Richmond daily Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1842-1861, 1861-01-16

In effect an act OF SECESSION Each OIL the states ina
have seeded intend to pursue this course and thus
when it s'cedes the ordinance OF secession has the
effect in WITHDRAW wing the State from the jurisdiction
the Federal Government that the ratification of the pre-
sent Constitution by State withdrew the State thus Sc
cedng, from the Jurisdiction Of the Government OF thu
old Confederation. Therefore, secession by withdraw
from the old Confederation is authority for secession
now.
Then here is an exposition of the right Of govern
ment The Government is a mere creature Of the Con
sdution Those who made il parties TO it before
the Government put into operation. We thus sho"
we have been governed by what consider were til
early teachings OF your own State Now, Congress wa
the Government the confederave agent under the articles
of Confederation the present Government is the con
federatve agent under the present Constitution aud the
States of the Union have right to resist the Sc
secession Of State than the federatve agents had tt
ffesist it.
Now how happens it that the right was not expressly
reserved by each State which ratified the Constitution
Because it deemed unnecessary Tor the reason thai
the Conventions that ratified the Constitution had before
their eyes that construction which had thus been put
upon the right to secede from the old Confederation
With that construction it wholly unnecessary, be
the ratification implied the right Of egovernment
But, independently Of the construction put upon the
right of governmen have the express reservation
sscede in several Of the States that ratified the Constr
| tion-New York, Virginia and Rhode lsland-as will
show you by reading from very able work called The
\ncTc suO P'o'iS'ons
referred toy
know it has been said it is the assertion Of the right
OF the people of the United States to do so. Who were
represented in the ratification of the Constitution p
Surely the people Therefore, the people represented by
those who made the declaration the party who have
the right to Judge of the Government and that was the
doctrine of the resolutions Of 9S99, that the States
only parties to the compact and that for any yo
laon Of the compact by State, by which the other
States Aggreved, Of each had the right to
determine for itself the mode and manner of redress.
After this Mr. Jefferson who the author Of the res
outions Of S-99 and those adopt by the Legislature
of Kentucky twice elected President Mr.. Madison,
the author OF The report Of 49, embracing the doc
trine twice elected President. Subsequently, the
New England States, in the Hartford Convention. an
nounced and confirmed the doctrine for which
are now contendipg Why they did not proceed to ex-
ercise the right they claimed do not know. Here Mr..
H. read from the proceedings of the Hartford Conven-
tom
These States having declared the reserved right Of
secession is an acknowledgment OF the same right
in all the States. There is equality in the obhg
tons by which all the States are bound to the Federal
Government and the Union 10 one Of equality. When
one State secedes it is implied reservation of the same
right on the part of all the rest
But independent of the doctrine OF III, right Of
son we are sustained in action upon another ground.
The compact between the States in the nature oil rea
y between other sovereign powers and the parties to it
all sovereign. Being sovereign and the Constitution
10 the nature of treaty. nothing better established
than that the violation of treaty by OF the parties
to il is cause for all abandoning it, Look now, what Is
claimed in addition to the injury that has been do
U.s. majority of the Free States have pissed Person
Liberty bills which nulfy the fugitive slave law They
make it penal offence for citizen to aid an officer of
the Government in the execution OF that law. What law
can be offensive to us They not only do that but de-
clare fugitive slave, while in your possession ee
man; and Michigan would even send to the penitenar
Il.
session. making bis way out OF the State as fast as
steam could carry him. A man thus arrested in that
State in possession of the fugitive slave thus recovered
according law is be sent the penitentary for ten
years and the freedom of the slave declared
A few years ago serious came under nv notice
lady was visit North, accompanied by two servant
girls aged respectively fourteen and sixteen years.
The lady Landed at Detroit Michigan. The youngest Of
her two attendant slaves carried 10 Canada. The
other locked herself in the cabin of her misresss state
and euded their search One OF the bury negroes
the wharf for committing the mistress 10 prison.
Mr. Hopkins cited OF the violation Of the Fugi
tive Slave law in Wisconsin and Pennsyvan the latter
the famous Lemon case which is about being refer
red 70 the Supreme Court of the United Staas.
Between the formation OF the Constitu ion and 1905,
when the prohibition Of the slave trade took effect,
eral of the States had omancipated their slaves Yet
the changes III the institutions OF State cannot change
the Constitution. That only be done by the mode
prescribed in the instrument itself All slavehold
ing States then except Massachusetts, and there
her plan for the gradual emancipation OF slaves had not
taken effect Then as there power given by the
Constitution prohibit the ing of ives from
State to another, such powe; Gid not exist Ye
such a power has affirmed by several OF the high
est Courts in the Northern States Then whit confidence
have in States, whose officers, sworn to support
the Constitution, guilty of such acts OF notification!
We have relied the covenant aud forms by which
treaties in Europe decided. There, treaty is only
under the seal of the State under which the treaty is
made. Here take oath, and the Constitution rt-
quires that the officers of the Government
shall be to support that Constitution.
Now, who can have any faith in them? Suppose we
review the original guarantees hope they will be
better observed than those existing under the Constu
ton? If such treaties without any oath, had been vio
lated on the part Of European nation with another,
that treaty would only be put end to- but the
ton violating would never more have been regarded
in the councils of nations Here the distinguished
speaker read that clause from the Declaration OF Inde
pendence, commencing, ave hold those truths to be
self evident" &c.
Mr.. Hopkins concluded his remarks in brilliant pero
ration.
At the conclusion Of Judge Hopkins address,
Mr.. GILMER rose, and simply returned, in graceful
manner his thanks TO the Assembly for the manner in
which the delegation from Alabama had been received
On motion, the House adjourned
NEWS FROM MEXIC0-THE DEFEAT OF MIRAM0N
CONFIRMED-DETATLS OF THE LAST STkUG.
GLE-THE LIBERALS IN THE CAPITAL, &c.
Intelligence of the defeat of Miamon and MARQUEE has
been received at Havana by the English st. from
Vera Cruz. We take the following details from the DID
rio de la Marina:
The battle took place on the bills of San Miguel Cacu-
lanpan the 22d ult and lasted two hours from eight
o'clock till in the morning. 1t very bloody and
ended in the complee route Of Miramon and his army