Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1860-11-17

The Senator from pennsylvania aSKeu US lIe ott- !
er day, if we were unwilling that the powers pro-
nosed to be given to the Executive by the bill should
be confded TO the present President OF the United
States But that was not the question. He would
say that the past of the President had been
such as to entitle him to unlimited confidence, and
there was no individual to whom he wonld more
willingly confde this power than to the President
But there no man, however elevated IN Sta'io''
and ennobled by virtue, however pure his integrity
and honest his purposes, to whom he wouiu give"
power which unwarranted by the cohsut"''o"'
We are told that Jealous watch over inc repoSilo
ries Of power is the only way OF preserVinS oerty'
He conld not believe for moment, that II 'I'S pow
or Voc oive, to tho President he would abuse it.
Rpt i MIGHT in worse ti,ues than these, and Ill
vors, hands than his be abused to the destruction
of our institutions We may be tola tAat t!e pow
err will be limited to continuance and application
But what does history teach US mat inc TACT vi
TO-DAY becomes precedent tomorrow. Our own
history shows us instances OF powers, some well rs
tbIishcd as constitutional which the trainers OF inc
constitution and its early friends would have shrunh
from with dread. The General Government mas
been gradually drawing to itself the exercise Oh
doubtful powers When told that they are not CIV
en- by the constitution, they reply that they are JUS
titled by precedent
The honorable gentleman from Pennsylvania. IN
the course of his remarks, spoke OF the submissive
manner in which that State would yield o0ctrehce
to the most unjust and injurious legislation OF Con
gress The history of that State was illustrated 10y
the virtues and patriotism Oh her clllzehS, put inc
Senator would pardon him if he should say that the
| State of Pennsylvania was not quite exempt from
the faults which are imputed to the State OF South
! Carolina The course of Pennsylvania, IN the Ia
| nous Olmstead case, had some agency IN bringing
about the present state of Things IN South-CaroIina
Though South Carolina had not derived her Impulse
from that source yet the doctrines once contended
| for by Pennsylvania were appealed to IN Justihca-
ton of her present course. The opinions and prn-
cinles of Pennsylvania in the Olmsead case had been
| cited in the discussions in South Carolina, as juSt
flying her resort to sefredress He did not stamp MS
appreciation Them nor on those OF South Carollna.
| Mr. B. then read extracts from the report made IN
| the House of Representatives of Pennsylvania, on
the message of the Governor. relative to the 'dHda
mus of the Supreme Court of the United States Ill
the case of Gideon Olmstead, as follows:
That the subject referred to them has not failed
| to engage their most serionS reflection They nave
viewed it in every point Of light i'll winch II coulu
be considered 1t is by no means matter OF mott
! ference. In whatever way the Legislature may de-
! eide it will be in the highest degree Important
| We may purchase peace by 4 surrender OF right or
exhibit to the present times, and TO late posterity
an awful lesson in the conflicts to prevent it. 1t be-
comes a sacred duty We owe to our common c0un-
| try to discard puSiilanmity on the one hand, and
rashness on the other. In either case, we shall fur
niSh materials for history; and future times must
| judge of our wisdom weakness. Ancient his
tory furnishes no parallel to the constitution nf this
united republic. And should this great experiment
! fail vain may be every effort to establish rational
! liberty. The spirit of the times gives birth eal
ouSy of power; it is interviewer in system; and
| is, perhaps essential to perfect freedom and the
! rights of mankind. But this jealousy, urged 10 the
| extreme may eventually destroy liberty itself
! As connected with the federal system, the State
! Governments, with their inherent rights, must, at
every hazard, be preserved entire otherwise the
( (IpnpTll t,OVpTDnpDt IN q character
| contemplated by its tramers which may change Its
! whole nature"
"RsoIcei That in Government Ike that Of the United
States where there powers granted 10 the General Gov
ernme aud rights reserved to the States it is impossible
from the inperfecun Of language define the
EACH that difficulties should not sometimes arise fiom
collision of powers and is be lamencd ttat pro-
vision is made in the constitution for determining disputes
'ctween the General and Stale Governments by impair
ia tribunal when such cases occur.
Re0!ged That from the construction the United States
1urs give to their powers, the harmony Of the States, if
Iey resist encoachmens their rights will frequently
b. inter upted and IT, 10 prevent this evil they should,
al OCCASIONS yield TO stretches Of the reserved rights
of the States will depend the arbitrary power Of The
conrts
Ites0red That should the independence Of the States
secured By the constitution be destroyed the liberties of
the people in so extensive Il country cannot long survive
T" suffer the United States decide rights
will from bias in favor of power necessarily destroy the
of the United States becomes consolidated, may
learn, from the history C nations what will be The event.
Those papers show what were the doctrines of
Pennsylvania ut that time: and it is well known
that she went on to carry those into practical opc-
ration. She called out her whole military power Ia
resist the decree of the court and steps were taken
to bring her military force into actual service lie
did not adduce this fact because he approved Ct the
doctrines of Pennsylvania, for in his opinion, she
went too far. But he meant to show her rashneSs
did not draw down upon her the power of the Union.
The administration of that day had not to
military coercion. The decided stand which the
baAt alaDNv tn tbn
to Congress but they did not consider that any CO.
ercive necessary before the judicial tri-
bunals had tried their remedy. No bill was intro
duced in Congress, no measures recommended by
the President for meeting the measures of Pcnnsyl
vania with military force They trusted to the force
of institutions, without other remedy and those
institutions triumphed.
Should not the recollection Of this transaction in
culcate upon Pennsylvania moderation and unaba-
ted confidence in peaceful remedy? The case adj
dressed particularly 20 that State and bound her
to practise the moderation towards South Caro-
lima which the Union practiSed towards her. when,
in moment OF high excitement, she opposed her
self to the laws of the Union. He would in fnrth-
support of his views, read from speech deliver
ed by highly distinguished citizen of Pennsylva-
nia,a passage which was fraught with JUS and libe
raj sentiments. From the address delivered before
ne literary societies of Jefferson College, at the an
nual commencement in September, 1892, by the
honorable W. Wilkins, he read the following pas
sage
"If We start with horror from such fiightfu con-
sequences let efforts be directed to avert the
evil which brings them in its train Ever keep in
mind the spirit of compromise in which our const;-
tuition had its origin. Instead of defiance and deri-
sion, let adopt the tone of Cancellation and where
practicable, of concession Instead of hunting I'D
materials, from spiteful comparisons between differ
ent States or districts, let us remember only what
glorious in the history esmabe in the character
of each adopting the happy quotation of Lord
: Chatham, when deprecatng that stubborn and con-
temptuous defiance which led to the dismember-
ment of the British empire let each State in refer
: ence to every other,
! Be to her faults little blind
Be to her virtues very kind'''