Daily national Democrat., 1861-02-02
Resistance TO the Constitutional Au
thOrity.

enee and the seventy-third of our constitu-
ional union, with but few living links to
connect the past and the present; but the
annals of our country are delaced by several
efforts 90 resist the Federal authority and
one TO change a State Constitution by rebel
lion. During the Revolutionary war, and
towards its close, there were misguided Off
GERS Of the Continental army who sehemed to
break up the coufcdcracy Of the original
thr,eeeu States and form a limited monarchy,
delegating the supreme power to George
Washington, which met with no favor from
that great man, and was therefore nipped in
the bud This was the first plot; the second
was Nhays insurection in Massachusetts in
1857, which had its origin in the oppressive
taxation upon the State to pay the war debt
of the Revolution. The Continental Con-
gress had no authority to coerce obedience,
and as Shay and his adhereuts resisted the
payment Of their taxes, the Federal Govern
meut compelled aequieseence 10y formidable
military display, in which it received ,hc
cooperation of the State authorities of Mas.
sachusetts ple third breach Of good order
was the resistance in 1891 to the excise laws
in Western Pennsylvania. This third diff
Guilty occurred under the administration of
Washington and after the adoption Of the
Constitution, The rebels, some seven thou
sand strong, appeared in the field armed for
resistance Washington tried Cancellation in
vain, and then ordered out the militia Of the
contiguous States of Virginia, Maryland,
Pennsylvania and New Jersey, under the
command Of Gov. Lee, of Virginia The
order was promptly obeyed, and the yigor
Of Washugtons movement, with the over
whelmiug force opposed to the insurgents,
put an end to the Whisky Insurrection.
During the war with England, in 1914,
the Hartford Convention presented the fourth
attempt at resistance, and, as this was rather
a reasonable conference than an overt act,
its features are very similar to those of many
southern conventions and conferences we
have had in later days. The Hartford Con-
venton desired to depose James Madison by
peaceful remonstrance and to have some
changes in the Constitution. The grievance
under which the Eastern States were CALLED
was the destruction of New England COM
merce, and, to remedy this, they proposed
assuming the power to defend themselves and
disbursing share of the Federal taxes lor
that purpose Madison acted promptly
Monroe, we think, was Secretary of War,
and Gen. Jessup, then a Colonel, was sent to
the scene of the Convention to raise an
army; but the peace fortunately, by putting
an end to the causes Of disaffection, prevent
ed conflict The fierce controversy on the
question of the admission of Missouri in 1920
was the first sectional difficulty growing out
Of the subject Of slavery but the patriotic
compromise styed the storm fora season, or
we should have TO record fifth resistance to
the laws. The sixth difficulty occurred be-
tween the State of Georgia and the Federal
Government in relation to the Creek Indian
Reservations; the former tried to dispossess
the Indians from lands ceded to them. and
sent surveyors to lay them off for sale; the
Government arrested the State agents, and
the Governor attempted to liberate them by
the adoption Of legal measures and called
out the militia to defend the State against
the Federal authorities but there was no
actual intraction of the laws; and President
John Q. Adams, by purchasing the disputed
lands, again restored peace. The next in or
der, and the seventh, numerically, also origi-
mated in Georgia, in 1880, with the Cherokee
Indians. General jackson, then President,
and the Supreme Court of the United States
supported the claim Of the Chrokees to be an
independent people, but Georgia assumed
hostile attitude towards them. The Govern
ment took no measures to defend the Indians
under the treaty, and the Cherokees were re-
moved to the West
South Carolina and her nullifcation of the |
acts for collecting the federal revenue, form
the eighth Of the series, and this was the |
most important and exciting Of all. South |
Carolina decided 10y large vote to 90 out Of
the Union and organize IA separate Govern |
ment on account of the tariff acts General |
Jackson's course in this emergeucy, is well |
known; his Proclamation met the assent of |
Of all the patriots of the day, but Henry |
Clay's Compromise Tariff bin etfectuallv al |
layed the storm. The Dorr Rebellion in |
Rhode Island was the ninth event which |
startled the country, originating in an effort |
to alter the State Constitution by force and |
without resorting to the legal remedies The |
acting local government proved itself in the |
emergency; Dorr was not composed of the !
elements of great moral hero His cause
gathered more demagogues and adventures
than true patriots, and, as a necessary conse- |
quencc, his efforts failed completely The |
Mormon war was the tenth period of re- |
belion within the United States, but, as
everybody is conversant with this magnih- |
cent humbug which cost millions and accom-
plished nothing, we need not do more than |
give it passing reference.
The personal liberty bills of several Of the |
Northern States conflict with the Constitu-
tion and laws, and, although no direct rebel
lion has ever broken out in enforcing or re- |
sitting them, we put them down as the |
eleventh discordant element which has de-
veloped itself in the workings of our Federal !
and State systems of government. The |
twelfth and last of the movements looking 10 |
disruption, opposition to the laws or resist
anee to the constituted authorities is the |
present attitude Of the Cotton States. The !
brief review which we nave devoted to this |
subject shows that in every instance, except
that of Georgia and the Cherokees the su-
premacy of the laws and the dignity of the
Government have been sustained"
A Rich OBITUARY, The following is taken
from the Memphis Avalanche:
Died-On the 9th Of November last at the
ripe old age of 81 years, months and >
days UNCLE SAM, leaving a numerous and re-
spectacle set Of friends and relatives TO
mourn his loss The funeral will take place
Immediately, or at least, as soon as decency
permits. As the deceased was renowned on
tented field and the briny wave, there will |
be several voleys of musketry and few
rounds of ordinance fired over his remains |
The disease of which Uncle died was African
Itch, somewhat resembling Red River mango,
but much more yirulent and fatal. lie had |
been ailing for a long time, and his com
pIaint had become chronic, and cansol fre |