reces that it established sin order to
form more perfect union" And yet it Is eontended
sental attribute Of perr etuy
But that the Union designed to be perpetual ap-
conclusively from the nature and extent OF the
powers conferred by The Constitution the Federal
Government. Thee powers embrace the very highest
attributes sovereignty They place both the
sword and the urge under its control Congress has
power to male war, aud to make peace; to raise and
support armies and naves and to conclude treaties with
foreign governments. 1t invested with the power to
coin money and to regulate the value Thereon, and 10
regulate with foreign G ana @
other high powers which have teen conferred upon the
Federal Government In order to carry the
powers into effect Congress possesses the exclusive
to lay and collect duties imports, and in common with
the States to lay and collect all other taxes.
But the Constitution has not only conferred these high
powers upon Congress but has adopted eecual means
to restrain the States from interfering with their exercise
For that purpose has in strong prohbitory language,
expressly declared that no State shall enter into
treaty alliance confederation; grant letters Of marque
anything hut gold and silver coin tender payment OF
debts pass bill of attainder ec post ia law or
law mpaIng the obgaon ga Of s.at More G
any imposts duties any imports exports, except
what be absolutely necessary for executing its in
cess shall belong to the United States.
no shall, without the consent of Congress
lay any duty of TONNAGE keep troops ships of
time of peace enter into agreement pact with
another State, or with foreign .poxer or engage il
war; unless actually invaded, or in such imminent Gan
ger will not admit of delay
In order still further to the uninterrupted
this Coz and the laws Of The
United States which shall be made in pursuance thereo
and all az les sS 9r Which shall be be made @ under the
Of the and the judges in State shall be bound
thereby anything in the or laws any State
to the contrary notwithstanding +"
The solemn con of has been superadded tc
the obligations of official duty, and all senators and rep
resentatves of the United States, all members of State
legislatures and all executive and judicial officers, 'bott
of the United States and of the several States shall be
bound by cath affirmation to support this Constitu
tion."
In order to into effect these powers the Constitu
ton has established perfect Government all its forms
Legislative, Executive and Judicial, and this Govern
men to the extent of its powers, acts directly upon the
individual citizens Of every State and executes its
by the agency Of its officers. In this
it differs entirely from the Government under the OLE
r Confederation, which confined to making requisi
left it in the discretion of each whether to obey to
and they often declined to comply with requi
removing hig barrier and order to form more per
feet Unien," establish Government which could
di ectly upon the people, and execute its own laws with
out the intermediate agency of the States. This ha
been accomplished by the Constitution Of the Unite
u States
In Short the Government created by the Constitution
deriving its authority from the sovereign people
each of the several staEs has precisely the same rgh
in the Grated that each of them possesse
subjects not delegated to theUnited staes but
served to the States lively, to the people
To the extent of the delegated the Constitution
of the United States much part Of the constitution
each State, and as binding its people houg
Is it had been textually inserted therein.
= This Government therefore, is great and powerful
Government, invested with all the attributes ofsovereign
y the special subjects to which, authority extends
Its trainers intended to impant in its bosom th
seeds of its destruction they creation
guilty of the absuriy of providing for its dssou
II ton. It not intended by its trainers to be the base
less fabric of vision which at the touch of the enchan
r would vanish into thin air. but substantial
fabric capable of resisting the slow decay of time and
deying the storms of ages Indeed, well may the jeaou
patriots Of that day have ndulged fears that govern
ment of such high powers might violate the reserves
rights Of the States and wisely did they adopt rule
a strict construction Of these powers to prevent thu
danger But they did not fear had they any
imagine, that the Constitution would be so in
terpreed to enable any State, by her act
wi hout the consent of her sister Stae to dischare
her people from all any of their Federal obligations
I 1t may be asked, then the people of the State
without redress against the tyranny and oppression
e the Federal Government? By means. The right O
resistance the part of the governed against the
preston of their cannot be denied 1t
independently of all constitutions and been ex
ercised at all periods of the worlds history. Under
old governments have been destroyed, and new one
have taken their place. 1t is embodied in strong
express language in Declaration of Indepen
dence. But the distinction must be observed that
this revolution against established Government auG
not voluntary secession from il by virtue of an nhe
rent constitutional right In Short look the
ger fairly in the face Secession is neither less
than revolution Itmay may not be unsuitable
revolution, but still it is revolution.
What in the meantime is the responsibility and true
position of the Executive He is bound by solemn oath
before God and the country to take that the laws
faithfully executed and from this obligation he
not absolved by any human power. But what if the
rendered mprac.icable. by events which he could
Z a. he