The Lancaster ledger. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1852-1905, 1860-12-12
The Presidents Message.


This anSiously looked for document is
at length before the country. The Presidents
position upon the secession question tho on,
ly ono in which South Carolina is now partic
ularly interested, has been pretty correctly
!foreshadowed in the telegraphlc dispatches
received from Washington before the Mes
sage was submitted to Congress. lie de-
MES that a State possesses the Constitutions
al right to secede and argues this at con-
siderable length. He says "This Govern
ment, is great and powerful Government,
invested with all the attributes of sover-
eighty over the special subjects to which
its authority extends. Its trainers never
intended to implant in its bosom the seeds
OF its own destruction nor were they at its
creation guilty of the absurdity Of provid-
ing for its own dissolution. 1t was not in.
tended by its trainers to be the baseless fa-
bic OF n vision which, at the touch of the
enchanter, would vanish into thin mir, but
substantial and mighty fabric capable of
resisting the slow decay Of time and Of de-
the jealous patriots of thai day haye indul-
ged fears that Government Of such high
powers might violate the reserved rights
of the States, and wisely did they adopt
the rule Of a strict construction of these
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, and without the consent of hei
sister States, to discharge her people from
all or any of their Federal Obligations"
But while he denies the right of State
to secede, he admits that the people are not
without redress against the tyranny and op
preston OF the Federal Government "The
right of resistance on the part of the gov
crned against the oppression Of their gov
ernmsnts cannot bo denied. 1t exists nde-
penden,ly of all constitutions, and has been
exc rcised at all periods of the worlds his
tory. Under it old governments have been
destroyed, and new ones have taken their
place. it is embodied in strong and express
language,in our own Declaration of lnde-
pendonce. But the distinction must ever
be Observed that this is revolution against
untary secession from it by virtue of an in
hersnt constitutional right. In short, let us
look the danger fairly in the face: Seces-
sion is neither more nor less than revolu.
zion. 1t may or il may not be n jus,ihable
revolution, but still it il revolution"
lie says that in the meantime, tho Exscu.
tive is bound by solemn oath before God
aud his Country to SEQ the laws properly
executed. But adds "What iT the perfor.
nance Of this duty, in whole or in part, has
been rendered impractcablc by events over
which he could have exercised no control
Such, nj the pregent moment, is the case
throughout the State Of South Carolina, so
far as the laws Of The United States to Sc
cure tho administration of justice by means
of the Federal Judiciary are concerned. All
the Federal officers within Its limits through
whose agency alone these laws can be car.
ried into execution, have already resigned
We no longer have Il Dist..ct u1ge, Dis.
trict Attorney, or n Marshal, in South Caro-
lima. In fact, the whole machinery CT the
Federal Government, necessary for the dis
trbution of remedial justice amo ng the peo.
pie, has been demolished !; and it would be
ditiic ult. if not impossible, to replace it,"
In respect to the collection of customs,
he says "The same insupcrable obstacles
do not lie in the way of executing the laws
for the collection of the customs The
revenue still continues 10 be collected, rs
heretofore, at the custom.house in Charles
ton and should the Collector unfortunately
resign, successor may be appointed to per-
form this duty" Then in regard to the Gov
ernmeDt property in South Carolina lie says
This has been purchased for n fair euuiya-
lent,by the consent of the Legislature Of the
State "for tho erection of forts, magazines,
arsenals,' &c, and over these the authority
"to exercise exclusive legislation has been
expressly granted by the Constitution to
Congress. 1t is not beIjsyed that any at.
tempt will be made to expel the United
States from this property by force but if
in this should prove to be mistaken, the
officer in command Of the forts has received
orders TO act strictly on the defensive. In
such contingency, the responsibility for
consequences would rightfuIly res: upon
the heads of The assailants."
The President says that he has no power
under the Constitution 10 eocrce into subs
mission n ssceding State. IIo submits to
Congress the whole question in all of its
bearings, and intimates that the emergency
may soon arise when that body will be call.
ed upon to decide The momentons quss tiop
whether it possesses tae power, by force
of arms, to compel State TO remain in the
Union. He takes the position that Con.
gress has no such power:
Has the Constitution delegated to Con.
gress the power to coerce Il State into sub