M'arthur Democrat. (McArthur, Vinton County, Ohio) 1853-1865, 1860-03-29
The Last Act OF NuiiincntiOR Of
the Constitution al the North.

the Constitution at the North.
In the proceedings of the Legisla-
ture Of Virginia On Wednesday lass,
we find q highly interesting commu-
nication from Governor Letcher,
touching the cOntumacious and extra.
ordinary conduct Of the Governor Of
Ohio, wao refused upon the requisi.
tion Of the Governor Of Virginia, to
issue wants for the extIadition Of
Owen Brown and Francis Merriam,
who were charged with being con-
cemed in the Harper's Ferry iEsur-
rection. TIE fngitiyes were refused,
first, because mo. enactment of the
State Of Ohio has clothed the Cover
nor with authority to surrender to
another State fngitives from its ius-
tice, seeking refuge there's" conse-
quently Governor Dennison nullities
the Constitution Of the United States.
because his own State does not clothe
him with any specific authority to
obey it. Senator Doolittle, Of Wis
consin, assigned more manly reason
for notification than this. He said
that every one had Alright to interpret
the Constitution for himself; that his
State had q righ'. therefore, to pass q
law neutralizing the law of Congress
carrying out the provision toi4he rem.
dition Of fugitive slaves, and that the
authority Of the Supreme Court Of
Wisconsin was at least equal, if not
superior, to that OF the United States.
We had supposed that the Oonstitu.
.tion was binding on every citizens
whether O State law endorsed it or
not; and we had further believed that
Governor Dennison had taken O sol.
emn oath to support the Constitution.
The quibbles by which he seeks to
evade his responsibility arg certainly
worthy OF a man who would "palter
in double sense" For, in the sec.
ond place, he says, under the instruc.
tion ofthe Attorney General of Ohio,
that the words "iugitives from Justice
from Virginia" in the requisition do
not necessarily mean that the fugitives
had aed.Gom Virginia, or were ever
there atsll. a..
Upon such tel al ground as this,
substantial just ~ iefnsed by Gov.
ernor otes State, VINO refuses to carry
out the compact Of the Constitution,
because it has any connection with
slavery. This shows what Republi.
canism is. Yet Governor Dennison
had the impudence in fortnight af.
ter this, to demand by requisition
from the Governor Of Virginia fu.
gitive from justice charged with les.
ser offence--one Silas Taylor, accus-
ed Of forgery.
The conduct of the Governor of
Ohio is only in keeping with that Of
the Governor Of Illinois, who recently
refused to deliver up q thief to tho
State Of Kentucky because he was al.
30 a slave, and actually contrived to
let him escape. The Governor Of
Iowa, upon mere technical point, re.
fused to surrender the brother of Cop
pic, charged with participation in the
Harper's Ferry invasion. So bad is
this last case Of Governor Dennison, of
Ohio, that the Cincinnati Gazette, the
leading organ Of Chase and Republi-
canism in the State, gives it up as in
defensible, and concludes an editorial
paragraph in which it refers to the
facts in these significant words: 1--WE
will not at present discuss the mes le-
gal points raised" Nice, indeed.
1t is this disloyalty TO the letter and
spirit of the Constitution, 80 charac.
teristic of the Republican party, that
is driving the Southern States to ex.
tremes, 'and yiN,ai if persevered in
much longer, ifiee4tably result in the
dissolution Of the Federal Republic
The policy of Northern States in which
Republcanism prevails is to enjoy all
the advantages and protection of the
Union, but not to discharge their obi.
cations. States have their duties as
well as their. rights, and il they neg
lect or refuse to discharge their duties,
how can they expect that the compact
will be observed towards them, or
that the Union, which is the strength,
the common bond and support OF all,
can be maintained in the face OF such
fragrant violations Of the magma char
ta OF American libertyl-Neo York
Herald. -
The above article explains ITSELF
1t needs no further comments. In.
deed have we fallen on evil times
when the Executive of State refuses
to deliver up to another State fugitives
IRON justice, when the requisition is
properly made Tor them. SoLnuch for
having q Republican-of the conssr.
vatice SOFT. too--as Governor.-Mil.
Adv. Hy.t
European affairs have recently
been attracting great attention. The
N. Y, Tribune gives the points as fol.
lows.
9.