The Democratic press. (Eaton, Preble County, Ohio) 1860-1865, 1860-12-13

ates ana OF the several states
shlll be bound by oath or aft mt.
ton to support this Constitution.
In order to carry into effect these
powers, the Constitution has e>tab,
iished a perfect Government in all
It's forms, Legislative, Executive
and judicial, and this Government.
TO the extent Of its powers, acts Iii.
rsctiy upon the individual citizens
Of every state and executes its own
DEGREES by the agency Of its own
officers. In this respect it differs
entirely from the Government m-
der the old Confederation, which
was confined to making req1isi-
tons on the states in their sover-
eign character. This left it to the
discretion of each whether to obey
or refuse, and they often declined
to comply with such requisitions.-
1t thus becomes necessary for the
purpose of removing this barrier,
and in order to form a more perfect
union, to establish q government
which could act directly upon the
people and execute its own laws
without the Intermediate agency
OF the states; this has ben accom-
plishcl by the Constitution OF the
United States.
In short the Go!ornnUht created
by the Constitution and deriving
its authority from the sovereign
people Of each Of the several states,
has precisely the right to exercise
its power over the people of all
these States in the enumerated cas-
es, that each one of them possesses
owe subjects not delegated to the
United States, but reserved to the
states respectively or to the people.
TO the extent of he d lagated pow
crs, the Constitution of the United
States is as much a part ofthe Com
stitution of each state, and is Us
binding upon its people, Is though
it had been textually inse tad Their
in. This Governm M. there ore, is
graf and powerful Government,
invested with ali the attributes OF
sovereignty over the special subject
to which its authority extends. Is
trainers never intended to implant
in its bosom the seeds Gifts own de-
struction, o were they at its crea-
ton guilty of the absnrdity of pro-
viding for its own dissolution? 1t
was not intended by its trainers to
be the baselcss fabrick of a vision
which at the touch Of the enchan-
ter would vanish in thin air, but q
substantial and mighty fabric, ca
pable of resisting the slow decay of
time and of defying the storms of
ages. Indeed, well may the jealous
patriots of that day have iulalgcd
fear, that II Government of such
high movers might violate the re-
served tights of the states, and
wisely did they Adopt the rule Of q
strict construction of those powers
to prevent the danger; but they did
not fear, nor had they any reason
to imagine, that the Constitution
would ever be so interpreted as to
enable any State by her own act,
without The consent Of her sister
states, to discharge her people from
all OF any of their Federal obliga-
tons.
1t may he asked then, are the
people Of the states without redress
against the tyrany and oppression
Of the Federal Government? BY
no means. The right of revolution
on the part ofthe governed against
the oppression of the governments
can not b. denied; it exists indie
pcndiently of all Constitutions, and
has been exercised at all periods of
the worlds history. Under it old
governments have been destroyed
and new ones have taken their
place. 1t is embodied in strong
an | express language in our own
De ;'aration OF Independence; but
the distinction must be observed
that. as revolution against an es-
tAbIishcd government, and not a
voluntary secession from it, by vir-
TIVE cfau inherent Constitutional
right. II Short, let us look the
danger fairly in the face. Secess-
ION is neither more nor less than
revolution. II may, or it may not,
be a jGstiiaJlc revolution, but still
il is revolution.
What. in the mean time, is TIC
responsibilities and true position of
the EXcen'ive? He is bound by
SOLEMN oath, before God and the
country, to take care that the laws
be faithfully executed, and from his
obligation he can not be absolved
by any human power. Bnt what
if the performance of this duty, in
whole OF in part, has been render
ed impracticable by events over
which he could have exercised no
controle-Such rs at the present
moment is the case in the state OF
South Carolina, 80 far as the law
Of the United States to secure the
administration of justice, by means
of the Federal Judiciary, are con.
cerned. All the Federal officers
within ito limits, through whose
III H.. l,,. L. ,.,.