The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1860-12-13

pursuance tnereoi; and all treaties made
or which shall be made, under the author.
ity of the U. States, shall be the supreme
law OF the land; and the judges in every
State shall be bound thereby. sn;thIng
iu the Constitution or laws Of any State
to the contrary notwithstanding
The solemn sauction Of religion ha.
been super added to the obligations of Of
Gcial duty, and all Senators and Repre-.
sentatiyes of the nited States, Executive
and Judicial officers, "both Of the United
States and of the several States. .bsll be
bound By oath or afir % alton to .upport
this Constitution"
| In order to carry into effect these pow
er., the Constitution has established q
perfect Government in all its forms. Le-
gisla,ive, Executive, end Judicisl and
this Government, to the extent of its pow
ers. acts directly upon the individual cit
izens OF every State. and executes its ogu
DEGREES by the azeuny OF Its own officer.
! - In this respect 1t differs entirely from
the Government under the old Confeder,
alton which was coU6oeG to making re
QUESTIONS on the State in their sovereign
character. This lett it in the discretion
of each whether to obey or to refuse, and
they often declined to comply with such
req0isitioDs. 1t thus became necessrS,
for the purpose of removing this bsrrier,
and Gin order to form a more perfect u
nioD," to establish Government which
could act directly upon the people, and
execute it's OVID laws without the inter rme e.
diate agency of the States. This has been
occo opIished by the Constitution of the
United States.
| ln short. the Government crested by
the Constitution, and deriving its author
ity from the sovereign people OF each OF
the several States, has precisely the ssme
right to exercise its power over the peo-
pie of all these States. in the enumerated
cases, that each one of then pos,e--es O.
yer subjects not delegated to the United
States, but reserved to the States. respeo-
lively. or to the people"
To the extent of the delegated powers
the Constitution of the Unttea States il
as much part OF the constitution of each
State. and is binding upon its people, a.
though it had been textuslly inserted
therein.
This Government, therefore. is a grea,
and powerful Government, invested with
all the sttributes of sovereisnty over the
special sobjects to which its authority ex
tends. Its trainers never intended to i'm
plant in its bosom the seeds of its OVID de
struction. nor we're they at its creation gui
lty OF the absurdity of providing for its owr
dissolution. 1t was not intended By it.
trainers to be the baseless fabric of a Wis
ion which, ct the touch of the enchanter
would vanish into thin air, but sub-tsB
tial and mighty fabric, capable of resist
ing the slow decay of time and OF defyinG
the storms OF ages.
Indeed, we'll may the jealous patriots
of that day have INDUCED fears that /
government of such high powers nigh
violate the reserved rights of the States
and wisely did they adopt the rule OF I
strict construction of these powers to pre-
vent the danger But they did not fear
nor had they any reason to Imagine. tba
the Constitution would ever be so inter
preted as to enable any State. by her owl
act and without the eonsent of her siste'
States, to discharge her people fron al
or any of their Federal obligations.
1t may be asked, then. are the peop
Of the States without redress against th'
tyranny and oppression Of the Fedora
Government By no weans. The righ
of resistance on the part of the soverDe'
; against the oppression of their govern
ments cannot be denied. 1t exist, inde
pendently of all constitutions, and ha
/ been exercised at all periods of the world
. history. Under it old governments bav
been destroyed. and uew one- have take
their place. 1t 10 embodied in stron
; and expressive language in our own Dec
, laratioD of Independence. Bot the dis
tinotion must ever he observed. that tbi
is resolution against an established Gov
: erpueut, and not a voluntary secession
from it by virtue of sn inherent eonstitu
, tioual right. In short, let us look tn
: danger fairly in the face: Secession
neither more nor less than revolution.
may. or it may not be, justi6able reSc
luton, but still it is revolution.
What, 10 the mean tiue. is the respon
! sibility and true position of the Executive
J, He is bound by solemn oath before 60
, sud the country ITO take care that ,h
D laws be faithfully executed, and frot
i; this obligation be cannot be absolSed b
D any hum an power. But what if the per
z form ance of this duty, iD whole or in par
: as bee re endered iupr actieable by event
!, over which be could have exercised n
9 controli Such, at the present momen
: is the case throughout the State Of Sout
] Carolina, so far as the laws OF tho Unite
$ States to secure the administration oil ju'
: tice By means OF the Federal Judiciar
q are concerned All the Federal oficer
), within it. limits, through whose agene
. alone these laws can be carried into execC
: ton. have already resigned, We no Iona
: er have district judge, district attoF
{ pey, or q marshal, 10 South Carolina =
: Ia fact the whole machinery OF the Fed
q ersl Government, necessary for the di'
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