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

IN contested CdSc SINCE luc COin-
mencement of the present Admin
istration, though often it is to be
regretted with great loss and IN
convenience to the master and with
considerable expense to the Gov
crnmcnt. Let us trust that the
State Legislatures will repeal their
unconstitutional and obnoxious en-
actments. Unless this shall be
done without unnecessary delay, it
Is impossible for any human power
to save the Union. The southern
states, standing on the basis of the
Constitution, have 4 right to de
mand this act of justice from the
states Of the North. Should it be
refused, then the Constitution to
which all the states are parties.
will have been wiIltulIv violated
BY one portion Of them in a pro-
vision essential to the domestic So
cnrity and happiness Of the re-
maindcr
In that event the injured States.
after having used all peaceful and
constitutional means to obtain re.
dress, would be justified in revolu
tionary resistance to the Govern
mcnt of the Union. | have pur-
puseIy confined my remarks to
revolutionary resistance, because it
has been claimed within the last
few years that any state, whenever
this shall be its sovereign will and
pleasure, may sccedc from the
Union in accordance with the Con-
Stitution, and without any viola
ton Of the constitutional rights of
the other members of the Contelr-
racy; that as each became parties
to the Union by the vote of its own
people, assembled in convention, SC
any one of them may retire from
the Union in n similar manner by
the vote of such a convention.
In order to justify secession as a
constitutional remedy. it must he
on the principle that the Federal
Government is Il mere voluntary
association Of states, to be dissoIv.
ed at pleasure by any of the con.
tracing parties. If this be so, tho
Confederacy is rope of sand, to be
penetrated and dissolved by the
first adverse wave of public opin.
ion in any Of the States. In thi,
manner our thirty-threc State,
may resolve themselves into a.
many petty, jarring and hostile re
pubIlcs, each one retiring from the
Union without responsibility
whenever any sudden excitement
drives them to such course. BY
this process the Union might be
entirely broken into fragments.
which cost our forefathers many
years Of toll, privation and blood
to establish. Such a principle is
wholly inconsistent with the histo-
ry as well as the character OF the
Federal Constitution. ,.. .,
After it was framed with the
great deliberation and care. it was
submitted to conventions of the
people of the several States for rat
itication. Its provisions were dis
cusscd at length in these bodies.
composed of the first men of the
country. lis opponents contended
that.it conferred powers upon the
Federal Government dangerous to
the rights of the States, while its
advocates maintained that under a
fair construction Of the instrument
there was no foundation for such
apprehension.
In that mighty struggle between
the first intellect Of this or any 9th
cr conntry.it never occurred to any
individual, either among its oppo-
ncnts or advocates, to assert or G.
ven to intimate that their efforts
were all vain labor, because the
moment that any state felt herself
aggrieved she might secede from
the Union. What a crushing ar.
gument would this have proved Il.
gainst those who declared that
the rights of the states would be
endangered by the Constitution =
The truth is, that it was not until
many years after the Federal Gov.
ernment that such a proposition
was first advanced. 1t was then
met and refuted by the conclusive
argument Of General Jackson, who
in his message of the 10th of Jan.
uary, 1888, transmitting the nulli-
flying ordinance Of South Carolina
to Congress, employs the following
language: r..
The right of the people of sin.
gle state to absolve themselves at
will, and without the consent ofthc
states, from their most solemn obh-
cations, and hazard the liberty and
happiness of the millions compoS-
ing the Union, can not be ack,
nowledged. Such authority is be.
licved to be utterly rcpugnaTT.tc,o both
to the principles nTon which " ~,
General GoEernmert .,,.t;+rt", .'
,,,..' ,.-'' ~ ''' - vplccts which it was ex
,ressly formed to attain. 1t is no
pretended that any clause in tn,