Democrat and sentinel. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1853-1866, 1862-04-30
SPEECH OF
Judge Thomas. OF MaSs.,

Judge Thomas. OF Mass,
In Congress. in Reference TO the Coytfsoa-
tion BiU.
When the bill Tor the abolition of slavery
in the District of Cola:..bi. was reache in
the House on Thursday, the IO.h inst,
Mr. Webster (Md) moved to lay it aside.
Lost.
The bill in question WAS then taken up.
when
Mr.. Thomas (Mass) made speech, in
the course of which he said:
The solution Of the difficult problems Of
right and duty involved ia tie present state
Of affairs must be found in the careful study
of the principles Of the Constitution AMI the
jrst and logical application Of them to this
Eew condition of things. Ii Is by no narrow
and rigid construction Of the words Of the
Constitution that the powers and duties of
Congress on these subjects arc to be asccr-
taiDci. Every provision must he fairly CON
strued in view of tie great objects The Con
s-itutiyu was ordained tn effect. AMI with
the full recognition IF the pe~ers resulting
from the clear implication, as well As cx
press grant. Ia my humble Judgment there
has been and Is now but one Issue before the
country, and that is, whether the Cnsti,u-
ti"u .! the United States shall lie the 81,
preE1e Jaw of the land. That Constitute =
was f-rmed by the people Of the United
States Il acts not upon the States, nor
through the States moon Us As citizens Il the
I several States. but directly uGoh Us as citi-
zens Of the United States. claiming on the
one hand our allegiance, and giving to us On
/ the other its protection. The ,ioct,incs as
! tn the supremacy If the National Govern
ment within its sphere anl uf tie reserved
! rights OF the States are el, mentary. De
tweeE them there i no necessary conflict.
Each is The complement of the olier; both
vital parts of that political system under
whose admirable distribution aid adjust
mcnt o. powers the people Of tie United
States have had for seventy years incompa-
! rably the best and most Leneffcieu; govern
ment the world has ever known; a governs
ment now imPcrilIed. not by reason Of any
! inherent defect or any want of wisdom or
! foresight il its founders, not because ne
! have outgrown its provisions: not because il
is behind the age. but because L has fallen
upon an age not worthy Of it, which has
failed to appreciate the spirit OF wisdom.
I prudence and moderation in which II was
| founded. Such being the relation of tie
! Government of the United States to is ciri
zens and To the States: the first question ;Iat
arises is, how far this relation Is aff; ctcd by
| the fact that several of the States have As
sUmea, 10y ordinances Of secession. e. cai!e,i)
! TO sePerate themselves from lie Uuion2
| There IS not a clause IT word IL the CoaSri-
tuition which locks 20 separation. Ii Las
/ careful provisions for its amendment, none
for its destruction; capacity FOR expansion.
none for contraction; a door for new State
to come in, none for old or new ones t. 90
/ out An ordinance Of secession has no le.,al
meaning or force, Is wholly imperative and
void. The Constitution, and the laws an!
/ treaties made under it, the people have de-
clared ''shall be the supreme law Il the land
and the judges in every State shall be bound
thereby, anything in the Constitution OF
| laws of any State to the contrary uotwith
standing"
The act Of Secessio-s, therefore. cannot
change in the least degree the legal relation
of the State of the Union. No provision C
the Constitution Of the United States, no
law or treaty of the United States can oe
abrogated or impaired thereby. No citizen
of the United States residing in the seeded
States IS. by such ordinance of secession, de
prived of the just protection of OF exempted
from any of his duties 70 the United States.
In contemplation of law the reciprocal du-
ties of protection and allegiance remain un>
affected. After the act of secession, the
province and duty of the Government of the
United States are the same, according to the
full measure Of its ability, as before. to en-
force in every part of the Union. and ove-
every inch of its territory, the Constitution
and laws Of the United States. Il is tbs no
cssssry result Of these principles hat 10