The Placer herald., 1865-10-28


so construed as to give unlimited powers, nor
part OF them to be taken, rs TO destroy the whole
residue OF the instrument. That the proceeding
OF the general government under color OF those |
articles will be Il fit und necessary subject for re- |
visil and correction at II time oil great tranquil |
ty. while those specified in the preceding resOlu-
tions call for immediate redress
Resolved, That the preceding resolutions be
transmitted 10 the senators and representatives
in Congress from the commonwealth, who are en- |
joined to present the same to their respective
houses and 10 use heir best endeavors to procure
at the nex' session OF congress Il repeal OF the
aforesaid demonstrations and OiInox xious acts.
Resolved, lastly, That the Governor Of this
commonwealth be, and is authorized and request
ed to commu n cate the preceding resolutions to
the legislatures OF the several states, to assure
them that this commonwealth considers union for
specified national purposes. and particularly for
those specified in their late federal compact, to
be friendly to the peace, happiness and prosper
ty Of all The States that faithful to that COM
pact. according to the plain intent and meaning
in which it was understood and ucced,d to by
the several parties. it is sincerely anxious for its
preservation; that it does also believe that to
take from the states all the powers Of self gov
ernment. and transfer them to gene al and con-
solidated government without regard to the
special delegations and reservations, solemnly
agreed to in that compact, is not Tor the peace
happiness and prosperity Of these states And
that, therefore. this commOnwe lth s determined,
as it doubts not it costites are, to submit to un-
delegated and consequently to unlimited powers
in no man. or body OF men, on earth; that II the
acts before specified should stand. these concu
sions would grow from them, that the general
government may place any aci they think proper
on the list OF crimes and punish it themselves
whether enumerated or not enumerated by the
constitution cognizahc by them. that they MAY
transfer its cognzance to the President 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 eXecutoner. and his breast the sole record of
the transaction. that a very numerous and vau
able description OF the inhabitants OF these sttes
being by these precedent- reduced as outlaws to
the absolute dominion of one IN n, and the bar
riers Of the constitution thus swept from US all,
no rampant now remains against the passions and
the power OF Il majority OF Congress to protect
from Il like expectation or other gr"vons punish
mrnt the minority OF the same body, the egisla-
lures, judges governors and counselors OF the
states. nor their other peaceabe inhabitants who
may venture to reclaim the constitutional rights
and liberties OF the states aud people, or who Tor
other causes, good or bad. mly be obnoxious to
the views. or marked by the suspicious OF the
President. or to he thought dangerous to his or
their election or other interest. public or person.
al; that the triendlcss alien has been selected rs
the safest Su'lrct OF Il first experiment, but the
citizen will soon follow, or rather has already
followed; for. already has sedilion act m ,rk ell
him us its prey. That these and successive acts
of the same ch tr;lcter, unless arrested at he TIRES
hold may tend to drive these states into revOlu.
tion and mood. and will furnish caumnes
against republican government. and new pretexfs
for those who wish it to he believed that man
cannot he governed but by rod of iron; hat it
would be Il d IN oerous dcusion were Il confidence
in the men of our choice to silence our fears for
the safety Of our rights; that confidence is every
where the parent OF despotsm: free government
is founded in jealousy and not in confidence: it is
Jealousy aud not confidence which prescribes
limited constitutions to bind down those whom
we are obliged to trust with power. that our con
stituton has fixed the limits to which. and no fur
Their our confidence may go; and let the honest
advocate OF confidence read the alirn and sediion
acts. and say if the constitution has not been wise
in liking limits to he government it ere ted. an
whether we should be wise in destroying those
limits? Let him say what the government is. if
it be not II tyranny. which the men of our choice
have conferred upon the President. and the Pres
ident of our choice has asseuted to and accepted
owe, the friendly strangers. to whom the mild
spirit OF our country and its laws have pledged
hospitality aud protection; that the men OF our
choice have more respected the bare suspicious OF
the President han the solid ri ohs OF innocence
the cllims O justification. the sacred force OF
truth. and the iurm and substance OF law and JUS
tice. In gu stiOns OF power then. let no more be
heard OF confidence in man. but bind him down
IRON mIsCnlel Dy tne cntIIlS OF the constitution
That this commonwealth does therefore call on
its co-States for an expression of their sentiments
on the acts concerning aliens. and for punishment
OF certain crimes h"reinbriore specified, plainly
declaring whether these are or are not authorized
by the Federal compact. And it doubts not that
their sense will be so announced us to prove their
attachment unaltercd to limited government,
whether general or particular, and that the rights
and liberties Of their co states will lie exposed to
no dangers by remaining embarked on II common
bottom with their own. But they will concur with
this commonwealth in considering the said acts
as so papabe against the constitution as to
amount to an undisguised declaration that the
compact is not meant to he the measure of the
power OF the general government, but that it will
proceed in the exercise over these states Of all
powers whatsoever. That they will view this as
seiZing the rights 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 surrender the form OF government
we have chosen md living under one deriving
its power from its own will and not from our au-
thority; and that the co states recurring to their
natural rights l., Cases not made Federal will con
cur in declarn. these void and of no force, and
will each unite with this commonwealth 10 re-
questing their repeal at the next session Of Con-
grets. .U..i