The Placer herald., 1865-09-16


SO construed as to give unlimited powers. nor
part of them to be taken, as 10 destroy the whole
residue OF the instrument. That the proceeding
| OF the general government under color OF those
articles will he fit and necessary subject for re-
visu and correction at time oil great tranquiii-
ty. while those specified in the preceding reSolu
| tons call for immediate redress.
| Resolved, That the preceding resolutions be
! transmitted 10 the senators aud representatives
| in Con gress from the commonwealth who are en-
joined TO present the same to their respective
houses. and TO heir best eudelvurs to procure
at the ncX session OF congress repeal OF the
aforesaid unconstitutional and obnoxious acts.
| Resolved, 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 national purposes. and particularly for
those specified in their Lite federal comp lct. to
be friendly TO the peace, happiness and prosper
ity OF all the States -th It faith ul TO thu com.
pact. acc ordng to the plain intent and meaning
in which 1t was understood and accpdcd to by
the several pirties, it is sincerely anxious for its
prrservation; that it does also believe that to
take from the states all the powers Of self gov
ernment. and transfer them to gene al AMI con.
soildated government. without regard to the
special delegations and reservations. solemnlv
agreed to in that comp ct, is not tor the peace.
happiness aud prosperity Of these states And
that. therefore, this commonwe lth il determined.
as III doubts not 1t co-slCs are. to submit to IN
delegated aud consequently to unlimited pow rs
| III no man. or body OF mn, OH earth; that if the
acts before specified should stand thes. conchl-
sonS would grow from them. that the general
government may place any act they think proper
| on the list OF crimes and punish it themselves.
whether enumerated or not enumerated by the
constitution cognizlblc by them. tn it they my
| transfer its cogniE tuce to the President or any
other person. who mlv himself bc the accuser.
counsel. Judge aud jlry. whose suspicious ~ be
the evidence. his order the sentence, his officer
the eXecutoncr, and his breast The sole record OF
the transstction that very numerous and vIu.
able description Of the inhabitants OF these states.
being by these precedent- reduced as outlaws to
the absolute dominion OF one N n, and the bar
rlels OF the constitution thus swept from us all.
no rlnptrt now rem, ,ins against the passions and
the power OF Il m ljoriiy ol Congress to protect
from Il lik" expectation or other gri"vous punish
mnnt the minority OF the same boiy. the legislt-
lures. Judges. gtve nors and connsrlors OF thu
states nor their other peaceab!e inh ,bitants who
may venture to reclaim the constitutional rights
and liberties OF the States and people or who Tor
other causes, good or bad. N " be obnoxious TO
the views. or m trkcl Ivy the suspicions OF the
President. or to he thought dangerous to his or
their election or other interest public person.
al; that the trienllcss alien hls been selected
the safest su'j ct OF first experiment, bat the
citizen will soon follow. or rather has already
followed; for, already has sedlion act IN ,riel
him as lis prey. That these and successive acts
OF the ch ,rtcter. unlsS arres ed ut The thres-
hold may tend TO drive heSe states into r"volu
tCn and hioCd, and will furnish new clum les
against republican government aud new prcteX :
for those who wish it to te believed that ri
cannot he governed but Ivy rod OF iron; that ii
would be Il tnger0uS deluson were Il confidence
III the men OF our choice to silence our fears for
the safety OF our rights; that confidence is every
where the parent Of deSpotism; free government
iSounded in jealousy and not in couli lence: it is
Jealousy ana not confidence which preScrlbes
limited constitutions to bind dow those whom
weare obliged TO trust with power. thIt COO
situtIon has fixed the limits to which, and fur
thor our confidence my go; and let the honest
advocate ot confidence read the alien And sediiion
acts, and say ii the constitution has not been wise
IN hlng limits to the government it ere ted. an
whether we should be wise in de troyins those
limits? Let him say what the government is. il
it be not Il tyranny. which the men of our choice
nave conferred upon The President. and the Pres
ident OF oar choice has asSented to nld accepted
over the friendly strangers. 10 whom the mild
spirit OF our country and its laws have plnIgel
hospitality and projections; that the men OF our
choice have more respected the bare suspicious oi
the President than the solid ri ohts Of innocence,
the claims Oi Justification. the sacred force OF
trnth and the iorm and Sub<tlnce Of law and jus
tce III On stiOnS OF power. then let no more Dn
heard OF Confidence in man. bat bind him down
from mischief by the chains of The constitution.
That this commonwealth does therefore call on
its cO->tatcs Tor an expression Of their sentiments
on the acts concerning aliens, and for punishment
ol certain crimes h"rcinbctore specified, pl tiuly
declaring whether these are or are not authoriznd
by the Federal compact And it doubts not hat
their sense will be so announced rs to prove their
attachment unlltered To limited government.
whether general or plrtcul,r, and that the rights
and Liberties OF their states will he exposed to
no dangers by rrmlining embarked on u common
bottom with their own. But they will concur with
this commonwealth in considering the said acts
AS so palpablc against the constitution US to
amount to IN nndisguised decitr,ton that the
compact is not meant to he the measure Of the
power OF the general government, but that il will
proceed in the exercise over these states OF all
powers whatsoever That they will view ihia ~
seMing the rights Of he states and consu iting
them in the hands Of the general government.
with the power assumed to bind the states. not
merely in cases maize Federal. but in all cases
whatsoever. by laws made not with their consent
but Ivy Others against their consent; that this
would be to surrender the form OF government
W. have chosen, md living under one deriving
its power from i's own will. and not from our .tu-
thoriiy; and that the CO states recurring to their
natural rig hts il Cases not m I'd" Federal will con
cur in dccltrin, these void and Of no force and
will each unite with this commonwealth in re-
qnstlns their repeal at the next session OF Con
@rets.