Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1861-01-10

sibIe 10 the other party tor its bad faith in re-
! fusing to keep it's engagements, but entirely ir-
responsible to any superior tribunal A gov
ernment on the other hand whether created
| by consent or by conquest, when clothed with
| legislative, judicial and executive powers, Is
necessarily in its nature sovereign and from
this sovereignty flows It's right to enforce its
laws and DEGREES by civil process, and, in an
emergency by its military and naval power,
The government owes protection to the people,
and they, in turn, owe it their allegiance Its
| laws cannot be violated by its citizens, without
| accountability to the tribunals created to en-
force its DEGREES and to punish offenders. Or
ganized resistance to it is rebellion. If sue
cessful, il may be purged of crime by reVou.
ton. If unsuccessful, the persons engaged in
the rebellion, may be executed as traitors
The government OF the United States, within
the limits assigned TO it, is as potential in soY-
ereignty, as any other government in the civil
lized world. The Constitution, aud laws made
in pursuance thereof, are eXpreSsl declared 10
be the supreme law of the land. Under the
Constitution, the general government has the
power to raise and support armies, to create
and maintain a navy, and to provide for calling
forth the militia to execute its laws suppress
insurrection ard repel invasion. Appropriate
statutes have been enacted by Congress, to aid
in the execution of these important govern.
mental powers.
The creation Of the Federal Government,
with the powers enumerated in the Constitu-
ton, was the act of the people of the United
States, and it is perfectly immaterial that the
people Of the several States acted separately
within the territorial limits of each State
The form Of their action is of no consequence,
in view of the fact that they created a Fede-
raj Government, to which they surrendered
certain powers of sovereignty, and declared
those powers, thus surrendered, 10 he supreme,
without reSerVing to the States, or to the peo-
pie, the right of secession, notification or 9th.
er resistance. 1t is, therefore, clear that there
is no constitutional right Of secession. SeceS
sion is only another form Of notification Ei-
ther, when attempted to be carried out by force,
is rebellion, and should be treated as such, by
those whose sworn duty it is to maintain the
supremacy Of the Constitution aud laws of the
United States
1t is certainly true, that in cases of great
extremity, when the oppression Of government
has become so intoierable that civil war is
preferable 10 longer submission, there remains
the revolutionary right Of resistance but
where the authority Of the government is lin
| tied by written Constitution. and each de-
partment is held in check by The other depart
ments, it will rarely if ever, happen that the
citizen may not he adequately protected, with
out resOrtiDg TO tue sacred and inaienable right
to resist and destroy government which has
been perverted to Il tyranny.
But, while denying the right of State to
absoVe its citizens from the allegiance which
they owe to the Federal Government, it is
| nevertheless highly proper that we should care
fully and candldly examine tue reasons which
are advanced by those who have evinced de-
termination to destroy the Union of these
American States, and if it shall appear that
any Of the causes Of complaint are well fOand-
ed, they should be unhestatingly removed, and
as far possible, reparation made for the
past, aud security given for the future for
it is not to ne tolerated, that a government
created by the people, and maintained for
their benefit, should DO injustice to any portion
| Of its citizens.
After asserting her right to withdraw from
! the Union, South Carolina, through her con-
yention, among other reasons declares that
she is justified in exercising, at this time, that
! right, because several of the States have for
years not ony refused to fulfil their constitution
obligations, but have enacted laws either null
lfying the Constitution. OR rendering useless
| the acts of Congress relative to the surrender
OF fugitive slaves-that they have permitted
/ the open establishment of societies, to disturb
| the peace Of other States that the people of
the nonslayehoIdinS States have aided in the
escape of slaves from their masters, and have
melted to serVile inSurrection those that re-
mainland have announced their deterulina-
] .l,,,i, Il IL
territory Of the Union. As the Representa-.
tives of the people of Pennsylvania it be-
comes your solemn duty to examine these Sc
rious charges made by the authority of SOW
/ ereigu State. .....
! Pennsylvania is included 10 the list of States
/ that are charged with having refused compli-
aUce with that mandate of the Constitution OF
/ the United States, which declares that no
| person held to service or labor in one State.
under the regulations therein, be discharged
! from such service or labor, but shall be deliy-
cred up, on claim of the party to whom such
service or labor may be due" So far from
admitting the truth Of this charge, | unhesi-
tatlngiy aver. that upon a careful examina-
ton, it will be found that the legislative and
| judicial action of PENNSYLVANIA, whether as q
colony, as member of the old confedera,
tion or under the existing Constitution of the
! United States, has been almost invariably iu-.
fluenced by proper appreciation of her own
obligations, aud by high regard for the rights,
the feelings and the interests Of her sister
! States
| As early as 1905, the provincial authorities
| Of Pennsylvania, after recitng in the pream-
/ BILE, that the Importation Of Indian slaves
! from Carolina, or other places hath been OBJ
served to give the Indians of this province