St. Charles City Republican intelligencer. [volume] (St. Charles City [Charles City], Iowa) 1857-1861, 1861-02-21

NOuIt III tllc lIltcu DlalcS. Ana tnC
people have generally acquiesced in
its execution, and obeycd its provis
ions OF quietly submitted to its penal,
ties, civil and criminal. And when
you examine the platforms of the Re-
publican party, you find no demand
for its repeal or its modification.
lou have, therefore, laws in full
force for carrying out this provision
OF the Constitution, conceived by your
own brains, and framed with your
own hand, still held by its author, the
Senator from Virginia, Mr.. Mason,
to be perfect; which no organized po,
lltlcal party proposes to repeal or mod
iiy, so as to weaken its efficiency, and
which is executed with singular fidcli-
ty. On this subject the Senator from
Georgia Mr.. Iversonl remarked
| - We have fugitive slave law of which
the South docs not complain. 1t is sufficient
ly guarded to accomplish all the objects for
which it was designed, if there was proper
public sentiment in the northern States No
better fugitive slave law could be devised by
this Congress or any other. 1t clothes the j,l-
dietary and executive of this Government with
ample powers to execute the laws. We do not
complain that any executive has ever been de-
rcliCt in his duty in the discharge of this law.
Mr.. Fillmore was President when this law
was passed, and it received his sanction and
! | am ready to say, that so far as he was con
cerned, he carried it out. General Pierce car
ried it out. and the present executive. So far
as they have the power, they have done their
duty faithfully"
Mr.. Holt, State Senator in the
Georgia Legislature, is reported to
have said:
Who, ask Senators, has ever made the
charge, in all the discussions on this question,
| that the Government of the United States, in
its governmental capacity, has brought any
| oppression upon you-commtted any aSgres-
sion on your rights,
! - ! stand ready to answer the charge should
it be made. True, Massachusetts has violated
the compact true, Connecticut has violated
it; true, Legislatures of other States have
passed measures obnoxious to the South and
it is equally true that the Congress OF the
! United States, in answer to the demand of the
South has passed the fugitive slave law and
it is equally true that, when application
has been made to the President of the United
States for the enforcement of the rights of the
| South. under this law, ne has poured forth the
/ Federal Treasury and made use of the Federal
bayonct. 1t is true, sir, that when your rights
! have been questioned. its Supreme Court has
maintained them. 1t is true, sir that, for the
eighty years OF the existence of this Govern
ment, it has never trampled upon your sovc-
reignty. and never refused you redress for any
wrong.
The commotion at the South does
not. therefore, arise from the failure
of the Federal Government to carry
into effect the provision Of the Consti-
tuition on the subject of rendition OF
fugitivcs from labor
2. 1t is demanded that the individ-
ual States should not enact laws in
violation of the Constitution of the
United States.
This is admitted by all. None deny
| the obligation to conform the lcgisla-
ton of the individual States to the
requirements Of the fundamental law
Of the nation. In fact, " the members
Of the several State Legislatures and
/ Governors arc required by the sixth
article Of the Federal Constitution,
, before they assume the duties of their
respective Offices, to bind themselves
by oath or affirmation to support its
provisions. The members Of every
State Legislature take this oath of Of
flee. They cannot, therefore, enact
any law in conflict with the provisions
of the Constitution, without violating
this solemn obligation.
But it is alleged that the Lcgisla-
! lures of the free States have, in fact,
enacted laws that do conflict with the
constitutional rights of the people of
the slave States, styled personal lib
crty bills" The late Democratic ma
tional conventions, which nominated
Hon John c. Breckenridge, and the
Senator from Illinois, Mr.. Douglas,
each for the Presidency, made this
charge in general terms, as a plank
in their platform I:
- Resolred, That the enactments of State
| Legislatures to defeat the faithful execution OF
| the fugitive slave law are hostile in character,
| subvcrsive of the Constitution, and reyolu-
tionary in their effect.
Is it not, therefore, wonderful that
it should be received as conceded
truth And yet SO grave a charge
should not be received without the
clcarcst proof. Is it incredible that
it could be true? 1t is hardly posi-
bic that a majority of the members of
the Legislatures of one-half Of the
States could deliberately y violate their
consciences in disregarding their oath
of office.
Who are these people thus charged
with grave crime? They are the
select representative men of a great
and highly cultivated people, chosen
by their neighbors to enact their local
laws--laws for the protection of their
own lives, liberty, property, and char
acter. Is it probable that such men
in such numbers, for long series Of
years, would deliberately and persist.
emily commit this great crime against
their own conscienccs?
But if it were credible that they
could do so-that they could, from
year to year, thus Intentionally VIC
late the plain provisions of the Con
sttution of the United Statcs-it is
: impossible that any one anywhere
could be harmed by such enactments
All such pretended laws would be to
tally void for the sixth article of the
Constitution of the United States pro
vides that
"This Constitution, and the laws of tn,
United States which shall be made in pursu
ancc thereof, shall be the supreme Law
OF the land and the judges in every Stat
. shall be bound thereby, anything in the con
stitution or laws of any State to the contrar,
! notwithstanding.
Hence, if these personal libert,
bills" violate the Constitution ano
laws of the United States, they are
void, and would be SO declared by the
: courts, State aud Federal, whenever ;
, case could arise under them. But a,
no case has arisen under them to ties
; their validity, it is manifest that thes,
: laws are believed to be constitutions
) by all parties, or are of no practica