The Placer herald. [volume] (Auburn, Placer County, Calif.) 1855-1991, 1864-09-03

their proceedngs) to those parts of the constitu-
ton of the United States, which delegate to
| Congress power to lay and collect taxes duties,
imposts excuses; to pay the debts and provide for
the common defence and general welfare Of the
| United States, and to make all laws which shall
be necessary and proper for carrying into execu-
| ton the powers vested by the constitution in the
| Government of the United States, or in any de-
partment or officer thereof. goes to the destruc-
ton of all limits present. ed to their power by the
constitution that words meant by the instrument
| to be subsidiary only to the execution of limited
| powers. ought not to be so construed as them
| selves to give unlimited powers, nor u part of
them to he taken. as to destroy the whole residue
of hr id.trument. That the proceeding Of the
Ger'TH G"rernment under color OF those articles
will rc "a nd necessary subject Tor revsal and
| CORE, lion al L time Of great tranquility, while
| those -peciied in the preceding Resolutions call
| for Immediate redress
| s. Resolved, That the preceding resolutions be
| transmitted to the Senators and Representatives
in Congress from the commonwealth. who are
| enjoined to present the same to their respective
houses, and to use their best cndeavors to pro-
cure at the next session OF Congress a repeal of
the aforesaid unconstitutional and obnoxious acts
| ReSolUed, lastly. That the Governor of this
commonwealth be, and is authorized and request
ed to communicate the preceding resolutions to
the legislatures OF the several States. to assure
them that this commonwealth considers union for
specified rational purposes. and particularly for
those specified in their late Federal compact 10 be
friendly to the peace. happiness and prosperity
of all the States-thlt faithful to that compact
according TO the plain intent and meaning in
which it was understood and acceded to by the
several parties it IS sincerely anxious for its pre-
servation; that ii does also believe, that to take
| from the Stat all the powers Of scll-gOVern-
meut. and transfer them to a general and cons0l-
| dated government, without regard to the special
! delegations and reservations. soemnly agreed to
| in that compact. is not for the peace. happiness
| and prosperity Of these States. And that there
| fore. this commonwealth is Determined as it
doubts not It's co-states are, to submit to undele-
| gated and consequently unlimited powers in no
man. or body OF men, on earth; that if the acts
| before specified should stand these conclusions
would grow from them. that the General Gov
ernment may place any act they think proper on
| the list OF crimes and punish it themselves,
| whether enumerated or not enumerated by the
constitution cognizable by them that they may
transfer its cognzance TO the President or any
other person. who may himself be the accuser,
| counsel. judge and jury, whose suspicious may
be the evidence, his order the sentence, his officer
the eXccutioner. and his breast the sole record of
the transaction, that 4 very numerous and valua-
bic description of the inhabitants OF these States,
being by this precedent reduced as outlvs to the
absolute dominion OF one man, and the barriers
of the constitution thus swept from us all. no
| rampant now remains against the passions and
the power Of a majority of Congress to protect
ishment the minority of the same body, the legis-
laures, judges, governors and counselors OF the
States. nor their other pcaCcable inh }htantS who
may venture to reclaim the constitutional rights
and liberties of the States and people. or who
for other causes. good or bad. may be obnoxious
to the views. or marked by the suspicious OF the
President, or to be thought dangerous to his or
their election or other interest," public or person
al: that the lrendlcss alien has been selected rs
the safest subject Of first experiment, but the
citizen will soon follow. or rather has already
followed; for. already has a sedltiOn act marked
him as its prey. That these and successive acts
OF the same character unless arrested at the
threshold may tend TO drive these States into
revolution and blood, and will furnish new calum-
MES against republican government and new
preteXts for those who wish it to be believed that
man cannot be governed bat by rot of iron;
that ii would be dangerous delusion were a
confidence in the men OF our choice to silence
our fears for the safety OF our rights; that con
filence is everywhere the parent of deSpOtiSm:
free government is founded in jealousy and not
| in confidence; it is Jealousy and not confidence
which prescribes limited constitutions to bind
down those whom we are obliged to trust with
power, that our constitution has fixed the limits
TO which. aud no further our confidence may go;
and let the honest advocate OF confidence reld
the alien aud scdition acts, and say if the cOusti-
ton has not been wise in fixing limits to the gov
ernment it created. and whether we should he
wise in destroying those Limit? Let him say
what the government is. if it be not a tyranny,
which the men Of our choice have conferred Oa
the President. and the President Of our choice has
assented to and accepted over the friendly strun-
gers to whom the mild spirit of Our country and
its laws have pledged hospitality and protection;
that the men OF our choice have more respected
the bare suspicious OF the President than the solid
rights OF innocence, the claims oil Justification
the sacred force OF truth, and the forms aud sub
stance OF law and justice. In questions OF power,
| then. let no more be heard Of confidence in man.
but bind him down from mischief by the chains
of the constitution That this commonwealth
does therefore call on its cO-states for express
sion OF their sentiments on the acts concerning
aliens, and for punishment of certain crimes
herenbefore specified. plainly declaring whether
these are or are not authorized by the Federal
compact. And ii doubts not that their sense will
be announced as to prove their attachment
unatcred to limited government, whether gen
eral or pal tcuar, and that the rights and liber
ties Of their cO-states will be exposed to no dan
gers by remaining embarked on a common bottom
with their own. But they will concur with this
commonwealth in considering the said acts as so
palplble against the constitution as to amount to
an undsguised declaration that that compact is
not meant to be the measure OF the power Of the
| General Government, but that it will proceed in
the exercise over these states OF all powers what
soever That they will view this as Selling the
ri ghts Of the states and consolidating them in the
hands of the General Government, with the power
! assumed to bind the states. not merely in cases
made Federal. but in all cases whatsoever, by
laws made not with their consent. but by others
against their consent; that this would be to sur
render the form OF government we have chosen,
and living under one deriving its power from its
own will, and not from our authority; and that
the co-states recurring to their natural rights in
cases not made Federal will concur in declaring
these void and of no force, and will each unite
with this commonwealth in requesting their re-
peal at the next session Of Congress.