The weekly mountain Democrat. [volume] (Placerville, El Dorado County, Calif.) 1861-1862, 1861-01-26


triotism and setting forth succinctly con
stitutiOnal obligations, comes oppOrtunely
to meet and repel the misrepresentation
and ISLANDERS Of the Black Republicans and
their allies. We commend these views o.
Chief Justice Shaw, Ex-C Chief Justice Joe
Parker and their patriotic associates, tC
the careful consideration of all thoughtful
men
TO thS CitiseAS OF MssSaeAnsstts.
The undersigned are moved by an i'm.
perative sense Of duty to address their
fellow citizens Of the State Of Massachu.
setts, concerning the portentious condition
Of public Affairs.
We ere private citizens, Of different
political parties, neither holding nor De.
siTing any public employment, having 10
interest 10 the subject which is not com.
mon to oil, and being impelled by no mo-
tive save the lore Of our country and our
sense Of responsibility to God, for the
preservation and transmission Of the
priceless blessings Of civil liberty and
public order which His providence has
bestowed upon u.s. Many of US have
heretofore held public emplOyments, and
We sdy,nOt in spirit of boasting, that
the people have seen that we have not
been unfaithful to their trusts.
For our honest and profound convic
tionS, for the cause OF truth and right, for
the sake Of your own duties and welfare,
we ask you to hear US.
a large and important part of our COM
mon country is excited and alarmed. We
deceive ourselves if We suppose this cx.
citcmcnt and alarm arc not real, deep and
general throughout fifteen States, which
have been united to US by the closest tics
which ever did, or in the nature Of human
attairs ever can connect different political
communities.
The foundations Of our government are
shaken, and, unless the work Of destruc.
ton shall he stayed, VIC may soon see
that great Union, our honor and safety
abroad and at home, broken into weak,
discOrdant and shattered fragments; and
that people, who have dwelt under its
protection in unexamplcd peace and pros
perity, shedding fraternal blood In civil
war.
At such time, it is great and solemn
duty Of the people Of every State to con-
slider well whether any part Of the wrong
which has produced this condition of al.
fairs can justly be laid to its charge, and
il any such should be found, every con.
sideration Of duty and interest demands
that such wrong should be promptly re.
paired.
No special fallacics, no blind resent.
ments, no loud recriminations, no false
pride, should be allowed to keep as In any
wrong which can form even small part
Of the causes which threaten . great peo.
pic with ruin.
Our first duty is with ourseIvea Il can
be performed only by just candid and
manly examination Of our own conduct
When We shall have done altogether
right ourselves, VIC can firmly demand all
that is due from others, and calmly abide
whatever consequences may Cnsue from
insisting on that demand. ~ -
Fellow-citizcns of Massachusetts, we
are forced by these considerations solemn
ly to declare, that We believe the State Of
Massachusetts, has violated our great ma
tiOnal compact by laws now on her sta
tutc book, which are in direct conflict
with the Constitution and laws Of the Uni
ted States.
The Federal Government, like the gov.
srnment Of each State, extends over the
tetritory Of each State and over all per.
sons within its limits Each Of these gOE-
crnmentS is sovereign and supreme within
its own constitutional sphere Of action,
and entitled to the implicit obedience Of
the people to its laws, and to.its judicial
and executive officers appointed to apply
and enforce them. It is plain, that il one
Of these governments may command its
officers and its citizens to do an act, the
other cannot command them to abstain
from doing 1t, or require them to do some
thing which prevents or obstruct its exc
cution. II is an inevitable consequence,
that, when either persons or property
have been taken into custody of the law
Of one Of these governments, and its ex.
ccutive officers are required by its laws to
preserve that custody, then the other gov.
ernmcnt cannot require its officers and
citizens IN any manner to interfere there
with. Such interference would be plain
departure from its constitutional powers;
and laws commanding it, are laws com.
manding civil war.
Yet It Is nevertheless the fact, that If a
fugitive from service, whom the Constitu-
ton and laws Of the United States require
to be delivered up, be in the custody Of a
Marshal of the United States, who is COM
lnandcd by the laws Of the United States
to retain that custody, the laws Of Massa-
chusctts require every Judge Of its Su.
preme Court, its Superior, Probate, or
Police Court, (and any Justice of the
Peace, in some contingencies to issue a
writ requiring the Marshal of the United
States, having such custody, to bring the
fugitive before State tribunal, to subject
him to the control Of such tribunal, and
to rclinquish his custody upon its order.
And having thus taken the fugitive from
the custody of the law of the U. States,
tho State tribunal is to proceed to trial
of the matter in issue, with forms and
principles Of its own, which it is believed
have never been applied to any other case,
which are wholly inconsistent with the
laws Of the United States, and in open de-
tiance Of their authority. And, as if the
execution Of these laws could not be lefl
to the ordinary instrumentalities, deemed
sufficient for the protection Of the lives
persons and property Of our citizens, and
in preparation, as it would sesm, for an
inevitable and perilous contest, special
commissioners are required to be appoint
cd in each county Of the Commonwealth,
and the treasury Of the Commonwealth Ia
subjected. to their unlimited control, for
the purpose Of provoking the conflict and
pressing it onward 70 its final and inevi-
table issue of physical force.
Besides the laws already referred to-
there are other provisions: which are man
ifestly designed to surround the perform
ance Of our constitutional duty of surren,
dering fugitives from service, with such
obstacles as must prevent its performance
even though by SO doing, our own public
peace should DO left at tho mercy Of law
iocS nnoh - ''.''-