The weekly Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1861, 1860-12-07


the Union in a similar manner, by the vote
OF such convention. la order to justify
secession as constitutional remedy It mus
be on the principle that the Federal Govern
ment is a mere voluntary association o.
States, TO be dissolved at pleasure by any
one Of the contracting parties. II this be
80, the confederAcy is rope of sand, 10 be
penetrated and dissolved by the first adverse
wave OF public opinion in any of the States.
10 this manner our thirty three States may
resolve themselves into as many petty. jar
ring and hostile republics, each one retirn Q
from the Union without responsibility when.
ever any sudden excitement might impel
than to such course. By this process, a
i Union might be entirely broken into frgg-
ments in a few weeks. which cost our fore
fathers many years of toll. pfivation and
blood to establish. Snch a priaHiple Ia
} wholly inconsistent with It's history, as il
was iramed with the grestest elaboration
and care; it was submitted to conventions of
the people Of the several States for ratifica.
ton; its provisions were discussed at length
in these bodies, compossd of the first men
o. the country; its opponents con'endsj
that 1t conferred power upJp the Federal
|
States, whilst it's advocates mointainei that
under fair construction Of the instrument
there wss no foundltion FOR such apprehen-
sons In that mighty struggle between the
fist iateiIects in this or any country, it
never occurred to any individual, either
among its opponents or ADVOCATES, - Gsaert
or even to intimate that their eirlrts were
all vain labor, because the moment that nny
! Stale felt herself aggrievcd she might secede
from the Uoion. What crushing argu.
ment would this have proved sgsinst thosa
who dreaded that ths rights of the StAtes
would be endangered by the constitutions!
FOe truth ia, th,t it was not unit! many
years after the origin Of the Federal Gov.
ernmsnt, that such n proposition was first
advanced; it was then met aud re,ued By
the conclusive arguments of General Jack
son, who, in his Message 0 the 18Th January,
1893, transmitting the nulifyins ordinance
Of South Carolina to Congress, employs the
following language: the right Of the Peg
pie OF a single State to absIve themselves
ut will, without the consent OF other States,
from their most solemn obligations, haz4r1.
ing the lib5rty and happiness of the millions
composing this Uaion, cannot bo acknowl.
edged" Such authority IL belvei TO be
utterly repugnaat, BATH to the principles
upon which the General Government is
constituted, and to the objects which it was
expressly formed to aitain. Il i! nat pre-.
tended that any clause in the Constitution
gives countenancs 10 euch a theory; it il al
together founded upon inference, uot lrom
any language contaiUsd in the instrument
itself, but from the sovereign character OF
the several States by which it wss ratified.
But is it beyond the power of State, like
al indiyiduSl, to yield portion OF its sover-
| eisn rlghts'tS sscure the remainder. II the
language Of Mr.. Mtdi .e1, whs hss been
called the Father OF the Constitutions: at
was formed by the Stetes-thst il by the
people in each OF the States acting in ,hsir
highest sovereign capacity, and formed, con.
! seqIe9tly, BY the same authority which
formed the State constitutions" Nor is
the government Of the Unitcd States created
by the constitution, less government ia
the strict sense OF the term within the
sphere OF its powers, than ths governments
| cfsated by the constitutions OF the SIntes
are within their several spheres. is, like
them, organized into legislative, executive
and judiciary departments. Itop,rates, Ike
them, directly on persons aud thiags, and
Ike them has at command physical force
Tor executing the powers committed to it,
1t wss intended to DO perpetual, and not 10
De annul!ed at the pleasure OF any one OF
the contracting parties oil the confederation,
and perpetual Union between the States,
and by the 18th Article it is expressly DE-
clared that the articles OF this confederatioa
shall be inviolabIy observed by every State
and the Uoon shall be petpetu4l. 1'as
preamble 10 the Constitution OF the UnileJ
S;ates, having express reference to the arti
c!es oil cont ederutioU, reiterates tRat it was
established in order 10 form more perfect
union, and yet if is Conteaded that this more
perfect union does no! Include the esseatiaI
attributes Of pefpstuity. Bat that tae union
was designed y be perpetual, appears con
elusive from the nature and extent OF the
powers conferred by th- Constitution on the
Federal Government. These powers en-.
brace the very highest att ,ibutos OF national
s2verei suty-ihey place both tle sword and
tae purse under its contrJl.
! Congress has p'wer to make w.- and 70
make pesce-t to raise eni support Ornies
aud Hayies, and to conclude treaties with
foreign governments. 1t is invested with
the power to coin money. and to regulate
the value thereof aud to regulate commerce
with foreign nations and among the several
States. 1t is not necessary to ennneraie
the other high honors which hive been con.
ferred upon the Federal Government. Ia |
order to carry the enumerated powers inio
efsct, Congress possesses tAc exclusive
right to lay and collect duties on im2otls.
and ia common with the States. TO lay and
collect oil other taxes. But the CJnsitu.
ton has not eUly conferred th4se high pow.
ers upon Congress, but it has adopted etfsc
tusl means to restrain the States from inter
ferng with their exercises for that purp so.
1t has ia strong prohbitory language ex.
pressy declared that no State shall enter
into any treaty, alliance or confederation,
graat letters OF marqde and reprisal, coin
money, emit bills OF credit, make anything
but gold and silver coia teLder in payment
OF debts, pass any bill Of attsinder, sr posi-
fac!o Law or Of laws inpairiag the obtIga
tion of contracts. Moreover, without the
consent OF Congress, no State shall l.y any
mposts or duties, or any imposts or exports
except what may be absolutely necessary |
for executing its inspection laws, and if they
exceed this amount, the excesses shall be.
long to the United States, aud no State
shall, without the consent of Congress-, lay /
any duty oftonnage, keep troops or ships pt
war, 10 time OF peace, enlerNinto any agree.
ment or compact with another State, OF with
a foreign power, or engage il war, unless
actually invaded, or in such imminent dan
ger as will not admit Of delay. In order,
still farther, to secure the uninterrupted ex
ercise of these high powers against State
interposition, it is provided that this Consti-