Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1860-12-20


ment. as self-contradictory as it is dangerous.
1t comes loaded with the death smell, from fields
wet with brothers blood. 1.-THE ritM principle
OF all republican governments IS the consent f
the governed, much more does Union of CO.
elu0I, s0rerefgn States require, as its basis, tie
harmony Of its members and their roluntary CO.
operation IN its Orga,tic functions"
This Is brief but pregnant passage-contains
the essential, characteristic features of our Fede-
ri system-1st That it is founded on consent:
indy. That the members of the Union are CO.
quail and sovereign States, and by consequence.
that 1T Is Federal compact; 3rdy. That it can
exist only by the voluntary consent and harmo-
NOUS cooperation Of the States, which constitute
It's members or integral parts If it be a Fede-
raj compact or league among sovereign States.
it follows by inexorable logic, that as the sove-
reign parties can have no common superior to
decide between them as to the infractions of the
compact that each must be Judge both of the
attractions and the mode and measure of redress
Among the remedies is secession from the Union
or release from the obligations of the compact
towards those States, which have broken it
This is an attribute of soverei gnty. Where or
in what clause of the Constitution can you find
evidence that the States have Invested themselves
of this attribute of their sovereignty or where do
you find that they have prohibited to each other
the exercise of it? If they have not parted with
it, then it is clear that they retain it-and that
it constitutes one of the resiauary powers re-
served, by cypress stipulation IN the Constitution,
as belonging to the States If this reservation
form part of the Constitution, then it is one of
the terms and conditions of the compact between
the States, which exists under the style and title
of the Constitution of the United States, and may
be claimed as right recognized by the Consti-
tuition, as belonging to the States. But adj
vance one step further and assert that the right
''to resume the powers they had delegated is
actually and in fact component part of the
Federal Constitution. 1t will not be disputed
that assent to and ratification of compact gives
it its force and effect and therefore forms an es
sential and vital part of it. 1t will likewise not
be denied that if the party ratifes the contract,
expressing that his assent is given with the I'M
derstanding that it leaves him power to with
draw from the contract under certain specified
circumstances, of which he is the Judge, then
this condition or reservation of power forms a
part of the contract With these preliminary
observations proceed to furnish the (locumen-
tary evidence that the right of secession or it's
equivalent, the right of State to resume her
original powers, is part of the Constitution and
a very essential part of it.
GIVE, the delegates ofthe people of Virginia, &C.,
in behalf of the people of Virginia, declare and
make known that the po,cers granted under the Con-
stituton, being derived from the people of the u
nted States, mag be resumed by them ,chensoeuer the
same shall be perverted to their injury and OPPRESSION,
Standardization of Va: Elliot's Debat 1s-yol 9,
p. 476.
New York duly electcd,' &C. 'sThat all power is
originally vested in and derived from the people,
and government Is instituted by them for their
interest, protection and security; that the po,cers
he
cessary to their happi,,ess'' &C. sUnder these i'm
pressions and declaring that the rights aforesaid
cannot be abridged or violated and that the expla-
nations aor csaid consistent with said constitu
ton, we, the delegates, &C., do assent to rafy the
said constitution. ''-Eliot's Debates-vol 4, D. 2l5
ssWe, the delegates of the people of the State of
elected" &c. 'That all power is naturally vested
in and consequently derived from the people that
magistrates therefore peir agents and rustees,
and at all times. amenable to them" ss1hot the
o1cers Of government may be reassuned by the people,
,ohesoeuer 1t shall become necessary to their happiness
&c. ssUnder these impressions and declaring these
rights cannot be abri lged violate l. and that the
explanations aforesaid consistent with the said
constitution, we, the said Delegates &C., do assent
to and ratify this said constitution. '-Eliot's De-
bates-vol. 4, p. 223.
The other States ratified without condition,
Massachusetts, and New Hampshire, "acknow-
Lodging the goodness of the Supreme Ruler of
the Universe, in affording the people of the u
nited States an opportunity, deliberately and
peaceably, without fraud or surprise of entering
into solemn and erplicH compact sciM each
other" How faithfully and honorably these
States have observed this compact. let their
Liberty Bills testify and their bservance of the
obligation to restore fugitive slaves. D pullor,
mores
Compacts must be reciprocal This condition
or reservation on the part of these three States
must be construed to extend to the other parties
to this compact; and as the condition affixed by
New York, Virginia and Rhode Island was adj
mitted by the other States, then it follows, that
this right to resume the powers they had dele
gated, or, in other phrase, withdrawn from the
Federal Union forms part of the Constitution,
which is a compact between the States united.
Well might these three States affirm the right
to resume their original powers when necessary
to their safety and happiness, and the others
admit it, when they knew that ''the power to
employ the force of the Union to coerce re-
sisting State" was thrice proposed and thrice re-
jected by the trainers of the Constitution. Thus
admitting this right; for if wrong, remedy
would have been proper and legal. Mr.. Mad
son, in his resolutions of 1898 and in letter to
Hon. VIM. c. Rives in 1888. fully comedies this
right, as deducible from a Federal compact
In the resolution of 1798 he Declares ''that
Ill CASE Vi u Pal pdUie, ueiiOtIdtt anu
exercise of other powers not granted by the COM
pact, the States who are parties thereto have the
right and are in duty bound to interfere for ar
resting the progress of the evil and for maintain
ing within their respective limits, the authori-
ties, rights, and liberties appertaining to them"
1t might be asked here if the continued assaults
upon the institution of domestic slavery, as it is
established by law in the States of the South
the publication and circulation of such produc-
tions as Helpers, endorsed by men occupying
high official position under the Federal Govern
ment, to excite our slaves to insurrecton-the
robbery of our property, the notification by
thirteen States of the law. passed for its recove-
ry-the declaration by the man they have cleo
ted to the Presidency, that. slavery must be
put in course of ultimate extinction" or agita-
ton against it would never cease at the North
chat the government could not exist half slave
and half free; it must be all free or all slave"
And Mr. Stewards declaration that "Lincoln's
election would be the downfall Of slavery