Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1860-11-09
The Old Jackson Doctrines on Sc
cessiCn and HDfssamiOn.

Washington Constitution on the above sub"
jects We quote:
"Let it be remembered that the question
is not now what the South ought to do in
case of an actual and irremedial outrage up
on her rights and institutions. The threat
to secede is if Mr.. Lincoln shall be elected
viii his mere election absolve the people
of the South from their allegiance TO the
Constitution and laws Of the United States,
or relieve the President from the duty of
defending the one and executing the other ?
This is the real question under discussion.
You talk about coercing States. States
are not the subjects upon which the Constl-
tuition aud laws Of the United States operate.
EThey cannot commit treason nor be han ged
lras traitors But neither can they, by any
act Of theirs, absolve their citizens from their
allegiance to tie United States.
The Constitution contains the following
provision, viz:
sYhis Constitution, and the laws of the
United States which shall be made in pur-
suance thereof 4 x she'll be the SUI
preme law Of the land, and the judges in
every State shall be bound thereby, any
thing in the Constitution or laws of any
State to the contrary Notwithstanding
The same Constitution declares that
treason against the United States shall
consist only in levying war against them OR
in adherng to their enemies, giving them
aid and comfort"
1t also declares that the President ':shall
! take care that the laws be faithfully execu-
ted" and prescribes to him the following
oath, viz;
Il do solemnly swear that | will faith
| fully execute the Office OF President, and
will, to the best of my ability, preserve,
protect, aud defend the Constitution Of the
| United States"
Now, suppose Lincoln were elected, and
citizen of Charleston, acting with or with
out the sanction of the State authorities,
having q cargo Of sugar entering the port,
should refuse to pay the legal duties, and
with an armed party should resist the Off
GERS attempting to collect them, thus levy
ing war against the United States; do you
think the President would be faithful to his
duty and true to his cath if he did net. If
necessary, use "the militia, the army, and
navy, in taking care that the laws be faith
fully executed" and in preserving, pro-
tecting and defending the Constitution OF
the United States 7" Could he, without
official perjury and becoming traitor him
self, fold his arms aud say this won!d be
coerclng State, and under such plea suf-
fer the Constitution and laws to be subyert-
cd (? If bloodshed ensued, who would be
responsibility President, who would b.
"to the best Of his ability" attempting tt
perform his sworn duty, or the traitors wht
were attempting to subyert the govern
ment?
Your doctrine, I suppose, is that thu
State authorities or State Convention may
declare State out of the Union, and thus
absolve all its citizens from allegiance tt
the United States
| Now each State. by Convention elected
! by the people, agreed with every other State
by the adoption of the Constitution, that al
it's provisions, and the laws passed in pur-
suanoe thereof, should be "the supreme law
Of the land'
They all agreed to take portion of the
powers heretofore possessed by their res
pective State governments and vest them in
common government Chased on precisely
the same authority as their State govern
ments, whose Constitution, and the laws
passed in pursuance thereof. should be above
the reach Of all State authority. How then
can any act of a State absolye its citizens
from obedience to this 'supreme law Of the
land,' declared by the highest authorities
a Convention elected by the people, to be
binding, anything in the Constitution and
laws of any State to the contrary notwlth-
standing p
To me it is a wonder that any man can en-
terrain an idea to my mind so absurd. The
theory of our government obviously is, that
the citizen owes-allegiance to his State gov
eminent to the ertent Of its reseroed powers,
and to the General Government to the &c :
tent Of its granted poerers, and that no act
of his State can relieve him from his allegi-
ance to the United States.
Let me not be misunderstood. I do not
deny the right of rebellion in the people of
any State when unconstitutional outrages
shall be committed on their rights and in-
situations, and all hope for redress by peace
full means has vanished But deny that
the language of aspiring demagogues, or
tue election of one Of them to the Fresi-
dency, would constitute such an outrage.
| though just cause for alarm.
| also deny that in such an event the
South would be without hope of redress"
The following is an extract from General
Jackson's Proclamation to the people OF 5.
n IL Al
''But the dictates of high duty oblige
me solemnly to announce that you cannot
succeed The law Of the United States
must be executed. have no discretionary
power on the subject-my duty is emphat-
ically pronounced in the Constitution Those
who told you that you might peaceably pre-
vent their execution deceived you-they
could not have deceived themselves. X x
Their object is disunion; but be not de-
ceiyed in their names -disunion by armed
force is Treason Are you really ready to
incur this guilt? If you are, en- the heads
of the instigators of the act be the dreadful
consequences ON their heads be the dis
honor.
Scratch from the archives of your State
the disorganizing edict of its Convention.
* x