Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1860-12-15
S1.50 \ NEAR.


Gus patriots of that day have indulged
the fears that = government OF such
higE powers might violate the reserved
rights Of the States. and wisely did
they adopt the rule Of :, strict construc-
ton of those powers, to prevent the
danger; but they did not fear, nor had
they any reason to imagine, that the
Constitution would be so interprctcd
as to enable any State, by her own act
and without the consent Of her sister
States, to discharge her people from ali
Or any @ their federal obligations.
1t ma be asked. then, are the pco~
pie Of the States without redress against
the tyranny and oppression Of the Fed
eral Government? BY no means. The
right Of resistance On the part Of the
governe! against the oppression Of their
governments cannot be denied; It cz-
lists 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, i'll our own Declaration Of
independence, ont The distinction must
ever be observed, that this is reyolu-
ton against tho established govern
ment, and not a voluntary secession
from it by virtue Of an inherent consti-
tutional right.
In short, let us look the danger fairly
III the face: Secession is nothing more
nor less than revolution. 1t may, CT It
may not, be justifable revolution, bu5
still it is revolution. What, in the
meantime, is the responsible and true
position Of the Executive, bound by
solemn oath before God and the coun-
try to take care that the laws be faith
fully executed? From this obligation
he cannot be absolved by any human
power. But what if the performance
of this dnty, in whole or in part, has
been rendered irnpracticable by events
over which they could have no control?
Such, at the present moment, is the
case throughout the State of South Car
olina. SO far as the laws Of the United
States to secure the administration Of
justice by means Ct the Federal JT"a.;-
ciary are concerned, all the Federal Of
ilcers within its limits, through whose
agency alone these laws can be carried
into execution, have already resigned.
We have no longer a 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 It.
The only acts Of Congress on the
statute book bearing upon this subject
are those Of the 28th February, i795,
and Sd March, 1907. These authorize
that the President, after he shall have
ascertaincd that the Marshal with his
posse c0mitatus is unable to execute
civil or criminal process in any particu-
lar case to call forth the militia, and
employ the army and navy to aid him
in performing the service, having first,
by proclamation commanded the insur-
gents to disperse to their respective
abode9 within limited time. This
duty cannot, by any possibility, be per
formed in State where no judicial ar
thoiity exists to issue process, and
WHERE even if there were such Offices,
the entire population would combine in
one solid column TO resist him.
The mere resistance Of those provts-.
ions proves how inadequate they are,
without further legislation, to overcome
a united opposition in single State, not
ID speak Of other States who may place
themselves in similar attitude. Con-
gress alone has the power 20 decide
whether the present laws can or can
not be amended 50 IS to carry out moro
eifectually the objects Of the Constitu-
tion. The same insupeGable obstacles
do not lie iii the way of executing lava
for the collection Of customs. The rev.
enue still continues to be collected as
heretofore at the Custom House in
Charleston, and should the Collector
unfortunately resign, another may be
appointed to perform this duty. Then,
il regard to the property of the United
States in South Carolina, this has been
purchased for fair equivalent, BY the
consent Of the Legislature Of the State.
for the erection Of forts, magazines, ar
senals, &c, and over these Tire author
ity to exercise exclusive legislation has
been expressly granted by the Court to
Congress.
1t is not believed tha. any attempt
will be made to ezpel the United States
from this property by force; but if in
this / should prove to be mistaken, the
officer in cummand of the fort has re-
ceived orders te act strictly on the de-
fcnsiyc. In such a contingency, the
responsibility for consequences would
Tightfully rest upon the heads of the
assaaants. Apart FROM the execution
cf tho Iavrs 81 far 4s tlie -aay- bo ,ro.