The mountain Democrat., 1863-08-15
NUMB!ER.I!. %,

ment under any pretext whatever. This
is, in fact, the great fundamental principle
Of American Democracy, and It's violation
; tends inevitably to Capitalization and des.
potism. Previous to the advent of the
present Administration 1t had come to be
nearly universally conceded principle of
action, the enemies of the Democracy hav-
ing, in some cases, gone even further than
the most rigid States Right Democrat,
either North or South, could justify under
the Constitution. Congress, in 1856, pass
ed fugitive slave law in admitted pursu.
ance of the Constitution. But such ardent
State Rights men were the Federal Abo.
litiop lenders, that they stood upon their
pretended reserved nome powers and en-
acted Personal Liberty Bills in neaay all
the free States, to counteract and Ballify
the act of Congress. According to their
theory then, Congress committed an oTt.
rage, an act of usurpation upon the great
doctrine of States Rights, by going within
the States themselves, and remandiDg fu-
gitives from service which they owed to
the citizens of other States. In some
States the Legislatures made the arrest
and rendition Of these slaves q penal Of
lense, subjecting the perpetrators to heavy
fines and Imprisonment. President Pierce
was denounced as an infamous tyrant and
uSurper, because he ordered the marines
Of Portsmouth and Charlestown to aid in
executing the laws in the city of Boston
in the rendition Of Burns. How the Abo.
lition Republican leaders howled forth
their execrations! Charles Sumner, Wen!
dell Phillips & Co. harangued the excited
crowd tc scenes Of tumult and mobocracy
which resulted in the wanton murder Of
United States officer upon the steps Of the
Court House in Boston.
Massachusetts, then held with wondeful
tenacity the high State Rights prerogative
of open resistance to clearly constitu.
tional law, because it did not happen to
chime with the peculiar notions OF
her higher law fanatics. She even
visited her vengeance upon the head Of
the officer who presided in the Burns
trial, and subjected him to the official
guillotine because be dared obey his oath
of office. That was Massachusetts, State
! Rights little more than ten years agoi
Later still, she stood upon her dignity
and denied even the right of Congress to
compel witnesses to testify in regard to
Old John Browns raid at IIarper's Ferry.
E"erybody will remember the attempt
to compel the attendance Of one Sanborn,
of Concord, Mass, to testify before the
John Brown investigating committee Of
the United States Senate.
The officer sent by the Senate was re.
sisted by the abolit;onists Of Massachu.
sctts, and compelled to abandon the at.
tempt to execute his lawful authority.
South Carolina never went further in
the worst days Of notification.
Massachusetts was not alone. John
P. Hale undertook to place New Ilamp-
shire in the category Of notification. In
the United States Senate, when this ques.
, ton of compelling witnesses. under tho
law of Congress enacted in 1646, to ap.
pear and testify. was before the Senate, he
made speech, from which the following
is an extract:-
al do not know but that such use as
has been suggested may be attempted to
be made of that provision oflaw. think
the law was passed improvidently, because
| believe this Federal Government has no
sort of authority to take any citizen out
of his State, except in two instances that
are provided for in the Constitution, and
they are fugitives from Justice and fugi-
tives from labor.
The tribunal which sits in the capital
has shown that in every question in which
the rights Of (reemen Of the States are
brought in collision with the requirement
Of slavery, its members are themselves the
bascst slaves Of the Slave power They do
not enjoy[and thank God for i'll nor are
they entitled to, the confidence Of the
people of the free States. hope, sir, that
such a proceeding as has been intimated
rs finding its authority in the law referred
to, will be resisted whenever the attempt
is made. do hope and trust in
God, and in the people, too, that the usur-
patton Of Federal power, in this respect,
will be taken heed of by the Legislatures
Of the free States, and that they will place
their foot firmly upon the line ofthe Con:
stituton, and say to any Federal officer
coming with any precept from any tFibu:
nal, that when he trenches upon the sa.
cred ground of State Rights, he will be re-
sisted by all the force and all the power
that the State can call to its aid"
: This was no longer ago than Deccmber
9Th, 1859. 1t was the position of the Re-
publican leaders then as defined by Mr..
Hale, and surely he had as good right to
speak for his party as any other man.
What now has become Of this great doc
trine so sacred but little while since?
Supposing Mr.. liale's advice had been
followed during all the arbitrary arrests
and outragcs ofthc past two years? What
if it shall be followed by the people when
it shall be attempted to execute the odious
conscription act now threatening US? But
; it makes all the difference in the world
, whose hands hold the reins Of the Fedora
Government. Abolitionsm rules the
roast now, and behold the States, or the
people, have no rights worthy of cogniz-
ance or respect. The central government
is now supreme, omnipotent, allpervad.
ing. The State authorities are not even
permitted the poor privilege of appoint
ing The officers Of the Stale militia. State
laws and State Courts are set aside, and
We have the improved system of Austrian
provost guards, court martials, and all the
sweets of European. deSpotiSm.
Democracy, Republicanism, civil and
constitutional liberty, habeas corpus, and
trial by jury are obsolete, defunct, in this
sublime age of progress and improvement t
No man is safe in his own house, his per
son, or effects, for single moment Spies
! and informers infest all the..avenucs Of 30
ciety.
Secret orders connive at public plumber,
and under fictitious names, lure the uR-
wary into the meshes of an Infamous oil
: garchy to perjure their soulsin homage To
t the bloody MolOch which is trampling hp-
! man liberty into the grave. The