East Saginaw courier. (East Saginaw, Mich.) 1859-18??, 1861-03-07

whatever cause--as cheeriully to one sec
tiop as to another.
There is much controversy about the
delivering of fugitivcs from service or
labor. The clause / now read is as plain
ly written in the constitution us any 9th
er of its provisions
"No person held to service or labor in
one State under the laws thereof, escap-
ing into another, shall, in consequence of
any law or regulation therein, be dis.
charged from such service on labor, but
shall be delivered up on claim of the party
to whom SUCH service or labor may be
DUE
1t was intended by those who made it
for the retaining of what we call fegi-
tive slaves, and the intention Of the law
giver is the law All members of Con
gress swear their support to the whole
constitution-to this provision as much
as to any other. To the proposition,
then, that slaves whose cases come with
in the terms of this clause shall be deliv-
cred, their oaths are unanimous. Now,
if they would make the effort in good
temper, could they not, with nearly cqua!
unanimity, frame and pass law by means
Of which to keep good that unanimous
oath? There is some difference of opin-
ion whether this clause should be en-
forced by National or State authority,
but surely that difference is not very
material one. If the slave is to be sur
rendered, it can be of but little conse-
quenee to him or to others by which au-
thoyity j. is done, and sborl1 any one, in
any case, be content that his oath shall
be unkept on mere unsubstantial con
troverSy as to how it shall be kept p
Again, in any law upon this subject,
ought not all the safe guards of liberty
known in civilized and human jurispru.
dence to be introduced, so that free
man may not be in any case surrendered
as a slave? aud might it not be WELL at
the same time, to provide by law for the
enforcement of that clause in the con-
stitution which guarantees that the citi
zens of each State shall be entitled to all
the privileges and immunities of citizens
in the several States?
| take the official oath to-day with no
mental reservations, and with no purpose
to construe the constitution Of laws by
any hypercriticsl rules; and, while | do
not choose now to specify particular acts
of Congress as proper to be enforced, |
do suggest that it will be much safer for
US, both in official aud private stations,
to conform to and abide by all those acts
which stand unrepeal led, than to violate
any of them, trusting to find immunity III
having them held to be unconstitutional.
1t is seventy-two years since the first
inauguration of President under our
national constitution. During that peri
cd fifteen different and greatly disting-
uished citizens have in succession admin
istered the Executive branch of the gov
eminent. They have conducted it through
many perils, and generally with great
success; yet, with all this scope for pre-
cedent, | now enter upon the same task,
for the brief constitutional term of four
years, under great aud peculiar ditiicul-
ties. Disruption of the Federal Union,
heretofore only menaced, is now fomld-
ably attempted. | hold that, III contem-
plation of universal law and Of the con.
stitution, the Union of these States is
perpetual. Perpetulty is implied, if not
expressed in the fundamental law Of al
national governments. 1t is safe to as
sert that government proper never had
provision in its organic law for its own
termination. Continue to execute al
the express provisions of our nationa
constitution, and the Union will endure
forever, it being impossible to destroy II
except by some action not provided FOL
in the instrument itself.
Again, if the United States be not q
government proper, but an association OF
States in the nature of a contract merely
can it, as a contract, be peacefully I'M
made by less than all the parties WHIT
made it? One party to contract may
violate it--break it, SO to speak; but does
it not require all to lawfully rescind it?-
Descending from these general princi
Pies, we fluid the proposition that in lega
contemplation the Union is perpetua
confirmed by the history of the Union 1t
self. The Union is much older than tho
constitution. 1t was formed, in fact, by
the articles Of association i'll IVA. II
was matured and continued by the Dccla
ration of Independence in l776. 1t wa
further matured, end the faith of all the
then thirteen States expressly pllghtec
and engaged that it should be perpetual
by the articles of confederation III IT'S
and finally in 1871 one of the declared
objects for ordaining and establishing The
constitution was to form more perfec
Union. If withdrawal by one or by
part only of the States be lawfully posi-
BILE, the Union is less than before, thu
constitution having lost the vital elemen
of perpetuity. 1t follows from these
views that no State, on its own mere
motion, can lawfully get out of the Union
that resolves and ordinances to that eli
feet are legally void; and that acts of vi
olence within any States or State agains
the authority of the United States arr
insurrectionary or revolutionary accord
inc to circumstances. | therefore con
slider that, in view of the constitution anC
laws, the Union is unbroken, and to thu
extent Of my ability shall take care, a
the constitution itself expressly enjoin
on me, that the laws of the Union bt
c,;,bf,Ilv ayecutad in all tho States =