Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1866-02-10
SEPHERDST0WN JEFFERSON COUNTY WEST VIRGINIA SATURDAY,

ogy from lhe r,lsnon of South CsIollna
to The General Government, and ;he Su-
preme Being 10 his subordinate agents in
Me universe. must say, the ans}ogy
was remo!e, aud IN apposile one. he
said, lhe Supreme Beirg carried on his
measures, Though agents, and would Il
be pretended lhat he cuuld moi revoke
The agency al any nme So lhe general
goytrnment was the agent Of SouIh Car-
ul!na, ahJ size could revoke lhe agency at
any ti,ne. Tie gentleman should have
IecuIlecled lhs, HE Supreme Being con-
l,rTereI bis powers upon Subordinate "a
gents, that lie at the sole source of the
power ol his agents, aud that he controls
all Ihings. The Supreme Being has new
rr parted with any portion Of his sove.
lelsnly. Not sO with South CsIollna;
she conlrrred her powers upon superior.
She was not The sole source ot HE pow
ers vested in he General GoverDmeAl.
tai mstrIy small pa.i of the source OF
puutr. All lhe States combined were
The source of power. The powers were
conferred by tie Slates JoIniy. upon The
General Guyernmenl, ioI HE mutual ben
fit OF oil Me States; and they can only
be revoked by lLe Joint action OF the
States. Then, how Is lie sovereignty
which has been granted TO the general
government BY the States, 10 be Resumed
by one OF Ihr States, without ihe consent
of the oIh,r Sites? Only by revolution.
How eau Scotland resume her authority,
against the consent OF Grral Britain BY
revolution only.
Tie gentleman fsom DinwiddIe, con-
teads ,hal We all owe primary allie
glance TO the State oi which we ale cit
zcns, and lhal our allegiance 10 the gene
al go,rlnmonl is SsCondafS or Subofdl-
nate 10 that. conlcud for The converse
OF bis propositpn. | contend lhs, our
allegiance 10 the general governments, is
primary, superior; and that 10 the Slate n
secondary, subordinate. AID Why 50
Reeause he CONSTITUTIONS OF the United
States, hnh was the act of the people
ol esga State, " theH sovereign capacity ,
declares lhat tie Constitution "i the I'm.
ted Slates, acts Of Congress, and neallvs
made in pursuance lAeTeoi, shall De he
Supreme Lew Of The Land; any law, or
constitution of any Stale To tie contrary
notwithstanding. Are re no, all sworn
10 supporl that Constitution In The 9th
article Of The CONSTITUTION, il is declared,
THAT the Senators and Representatives in
Congress, the members Of the several
State Legislatures, and Ill executive, and
tiudcidl officers, both ul The United States
aud of the several States, shall be bound
by oath or affirmation, to support This
Constitution" Hence, say, that our
our primary allegiance is due to the par
amount au!Nurily, and that is the general
government.
The gentleman from Dinwitdie drew a
distinction between The resistance 10 she
laws OF The United States by a minority
of she people Of any one Sale, and resist
ance by tie majority of the people OF such
Safe. In the one case, the laws might
be executed BY force; in the other case
they should be susrended Ile conceded
'lhal Genera Washington was right in
enl, rclng the laws against the Whiskcy
Insurgents in Pennsy !vania, bat lie said
that WAS n taeIe laclion, a minority Of the
people of Pennsylvanis. 1t sometimes
that faction obtains majority in State
fox time. The constitutional princi Pile,
however, is not a, all Affected by these
circumstances. The laws Of The United
States mus, be executed, whether oppo-
sed by majority OF the people OF any
Slase-wbelher opposed by cnzens, acl-
ing under the authority of their Stale
legislatures or Conventions, or without
than authority. And why? Because the
cizens would be acting under uoid au.
lhoIIiy, and The Executive would not be
10 respect that authority. All Stale laws
! in conflict with the Constitution and laws
of the United States, are void. Bu. gen.
llemen contend that The PIesldenl should
suspend the execution Of the laws " hem
ever the authority Of Stale is interposed;
the consequence Of this would be, tia,
The President would have one rule CT ac
tion from the general government. and
twenty -lour different rules from tie DIFF
ieren, Stale governments. This would
produce general INSTRUMENTATION, anarchy,
and confusiun in our WHOLE system.
Tte President must look 10 The Con-
sli,ution and laws of tire United STATES
alone, Tor bis rule OF action-,he laws Of
The several States canntt control him, lie.
Ultimately. The gentleman from Din
wiGdie. in effect, maintained that The u
mon Of the States was only during The
pleasure af the parties, Tor he conlended