The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1860-02-09

colonization but the most dangerous and fatal
course Of all is to do nothing, The South forces
agitation, by its efforts to extend slavery but,
if it did not, if it were passive, the best thing
that could happen toit would be agitation, even
if it were forced upon it, as alleged, by the
North. ssi.sa.ssselrsasa.-
VIRGINIA MULTIPLICATION PROJECTS.
There are two measures. pending in the vir-
ginia Legislature, each contemplating DELHI
crate violation of the Constitution of the Uni
ted States, which its members have taken a
solemn oath to support. The first is, A bill
making regulations concerning special licen-
ses." 1t provides that certain enumerated goods
Of Northern produce and manufacture shall
OF be sold within the State Of Virginia with
out special license, iand that tax shall be
levied on all such sales, unless the goods shall
have been imported directly from abroad, or
shall have been produced or manufactured in
the State, or in any of the slaveholding States,
or shall have been Immediately carried by the
purchaser beyond the limits of the State.
1t is scarcely necessary to show that the
passage of such an act as this would be in di-
rect violation of the Constitution, and therefore
null and void. The Constitution expressly
provides that Congress shall have power to
regulate commerce with foreign nations, and
among the several States, and with the Indian
tribes !" and that I" No State shall, without
the consent of Congress, lay any imposts, or
duties on imports, except what may be abso
lutely necessary for executing its inspection
laws and the net produce Of all duties and
imposts, laid by any State on the imports or
exports shall be for the use of the Treasury
of the United States and all such laws shall
be subject to the revision and control of the
Congress"
In view of these clauses of the Constitution,
it needs no legal or constitutional learning to
perceive the palpable nudity of the proposed
Virginia statute. AS well might the Legisla-
ture of Virginia attempt the establishment of
an order of nobility, or a. particular form of
religion, or TO negotiate treaty with England,
as to establish Southern protective tariff.
Every man who votes for this bill must feel
conscious that he is faithless to his oath of
Office. The case is too clear for dispute, and
it would be far more manly and honorable for
Virginia to secede from the Union, than to
enact this bill. into law, by men who have
sworn to support the Constitution.
This case is not at all parallel to the nulli6-
cation act of South Carolina, or to the per-
sonal liberty bills of Wisconsin, Massachusetts,,
and Vermont. In those cases, the people and
their Legislatures sincerely believed that they
Il Al n
olina regarded a tariff for protection to home
industry as a tax upon the consumer for the
benefit of the manufacturer; aud that the
Constitution gives no warrant for such legisla
ton. In like manner, the States which have
enacted personal liberty bills regard certain
features of the fugitive slave law as unconstitu-
tional and oppressive; and, acting upon the
doctrine of the Virginia and Kentucky resolu-
tons of 1898 and 1899, they have declared
them null and void.
But the-tariff which Virginia now proposes
to enact upon Northern goods and products,
discriminating in favor of al Southern States
against all Northern States, can be defended on
no such grounds 1t is simply attempt to
abolish the Constitution of the United States,
in order to crafty the sectional hatred and
jealousy which is the ruling motive of action
with her Democratic demagoguess In word,
it is legislative treason and perjury.
The other instance in which the legislators
of Virginia, with ex Gov. WISE, and probably
Gov. Letcher, at their head, propose to violate
the plain letter of the Constitution, is furnished
in the proposition to form an.alliance or treaty
with South Carolina and othe, Southern States,
the object of which is, in ceftain contingency,
to break up the Union. Sach combinations
among the States were anticipated by the fra
mers ofthe Constitution, and specially forbidden
The following clauses of the 10th section of the
first article are directly in point:
"No State shall enter into Any treaty, alliance,
or confederation" &c. And agaiu No State
shall, without the consent of Congress, lay any
duty of tonnage, keep troops Or ships of war in
time of peace, enter into any agreement or COM
pact Nth another State, orr with foreign |
Power" &c.
These clauses precisely meet the case pre-
sented in the proposition of South Carolina. 1t |
proposes a conference, with rev to the adop-
ton Of certain line of policyfor thwarting or
overturning the Federal Government. The let
ter of the Constitution forbids agreements or
compacts among the States for legitimate pur-
poses but here is proposition before the yir-
ginia Legislature to enter intQ a compact for
rebellion against the Federal Government.
That it will call for the interposition of the
Government, for the overthrow of the treasona-
bic plot, admits not of a doubt. We see il
stated in the Richmond Enquirer that there is
a probability of the scheme being defeated.
That Democratic organ deprecates its defeat
as great calamity, Of course but we sincerely
trust that its fears may be realized. If, how
ever, the Legislature enters into the compact"
with South Carolina, it will become the duty of
the President to interpose and put a stop to any
practical execution of the reasonable conspira-
cy. Whether the present Executive will be
equal to the emergency, may well be doubted.
ANOTHER SPEEcH FROM ExGOvERNoR
WIsE.-ExGov Wise, Of Virginia, has
lately been Toasted by the members of the Leg
islature, on which occasion he made one of his
Characteristic speeches. He argued at great
length to show that his military preparations
for the execution of John Brown and his con-
federates were justified by the threats which
were made of an attempt to rescue the prisoners.
He states that he received sixty letters per day
for sixty days, which would amount to 5000,
warning him of the intended rescue. This, it