The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1863-02-06

l. ces. these infiammatory appeals to the pee
pie against the Government. so seditious q
to startle the loyal ear and chill the popula
hearth Let every man answer TO bis con
!, science and his God.
n THoNAs B. BRYAN.
. (From the Hendricks County Ledgerl
y Judge Perkins speech.
y We have read with almost unspeakabl
/ surprise. a speech delivered by Judge Sam
o uel E. Perkins, to the "Democratic Associ
! alton Of Indianapolis" on the evening o
the 18th instant, aud published in the Dali,
}. Sentinel of the 10Th.
g When Judge of Mr.. Perkins reputation
!. and ability lays aside the ermine for thu
o time being TO play the politician, he owe.
: it to himself as we'll as to all others concern
9 ed to be Just, truthful. candid, unprejudiced
and impartial, because his standing and
e official character add an importance to his
r productions they would not otherwise pos
sess; and if the impressions made by them
r are false, they are 50 much the more mis-
chevous because the more difficult to re-
, move.
If Judge Perkins speech had been deliv-
, cred by some pot house demagogue in search
Of constabie's Office. to q circle Of unletter.
ed and uniformed back woodsmen, it would
have been taken as a matter of course. and
excited surprise in no one. But tor sjudge
OF the first responsibility to fill four columns
Of a new spsper printed at the Capital of the
j State, with the most intense partrzan malg-
nifty, the ranksst political prejudice, the
most disingenuous CRITICISMS, sill y attempts
to excite the evil passions Of ignorant men.
aud egregiousiy false versions of our politi-
cal history, is enough to astonish marble
/ statue.
His speech is an attempt 20 justify the
rebellion. and strange as 1t may seem. he
makes this attempt on . theory the leading
rebels themselves have time and again repu-
dated as utterly false.
\ The causes assigned by Judge Perkins
as justification OF the rebellion, are princi-
pslly, the following:
! 1. Abolition agitation by the Northern
4 people
2. The stealing Of negroes by the Aboli-
j tionists.
] ments multiplying the Constitution OF the
| United States
J 4. A refusal by the Northern States to
surreader criminals.
5. A resisting Of officers attempting to
execute the fugitive slave law.
! g. Enacting laws, making it a crime tor
citizens 70 obey the Constitution Of the
United States,
! We do not propose to notice these six
specifications in detail. The last three are
all Connected with the Personal Liberty
Laws adopted BY some of the Northern
States to prevent the execution OF the Fu-
9itive Slave Law, and Il general notice Of
the third oae will dispose OF all that follow.
and the first two may 60 for what they are
worth.
II tine Personal Liberty laws constitute
justification for the rebellion, those who first
adopted acd continually advocated the theo-
~ upon which they were based and Justi-
fed. are more guilty in the premises than
the men who actually adopted and attempted
to enforce them. If those who set themselves
up Tor leaders Of the people. teach false
doctrine ami induce others to err by caus-
ing them to practice it. the teachers are
moro to blame than their principal for any
evil that NAV grow out Of the practice of
such false doctrines. II the Personal Lib
erty Laws were wrong. the theory upon
which they were adopted and justified is
also wrong, and they who formed that tseo-
ry and attempted to prove it just and right.
are guilty of the wrong in a much greater
degree than they who simply framed the
laws under it,
! Who, then, were the first and continual
advocates of the doctrine that a State has
the righ, to Judge of the constitutionality OF
an ac, of Congress 1.-THE Fugitive Slave act
for in nstance) and to nullify It (by Personal
Liberty Bills for iusfsnce) if adjudged bv
such State to be unconstitutional! We shall
proceed to answer this question by citing .
small portion Of the political history of the
couutry, with which We presume Judge Per
kias is Just as familiar as we are; and our
answer to this question will efsctually dis
pose of all of the speech that is worthy OF
no'ce
During the Administration of the elder
Adams, Congress passed what are known in
history as the Allen and Sedtion Laws"
The State of virgitia became alarmed at
these laws and the a,temp, to enforce them.
aud her Leg stature. 10 1898. adopted a Sc.
riss of resolutions. denouncing these laws as
a plain and pslpabls violation of the Nation.
al Constitution, and laying down the general
doctrine that ..in case Of deliberate, palpa-
BILE and dangerous exercise of powers not
granted by the Constitution tie States have
right to interpose for afres.ing the ev:P'
&c. These resolutions were sent to the
Governors OF all the States to be communi-
! Gated By them to the several Legislatures.
They were taken up in the Legislature of
! Delaware on the 1st day OF February. 1899,
and thus uncermoniously despatched Of -
Resolved by the Senate and House of Rep
resenta,ives, in general Assembly met. that
we consider the resolutions from the State
of Virginia as very unjussifable in'erfer.
snee with the general government and con.
I s,ituted authorities Of the United States,
and Of dangerous tendency. and not there
fore fit subject for further consideration
Of this General Assembly"
The Legislature Of Rhode Island respon-
ded in February. 1899, as follows: That
in the opinion Of this Legislature. the End
Sec. of the Sd Art Of the Constitution of the
United States in these words. to wit i he
judicial power shall extend to all cases aris.
ing under the laws of the United States
vests in the federal courts exclusively. aud
in the Supreme Court finally. the authority