Holmes County farmer. [volume] (Millersburg, Ohio) 1857-1926, 1861-02-14

tlemen, you are willing to suspend all
these laws, or to wink at their inlraction.
| Why will you not suspend the revenue
laws also? Is the collection Of customs
| the great end Of all government-the
/ highest object Of all statesmanship?
Gentlemen tell us that they must main
tain the Union. yield to no man in dc.
votion to the Union Ny constituents
the people of the whole Northwest--have
for it an unalterabe attachment. They
are an inland people; they are chiefly de-
voted to agriculture; they are distant from
the ocean by thousands Of miles; they are
shut off from communication with the ma
tions Of the earth; they fear, from isola-
tion, the loss of prestige and Of power.
They are attached to the Union by the
double tie Of interest and affection; their
material prosperity is bound up in its
continuance; their hearts cling to it with
incredible tenacity. They would make
any sacrifice to maintain it, Sir, if ar
mics could preserve this Union, half mil
lion of armed men would spring up in a
night. If money could preserve it. our
teeming soil would leap with JOY to yield
golden harvest. If blood could main
tain it, our young men and maidens, our
old men andchildren, would, with Grim
son food, from their very hearts, swell
every stream that waters our plains. But
sir money, armies, blood, will not main
tain the Union. Justice, reason, peace
may. This Union, Mr.. Chairman, is a
confederation of States. The Constitu-
tion is the bond. In order to attain GER
tain ends beneficial to all, these States
came together in voluntary association.
They organized a Central Government,
, and invested it with certain powers; they
themselves agreeing to do certain things,
and to refrain from doing certain other
things, which were. clearly within the
scope of their sovereign power. In or
der to maintain this Union, in order to
| preserve this Constitution, it is necessa-
ry that every agency of this complicated
machinery--the General Government,
the States united the States severally--
should perform the functions allotted to
them by the Constitution.
Now, sir, what force of arms can COM
pei State to do that which she has agreed
not to do? What force of arms can
compel state to refrain from doing that
which her State government, supported
by the sentiment other people, is deter.
mined to persist in doing? 1t is provid
ed in the Constitution that the citizens OF
every State shall have all privileges and
immunities of citizens of the several
States. What force kf this Federal Gov.
ernment can compel the observance Of
that clause, if st 8 is determined to
pass and execute la whereby citizens
of other States shall fsst have. wtiii1. e e
limits. the same privileges as its owl cit.
liens?
"Full faith and credit shall be given in
each State to the public acts and judicial
proceedings every other State" How
will the Federal Government, by armies
ana arms, enforce the observance of that
clause in the Constitution, if the iudicia-
ry and the executive authorities Of State
supported by the laws, refuse such faith
and credit?
"No State, without the consent OF Con-
gress, shall lay any imposts or duties on
imports" Suppose a State should pass
such law, and the citizens were willing
to execute the law: what army could pre-
vent it?
''No State shall, without the consent OF
Congress, enter into any agreement OF
compact with foreign Power" | wish
to know from gentlemen, what number
of men it would require to annul such an
agreement once made. The General Gov
erument is invested with certain powers
necessary to be executed. in order to keep
the machinery the Government in mo-
ton. Can any number of troops, or the
use of any armed force on the part of the
States, compel the General Government
to execute those powers if the agents APP
pointed for that purpose deliberately, per-
siStently refuse to execute them? Sir,
the whole scheme of coercion is imprac-
ticablc. 1t is contrary to the genius and
sglrit of the Constitutions, If the Federal
Government had the physical power, it
might overrun and subdue State; it
might subjugate and take possession OF
it, and then, by Federal agents, admins
! ter the State government, and thus main
tain n government and form of Union;
but ! submit to gentlemen, that it would
not be the government of this Coustitu-
ton, it would not be the Union of these
co-equal States; it would be the unity OF
a consolidated empire.
Gentlemen should not be astonished
that ! say this. They seem to think that
this General Government has some won
derful and mysterious power over States,
which organized society has never been
able to obtain over individuals. Society,
organized in its best form, has never been
able to make man pay his debts; it has
never been able to make him fulfill his
contract; it has never been able to compel
him to execute specifically his articles of
partnership. 1t pmishes him, Itasses
ses damages against him. If he have
property, it levies these damages on his
property, If he have none, it may i'm
lrison him. Itmay even take his life
These are punishments. They do not
compel the execution of his contracts
SO it is with State. The Federal Gov
ernment, if it have the physical power,
may conquer the State; may subdue it,;
may obliterate it; but no power, less than
that Of Omnipotence, can compel it to do
that which is indispensable to the preser-
vation of the Union: namely, to revolve
within the sphere appointed for it by the
| onstitution.
GontIor,on Gnu that +bo,, W III N ot ~ n I n