East Saginaw courier. (East Saginaw, Mich.) 1859-18??, 1865-12-06
Resolutions OF '9S--State Rights.


One Of our Washington correspon-
dents having recently alluded to the
views of Chief-Justico CHASE upon the
subject of estate Rights" it may in
terest some of our readers to know
the opinions of some other distinguish
cd leaders of the Radical party:
Senator Henry Wilson's record on
this subject is clear and emphatic.
In letter which he wrote February
Is, 1855, to Vespasian Ellis, he said /:
II fully recognize the doctrine of
State rights in its application to slav-
cry as well as to any other matter of
public concern. The Virginia and
Kentucky Resolutions Of 1913, in the
main, as think, correctly set forth
that doctrine"
In debate in the United States
Senate on bill to protect officers act
ing under authority of the United
States, February %, 1855, (see app
Globe, vol. 81, I'd sess., 80 Cong. page
233,) Mr.. Wilson said:
81 recognize the doctrine of State
rights in its application to slavery as
we'll as TO other matters of public con-
Germ. will stand side by side with
my Democratic friends in vindication
of the Virginia and kentucky Reso-
lutions of l79S-99, which they have
ndorsed."
Senator Ben Wade, of Ohio, in the
same debate (sco same book, page 213)
said
Il am one of those who at all times
believe in the wisdom, the constitu-
tionality, and the propriety of the
Virginia and Kentucky Resolutions Of
1880. Iground myself upon these
resolutions, and standing upon them,
l denounce this bill as a violation not
only of the spirit of these resolutions,
but as an attempt to tramplo upon the
rights of the Estates"
Again at page 2l4 he says:
"Nyho is to be judged of the viola
tons of the Constitution of the United
States by the enactment of lawY-
Who is the final arbiter, the General
Government or the States in their SOW
ereignty? Why, sirs, to yield that
point is to yield up oil the rights OF
the States and to consolidate this Gov
eminent into general despotisln."
"a r,gtr
Legislatures everywhere are pre-
pairing for a legal and constitutional
resistance. Aye, sirs, the State OF
Wisconsin has taught you lesson,
and it is only an incipient one. 49,.
j j tell the Senator
that my State believed it unconstitu-
tional, and that under the Virginia
and Kentucky Resolutions State
must not not only be judge of that,
but of the remedy in such case"
In the subsequent Congress Sena-
tor Ben Wade made another well
studied and carefully prepared speech,
in the course of which he said: a
"But Southern gentlemen stand
here, and, in almost all Of their
speeches, speak of the dissolution of
the Union as an element Of every ar
gument, as though it were peculiar
condescension on their part that they
permitted the Union to stand at all.
If they do not feel interested in up
holding this Union If it really trench
es on their rights--T II eaddggvs their
institutions to such an e,rtent that Mev can
not feel secure mde,' 0-if their interests
are riolentiy assai2ed By means of the
Un.on-I am not one of those who ex-
pect that they will long continue un-
der it. Tan not one Of those uho piH
ask them 10 continue IN such Union.-
lT WOULD BE DOING VIOLENCE TO THE
PLATFORM. OF THE PARTY TO wnIcm I
BELONG. We have adopted the old
Declation of Independence as the ba-
sis of our political movement, which
declares that any people, when their
government ceases to protect their
rights, when it is so subverted from
the true purposes of government as to
Cypress them, havo the right to recur
to fundamental principles, and, if need
be, TO DESTROY The Gorernmem ander
wh'ch dey lice and to erect on its ru-
ins another more conducive to their
welfare. j HOLD TnAT THEY frAyE THIS
IIGnT. Iu,H not blame aay ,,cople for
exercising Il, rhchero. THEY think lie
contingency has come. / certainly shall
he an advocate Of that same doctrine
whenever ! find that tho principles of
this Government have become so OPP
pressive TO THE SECTION to which / be-
long, that q free people ought not
longer to endure il. You .,eM not find
ME backward In bemq the ddrocete of
nlSUNION Z; but that contingency
uovcr having come, / have never vet
opened my mouth III opposition to tho
Union. never entertained u Thought
disloyal 10 this Uhiaa But say, for
Ileavcn's sake, act, mot talk Il am