St. Charles City Republican intelligencer. [volume] (St. Charles City [Charles City], Iowa) 1857-1861, 1860-12-13

of President does not, in itself, afford
just cause for dissolving the Union
The late election having been held in
strict conformity with the provisions
of the Constitution does not Justify a
resolution to destroy this very Consti.
tuition. Reason, justice and regard
for the Constitutional all require that
we shall wait for some overt and dan
gerouS act on the part Of the Prcsi-
dent elect before rcSorting to such a
remedy.
Mr.. Buchanan refers to the fact that
the Presidents province is not to
make but to execute the laws. 1t is
alleged as one cause for immediate
secession that the Southern States are
denied equal rights with the other
States in the common territory, but by
what authority are these denied !
Not by Congress, which has never
passed, and confidently believe new
or will pass, any act to exclude slave
ry from these Territories, and GER
tainly not by the Supreme Court which
had solcmny decided that slaves are
property, and like all other property
! their owners have right to take
! them into the common Territories and
/ hold them there under the Constitution.
The anticipation that Congress may
pass some law obnoxious, is no good
reason for dissolution. The President
ro-asserts the power of Congress over
property in the Territories and the sa-
cred rights Of property are received
by the Constitutions The most pal
paDlc violation Of constitutional duty
which has yet been committed consist
in the acts of different State Lcgisla-
lures to defeat the execution of the
Fugitive Slave Law.
1t ought to be remembered, howev-
er, that for these acts neither Con-
grcss or any President can justly be
held responsible, having been passed
in violation Of the Federal Constitu-
ton, they are therefore null and void
1t will he the duty of the next Prcsi-
dent, as it has been my own, to act
with vigor in executing the fugitive
slave law against confirmed enact
mcnts of the state Legislatures. We
are not to presume in advance that he
will violate his duty, which would be
at war with every principle Of justice
let us await the overt act The fugi-
tive slave law was carried into exc
cutlon in every contested case since
the beginning Of this Administration
Let us trust that the State Lcgisla-
lures will repeal their unconstitution-
al and obnoxious enactment. Unless
this shall be done without unnccessa-
ry delay it is impossible for any hui
man power to save the Union, and the
Southern States have right to de-
mand this act of justice from the
Northern States. After having first
used all peaceful means to obtain re-
dress, would be justified in revolution
AIRY resistance to the Government of
the Union. The alleged principle that
as each State became party to the
Union by the vote of its own people
assembled in Convention, so any one
Of them may retire from the Union in
similar manner by the vote of such
Convention, is wholly inconsistent
with the history as well Us the char
actcr of the Federal Constitution.
lie then rchearscs a portion of Gen.
Jackson's Message of 1888 relative to
the multiplying ordinance Of South Car
DINA, and says this Government was
intended by it's founders to be pcrpet-
ual, and not be annullcd at the pleas
urc OF any one Of the contracting par
ties. The President then cnumcritcs
the power conferred on Congress 10y
the Federal Government, and that
these powers may be cfcctual. It
also possesses exclusive right to lay
and collect all import duties and other
taxes, and has adopted cllcctual means
to restrain the States from interfering.
In order still further to secure the un-
interrupted exercise of these high
powers against State intcrposition, it
is provided that this Constitution and
laws Of the United States which shall
be made in pursuance thereof and all
treaties made or which shall be made
under authority of the United States,
shall be the supreme law Of the land,
and the Judges i'll every State shall
be bound thereby. Anything in the
Constitution OF laws of any State or
Territory, Notwithstanding the Gov
crnmcnt created by the Constitution
and deriving its authority from the
sovereign people Of each Of the scve-
raj States, has precisely the same
right to exercise its power over the
people Of all the States in the emu
mcratcd cases that each one of them
possesses over subjects not delegated |
to the United States but reserved to |
the States respectively, or to the Peo-
pie, to the extent Of the delegated |
powers.
The Constitution of the United |
States is as much part of the CON
Stitution Of each State, and is as bind
ng Oh its people as though it had
Decn tcXtually inserted therein This
therefore, is a great and
Government, invested with
I'll the attributes Of sovereignty over
he special subjects to which It's au-
hority extends. 1t may be asked
hen, are the people of the State with,
'ut redress against tyranny and OPP
PRESTON Of the Federal Government?
BY no means. The right of resistance
N the part Of the governed against
he oppression Of their Governments
.annot be denied. 1t exists inlcpcnd-
ntly Of all Constitutions and has
'een exercised at all periods of the
worlds history But the distinction
must ever be observed that this is
evolution against an established
government and not voluntary Sc
ession from it by virtue of an inhc-
cnt Constitutional right.
In short let us look the danger fair
II the face, secession is neither more '
lOr less than revolution. 1t NAV or |
nay not be ,iustifiablc revolution, l
nut still it is a revolution. What in |
he meantime is the responsibility and
rue position Of the executive he is
pound to take care that the laws be !
executed, and from this OBJ
. -. 1 .