Cincinnati daily press. [volume] (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1860-1862, 1861-01-03

ciohists do not understand their own feel
ings. They want to be very humble and
compromising, but their enthusiasm boils
over at the first coercive demonstration.
The Question Between Senator Pugh and
the Daily Press
Senator Pugh pleaded guilty for the State
of Ohio, at the bar Of the United States SEN
ate, for violations Of the Constitution, by
nullifying laws. Senator Pugh represents
the sovereign State of Ohio in Congress, and
his plea of guilty is snaturally accepted by the
other States as official. Senator Pugh has
80 high an opinion of State sovereignty that
he regards it as superior to the Union, and
that secession is a State right. Yet as dele
gate Of sovereign State, in what he regards
as q body of sovereign States, he pleads
guilty TO q violation Of the treaty or COM
pact-as he regards (which binds them to-
gether.
The plea of guilty derives more import
ance from the doctrine which Mr.. Pugh ad-
q vocstss: that the Constitution, or compact,
iwhen violated by one party, ceases to bind
any of the parties to it. Consequently, he
pleaded guilty, for Ohio, to violation of the
Constitution which has dissolved the Uniou;
II derives more importance from the fact
that the people of State are in actual re-
bellion against the Government of the
Union; and this plea justifes the rebellion,
assumes for the State of Ohio the RESPONSE
bility for it, and shows that the Government
has no right to enforce its laws against the
insurrectioR.
We quote sentence from Mr.. Pugh's
speech at Smith and Nixon's Hail. to show
that we have no intention TO put the point
any stronger than Mr.. Pughs position will
justify: ...
81 believe that the conduct of South Caro-
lima has been rash, uncalled for and unjust.
What theD2 Do say that she has no cause2
do not say that She baa cause. Others
may differ with me, but | think she has
right to say 10 Ohio, you have not observed
the Federal Constitution; you have broken
it. In the expressive language of Daniel
Webster in 1851, a bargain broken on one
side is bargain broken ON all Sides"
1t ia thing quite unusual in history for
the ambassador of sovereign State in a
Congress of sovereign States I've use the Sc.
oession vernacular) TO accuse his own State
of violation Of sacred compact with the
other States, aud to testify against her. We
venture to say that if such au Instance is
found in history it is called betrayal, and is
coupled with bad fame.
Mr.. Pugh undoubtedly believed the State
thus guilty, or he would not have assumed
this guilt for her. In noticing his position
we remarked that Ohio had no nullfying
laws, and that we had heard of no Southern
complaints of any. In his speech here, Mr..
Pugh asked the Pass to understand that
he spoke from the records. And be went on
to specify. But the greater part of his spe
cifcatiOns were lays that have been re-
pealed, and legislative resolutions long sinct
dead. We probably might show that ther,
was no nullifcation in any of these, butthey
are not worth the powder; they are dead
If Mr.. Pugh expects TO make the State re
sponsible to South Carolina forever fo
legislation which is repealed the case i
hopeless. There is no course for Ohio il
thkt case but perpetual humiliation and pehi
tence; and in that view of the matter, thu
attitude in which Mr.. Pugh places the Stat,
is the proper one.
The only law which Mr.. Pugh specifies a
nullifying law, now in existence, is Law
authorizing the use of the jails in the Stat,
for the confinement of United States crimi
mails. AS to this, Mr.. Pugh says he speak
from the book. Without examination, vi
admit il. Yet we say that Ohio has no null
lifyiRg laws. That was our statement. Mr.
q pnot, haa oon6ruad IL
When q delegate, entrusted with the homo
OF a Sovereign State in Congress of States
accuses his own State of violating her ool
cations 10 the Others, it would seem 10 be il
cambent ON him TO make case. Has Nj
Pugh done it7 We leave il TO him TO say
He shows that Ohio authorizes the use Of be
jails for United States criminals, and hs
omitted to authorize their use for fugitiv
slaves. II he thinks he has made the cas-
We are content
This is his justification for the course
South Carolina in breaking up the ''proude
fabric of human government on which Il
sun ever shoDe, aud one founded in divin
wisdom" 1--WE like that pbrsseology for
: government which drops 70 pieces like . ro
o. ten pumpkin, at a kick from South Carolina
In all the legislation, dead or living, whic
Mr.. Pugh specified, there is Eothing 50 ofeni
i've 70 the South as the constitutional pre-
vision that slavery shall not exist in th
STATE. Mr. PIgb asserts that the Law again
holding sIsves in Ohio. which the DemocrAl
=, repealed, WasA violation of State comfy, an
great hardship on the people Of the Soutl
4 who were thus deprived of the privilege