The Jeffersonian Democrat. [volume] (Chardon, Ohio) 1854-1865, 1860-12-14


In order still further to secure the un-
interrupted exercise oil these high powers
AGAINST, etate interposition, 1t is provided
"that this Constitution and the laws OF
tho United States which shall be made In
pursuance thereof, and all treaties made
or which shall be made, under the
authority OF the United States, shall
be the supreme ja" oil tho land, and
the iudcag IN every State shall be
bound thereby, anything in the Conslitu.
.ion or laws Of one State 10 the contrary
Notwithstanding"
The solemn sanction Of religion has
been superadded to the obligations of
official duty, and all Senators and Rep
resentalives OF the United States, all
memb bers OF State Legislatures, and all
executive or judicial officers, "both o! the
United States and of the several States,
shall be bound by osth or affirmation to
support this Constitution"
In order 10 carry into effects these
powers, the Constitution has established
a perfect government in all lis forms, leg
islative, executive and judicial and this
government, TO the extent of is powers,
acts directly upon the individual citizens
of every State, and exercises its own de-
crees by the agency Of its own officers
In this respect it differs entirely from the
government under the old confederation,
which was confined to making requisitions
on the States in their sovereign character
This left it in the discretion of each
whether to obey or refuse, and they often
declined to comply with such acquisitions.
1t thus became neces essary, for the purpose
of removing this barrier, and ''in order to
form more perlec, Union," to establish a
! government which could act directly upon
the people and execute its own laws with.
out the intermediate agency Of the States.
This has been accomplished by the Con-
sttu,ion of the United States.
In short, the government created by
the Constitution and deriving its authority
from tie sovereign people Of each Of the
several States, has precisely the same
right TO exercise its power over the people
of all these States, n the enumerated
cases that each one OF them possesses
over subjects no. delegated to the United
States, but Preserved to the States, re-
spective|y, or 10 .he people,"
To the extent Of the delegated powers
the Constitution Of the United States is as
much part of the Constitution OF each
Stale, and is as binding upon its people
as though it had been texIually inserted
therein.
This government, therefore, is q grea
and powerful government, invested with
all the attributes of sovereignty over the
special subjects TO which its authority ex
tends. Its trainers never intended 20 i'm
plant in its bosom the seeds OF its own de
slruction, nor were they at its creation
guilty of the absurdiry of providing fol
its own dissolution. 1t was rot intended
by its trainers to be the baseless fabric o.
\ a vision which, at the touch Of the
enchanler, would vanish into thin mir. 5u'
substantial and mighty fabric, capable
} of resisting the slow decay Of time and o
defying the storms OF ages. Indeed, well
may the jealous patriots of that day have
) INDUCED fears that government Of such
, high powers might violate the reserved
rights Of the States, and wisely did they
adopt the rule Of strict construction o.
these powers TO prevent the danger i
But they did not fear nor had they any
reason 10 imagine, that the Constitution
would ever be SO Interpreted MS TO enable
: any State by her own act, and withou
t the consent of her sister States, to dis
: charge her people from all or any Of thcil
federal obligations.
: 1t may be asked, then, are the people
! Of the States without redress against tht
E tyranny and oppression OF the Fedora
/ government By no means. The righ
9 of resistance on the part Of the governed
against the oppression Of their govern
+, ments cannot be denied. Ii exists indie
: pendently of all Constitutions, and ha
been exercised at all periods of The world
, history. Under i! old governments hav
, been destroyed. and new ones have takel
their place. Ii is embodied in strong qn'
: express language in our own Declaration
, of Independence. But the distinction
must ever be observed, that this is revo
luton against nm established government
and not voluntary secession from it b.
, virtue OF an adherent Constitutional right
) In short. let us look the danger fairly il
'lC idSC pCICSolOh 10 HtitHSl nv
! less than revolution. Il may or il MAJ
; not be justifable revolution, but still i
is revolution.
, What, ia The mean time,is the responsi
bility and true position OF the Executive
He is bound BY solemn oath before Coo
and the country so take care that The
laws be faithfully executed" and iron,
this obligation he cannot be absolved by
any human power. But what if the per
formar ce of this duty, in whole or part
has been rendered impracticable by events
over which he could have exercised NJ
conlrol9 Such, at the present moment, il
the case throughout the State of Souti
, Carolina, so far as the laws Of The UnteC
States % secure The administration Of jus
; tice by means OF the Federal Judiciary ar,
, concerned All the federal officers within
+; its limits, through whose agency alon'
! these laws can be carried into execution
have already resigned. We no longe
a have District Judge, 6 District Attorney
. or Marshal in South Carolina. In fact
. the whole machinery OF the Federal gov
II. ernment, necessary for the distribution o
/, remedial justice among the people, ha
been demolished; and it would be difficult
e il not Impossible, to replace it..
l., oG n Abo 90 4