Mineral Point weekly tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1859-1868, 1860-12-11

case since The commencement OF the pres
eni Administrations though often, II IS lo
be regretted. with great loss and iucot-
venIenCe, aud with considerable expense
10 the Government. Let us trust that
the State Legislatures will repeal their
unconstitutional and obnoxious enac:-
ments unless this shall be done without
unnecessary delay, Ii Is impossible Tor
any human hover 10 save the Unlon.--
The Southern States, standing on the t-,-
SIS of The Constitution. have rights to
demand lhls act of justice from the States
OF the North. Should II be refused them
the Constitution, TO which all the States
are parties, will have been wifuiIy vio-
lated by one portion Of them, IN pro-
vision essential 10 the domestic security
and happiness Of the remainder. In that
event the injured States, after having
first used all peaceful and constitutional
means 10 obtain redress, would be iusll-
he'd IN revolutionary resistance 10 the
government Of the Union.
have purposely confined my remarks
10 revolutionary resistance, because il has
been claimed within the last few years.
mat any State, whenever ii shall be her
sovereign will and pleasure. may secede
from the Union IN accordance with The
Constitution, and without any violation OF
the constitutional rights of the other mem
bers of the confederacy; that as each
became parties 10 the Union bv the vote
Is own people assembled in convention.
SO any one OF Them may retire from the
Cmon III a similar manner, by the vote
OF such i convention. In order 10 iusti
~ secession as a Constitutional remedy.
II must be on the principle that the Fed
eTal Government IS mere voluntary as
socIauon OF States, 10 be dissolved al
pleasure by one OF the contracting par
ueS- Ii tins b. so, the confederacv i
rope of sand, and to be dissolved hV the
hfSt adverse wave of public opinion in
any OF the States. Ii This manner our
mrly-three ST ties may resolve them
seIVeS INTO as many petty, Jarring and
nos. ~ republics, each one retiring from
lAe tMon without respoasl bIIuY, when
ever any sudden eXcitcrn -ut might ImD-i
,lem 70 such course; by tins process a
Cmon mlght be entirely broken mo frar-
tneHts IA a few weeks. winch cost our
l'se fathers many years Of toH, privauoa
ana blood 10 establish. Such Il principle
IS wholly inconsistent win the hIs,o~v.-
As a. was framed with The greatest d..
liberation and care, il was submitted 10
conventions OF the people Of the several
States for ratification. lis provisions
We're discussed III length in these bodies
composed ot the first men of thr country.
Ile opponents COalended that Il conferred
power upon the Federal Government
dangerous 10 the rights OF The State,
whist rs advocates maintained that uu
der tar construction Of the instrument,
mere Wa no foundation for such appre-
tensions. Ia that mighty struggle be-
tween the first InteAcC;s of this or anv
other country, II never occurred to any
individual, either among It's opponents or
advocates. 10 assert or even TO intimate.
that their efforts We're all vain labor. be-
cause lAe moment that any State fe!, her
sriI aggrieyed, she might secede from,
ihe Cuon. What crushi ~ argument
"ouia is have proved against those ~ ho
dreaded that the rights of the States
would be endangered by the Coastl,u-
uon lhe truth Is. that 1t was non un1iI
many years after the origin OF The Fed
eral Government, that such a proposition
was iirot advanced. Il was then me, and
reiuted 10y the conclusive arguments of
Genera Jackson, who, in his MESSAGE
OF the 10th OF January, 1892. transmit
nltlng the nuIhtying ordinance of South
Carolina % Congress, employs the follow
Iug language:
+" The rlght Of the people Of a single
State 10 abSOive themselves al viii. with
on the consent OF the other States. from
their most solemn Ubhgouons. hazards
the liberty and happiness OF millions com
posing tins Unlou.aud cannot be ack
uoWletged. Such authority IS believed
10 be utterly repugnaut, b0tn 10 the min
cipIes upon which The General Govern
ment IS constituted. aud 10 the objects
which L was expressly formed to auaIo.
u IS hot pretended thal any clause in the
Consihuuon gives cOunte nance TO such n
theory; II Is altogether founded upon lu-
ference, no' from any language contain
ed IN the Instrument itself, bui from the
sovereign character of the several States
by winch It was ratified; bu, il IS beyond
the power OF d State, ike an individual.
10 yield a portion OF lis sovereign rights
to secure the remainder" Ia the lar
guage Of Mr.. Madison who has been
called the FalLer OF the Constitution. il
was formed by the States, that IS by The
people IN each of the States. acting IN
their hIghest sovereign capacity, and
formed consequently by the same author
ity which formed the Stale constitutions
r Is the government OF The United
States, created by the Consultation, less
4 government, ia the sJrIctesi sense Of
the term, wItAin the sphere Of lis powers
than the governments created bY the
Constitutions Of the Safes are within
their several spheres. Il IS like them
organized into Legislative, Executive and
Judiciary departments. Ii operates Ike
them directly o. persons aud things. and
ike taem. Il has al command a payslcal
force for executing the powers commit
led 10 II; was intended 10 be perpetual
aud no, 10 be aunui.ed at the pleasure OF
any one OF The contracting par.izs Of the
moderation, a perpetual uuIC4 bsiweeu
the States, aud by the l3.h article. d, IS
expressly declared that the articles Yf
Tins Confederation. shall be inevitably
observed by every STATE, and the Union
shall be perpelualed.
The Preamble 10 The Constitution OF
the United States. having expressed re-
ference TO the articles OF Confederation,
u 1Fs-.1 S.,-.u