Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1860-12-13

ton. i"' -
SO far, then, ss Congress is concerned, th
objection 10 not to anything they have al.
ready done, but to what they may do here
after. It will surely be admitted that this
apprehension of future danger Is no good re-
stonfor an immediate dissolut Of the union
II is true that the territorial legislature OF
Ksnsas, on the 23d Of FEBRUARY, 1860, pass
ed in great haste 40 act, over the veto o
the governor, declaring that s.avcry "is, ant
shall be, forever prohibited in this Terrific
ry." Such an act. however, plainly violating
the rights Of property secured by the Con
stitution, will surely be declared void by ths
judiciary whenever II shall be presented In
legal form.
Only three dsys after my Inauguration The
Supreme Court Of the United States solemn
ly adjudged that this power did not exist in
territorial legislature Ye. such has been
the factious temper of the times that the
lcorrectness OF this decision has been extern
siyely impugned before the people, and the
question has given rise to angry political
conflicts throughout the county, Those
who have appealed from this judgment o4
our highest constitutional tribunal to popu-
.sr assemblies would, II they could, invest q
territorial legislature with power to aunul
the sacred rights Of property. This power
Congress is expressly forbidden by the Fed.
eral Constitution to exercise.
Every State legislature in the Union ia
forbidden by its own :, constitution to ex-
ercise II. II cannot be exercised in any
State except by the people in their highest
sovereign capacity when framing OF amend
| ing their State const t.tution. In Ike man
nsr, It can only be exercised BY the people
of a Territory represented in q convention
Of delegates for the purpose OF framing q
constitutions preparatory 10 admissions ass.a
State into the UHion.
Then, and not until then, are they in
vested with power to decide, the question
Lw neither slavery shall or'eshall not exist
within their limits This 10 an act Of SOW
ereigu authority, and not Of subordinate tel
ritoral legislation. Were it oths1 lits ,thsn
ind ed would the equality of the States in
the Territories be destroyed, and the rights
Of property In slaves would depend, not up
on the guarantees of the Col stitution, bul
upon the shifting msjorities Of an irrespon-
sible territorial legislature. Such doc
/ trins, from its intrinsic unsounoness, canno
long influence any considerable portion Of
ous people, much lees can it afford a.good
easen for dissolution of the Union
THE most palpabie viola tions ot constitutional
duy %hjch huve yet been cominiued consis!in !h' i
acts o! different State legislatures to defeat th'
executiea Of the iugitive-slsve law u ought Z
be remembered, however, that for these acts
neither Constess nor any President con Justly bt
held responsible. ilaviug been passed in violation
OF the Federal Constitution, they orc therefore
null and void. All tho courts, both State and
national. before whom the question has arisen,
have.from the beginning dec ared:the iugitivesavt
law to be constitutional. The single exception
is that Of State court 10 Wisconsin; and this has
not ouy been reversed by the proper appellate ri
bunal, but has met with such universal reproba
ton that there can be nd danger from II as pre-
cedent. The validity OF this law has been estah
lished over and over again by the Supreme C9ur
4 of the United States with perfect unanimity IL !
, founded upon an express provision of the Cons'i
tuition, requiring that fugitive slaves who escap'
from. service In one State to anoiher shall b
delivered up" to their masters Wuhout this pro
vision it Is well.known historical tact that tn
u Constitution itself could never have been adopted
by the Convention In one form or other unde
the acts OF 1893 and 1880 both being substantially
the same, the fugitive slave law has been the Law
OF the land from the days OF Washington unttf m
present moment, Here, then. clear case 10 pre-
Presiden,, as IL has been my own, TO act will
yiQor in executing this supreme law against tn
: conflicting enactments Of State legisiatufes:-
J Should he fall in the performances OF this mig
/ ,|uty he will then have manifested disregard q
,b, Constitution and laws, TO the great injury 9
the p,ople OF nearly one-halfof the States OF ,h
iJn;pn But are we TO presume in advance thu
he will ,bc violate his duyi This would be .
with every principle o Justice sma 0 ohli' IL
faa,;vs.s sIsv. i,,w has been carried into execu
,;nn +, av.rv con, ,sted case since the commence
s,ent oe ,be nresent administra tion; though oile
liz is 10 be regretted, E'ith great ioss ana thcor
venienee to the master, End win consioetaoe % 81 =,
pense 10 the government. ,hs;, unconstin,inr
,, Al and o6norious enae tments. Unless this sha
. be done without unnecessary del,V' " is ihPos'
BILE for any human power TO save IN ~. h:.;s
The Southern States, standing on W" ySS 'n;s +.
the Constitution, have right to de,nal'a ,a ta,s ~
OF Justice from the States OF the North shon'a !,
be refused then the Constitution. to when = ii, T.
States are parties. will have been wiituliy vio''
Ted by one portion Of them In aproyision esse.
n tisl 70 the domestics security and hapPness o, "
remainder In that event, the injured states, aHe
!, having first used all peaceful and constitution.
4 msans 20 obtain redress, would be justhed !
/, rsyo utonary resistance TO the Government oi u
II Union.
~ have purposely oonhned NY remarks 70 u
veiutiehsry rssistan os, because II has been ela
70 med within the iast few years that any suat
70 whenever this shall be Its sovereign VIII Al
10 pleasure, may seesde from the Union, In acco
!. dance With the constitution, and. witnsas o.
violation Of the constitutional rights Of the OIL
y or m embsrs Of the c0nfederacy. That az ca.
u became parties to the Union by the vote OF
3 own people assembled iu Convent on, 30 any o. o.
=. OF them may retire from the Union in . simii
= manner by the vote Of such convention.
~ In order to justify secession as q consntauo
,, Al remedy IL must be on the principle thst .
!. Federal government 10 O mere voluntary assoc
10 stlon Of States, to be dissolved at pleasure
4. any one Of the contracting parties. ~ tnis
Ia 90, the oonfsderacy 10 . rope OF SAND, 70
lie penetrated and disso.ved by the nrst savel
.. waves of public opinion In any of he states.
3. In this manner our thirty three States m
70 resolve themselvss into a. many petty, lsrril
'b- snd hostile republics, each one retiring tr'
no the Union, without responsibility, Whenever :
st, sudasn excitement might impel them 70 suci
ss- course. BY this process q union might %
ir. tirely broken into fragments In . lew wee
70 vhich csst our forefathers many years Oh v
ss privation and blood 70 establish.
Such principle 10 wholly iAconalstsnt v v
no, the history ss wsilas the character OF the ~
erai Constellation. After 1t was framed,
lts the greatest deliberation and care, II Was 81
4. mitted 70 conventions OF the people OF the o.
4, ersl States for ratification. Its provisions
- discussed at length In these bodies, compo
lu- Of the Hrst men Of the country.
Lad hat