, 1860-12-06

Constitution has cstabli4:hed perfect govern
mcnt in all its forms, Legislative, Executive
and Judicial, and the Government to the c1-
tent Of its powers. as'ts upon the individual
citizens Of every State and executes it's own
.lecrces by the agency Of Its own officers. In
this respect II differs entirely from the Gov
crnmcnt under the old Confederation, which
was confined to making acquisitions on the
States in their sovereign character This left
II In the discretion of ea.cll whether to ohcy or
refuse, and they often declined TO comply with
such acquisitions. 1t thus bocamc necessary.
for the purpose Of removing th c barrier, mud In
nrdcr to form more perfect union to estab-
ligh Government which could act directly ur-
IN the people, and execute its own laws with
ont the intermediate agency OF. the States.
This has been accomplished by the Couetitu-
tion Of the United States.
In ehort, the Government created by the
Constitution, and drawing its authority from
tho sovereign people Of each Of the sovereign
states, has precisely the same right TO excr-
risc its power over the people Of ali States in
The enumerated cases, that each one Of them
possesses over subjects not delegated to the
United Statca, but reserved to the Statcs re-
ercctiycly. or to the people. To the extent Of
the delegated |'owcrs, the Constitution of tho
uuitcd States is as much part Of the Cons:i-
tuition of each State, and is as binding upon
the people as though 1t had been fcxtually in-
ncrtcd therein. This Government, therefore,
Is . great and powerful government. invested
with nll tho attributes Of sovereignty Of the
special subjects to which its authority ex-
lends. Its trainers never intended to implaut
in Its bosom tue seeds of Its own destruction,
nor were they, at it's creation, guilty Of the
absurdity Of providing for its own dissolution.
1t was not intended by liz trainers to be the
basclcss fabric OF q vision, which, at the touch
Of the cuchantcr, would yunish into thin air,
but substantial and mighty fabric, capable
Of resisting the slow dctay Of time, and Of de-
f<-sSa ctr <,F 1~In
jealous patriots Of that day have indulgcd
fears that government Of such high powers
might vinlatc the reserved rights OF the States.
aud wisely did they adopt tie rule Of strict
construction Of those powers, to prevent the
danger; but they did not fear, nor had they
would be SO Interpreted as to enable any
Statc, by her own act and without the consent
Of her sister States, to discharge her people
from all or any Of their federal obligations
It may be asked, then, are the people Of the
States without redress against the tyranny and
oppression Of the Fedefal Governments By
no means. The right Of resistance on the
part of the governed against the oppression of
their governments cannot be denied 1t exists
independent Of all constitutions, and has been
exercised at all periods Of the worlds history.
Under It old governments have been destroyed,
and under It new ones have been replaced.
It is embodied In strong and express language,
In our own Declaration of Independence, bat
the distinction must cver be observed, that
this Is revolution against the established gov
ernment, and not voluntary secession from
1t by virtue Of an Inherent constitutional
right,
In short, let us look the danger fairly in the
face: Secession Is nothing more nor less than
revolution. It may or It may not be justifia-
bic revolution, but still 1t Is revolution. What,
In the meantime, is the responsibility and true
position Of the executive, bound BY solcmn
oath before God and the country to take caro-
thai the laws be faithfully executed? From
this obligation he cannot be ahsolred by Apy