Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1868-03-23
REPORT
From sh sCemnitteeo % Federal Rel q
ttone of Che ohio taouse of Repre-
sentattves, subnaa ssed In chat
body and read by the
CLERK, on WedneS-
day, March
Ii, 1865.

/ CLERK ON Wednes-
4 day, March
IL, 1865.
The committee on Federal Relations, to
[vhom were referred Resolutions. No. 10,
with the preamble thereto, by Mr.. Wolf,
have duly considered the same, and now
reports:
follows:
.Whereas, This Government has lately
emerged from a sea sof.tr ,ubles, en-
tailei by. causeless and unhOly rebellion,
chi fy brought about by the unfortunate
az itation of the so-called States Rights doc
trine."
/ Your committee are somewhat at loss
to comprehend this s-ststementsz-ltinfsr fsrns
| US that b eauseless and unh0ly+febt Ilion
was brought about "chiefiy by the uufor-
tuuate agitation of the so-called States
Rights doctrine" but what particular
STATES Rights doctrine is alluded to d, es
not appear. 1t is States Rights doctrine !;
the Federal Government has no potoers but
such as aresexpresslyo r-by necessary i'm
plication conferred upon-it by the Consti-
tuition.
1t is States Rights doctrine that the emu
tmet alton in the Constitution of certain
Irigfts shall not be construed to deny or dis
parage others retained by the people; and
mat toe poweFgnoG deIegated st0,Che UHitea
States BY the Constitution, nor prohibfted
6y it to the States, are reserved to the States
res ,ectively or to the people.
/ 1t is States Rights doctrine, that for the
protection OF these reserved rights, the pre-
servation or our Governments, State and
Federal, and the liberties and welfare OF
the people, the Federal Constitution ought
to be strictly construed.
| 1t is States Rights doctrine, that except
Il tn, fl.o ali ~ IN, n
Representatives in Congress, growing out
of the diversity in the numbers of their
| people, the States have equal rights.
/ 1t is States Rights doctrine that there
| is a tendency on the part of the Federal
lGovernment, to encroach upon the reserved
lrights OF the States and the-peOple; and
| that accordingly, the Congress- has from
powers, as for instance, in the passage OF
the Alien and Sediti N laws; the acts char
tering Bank of the United States, and yet
more plainly il the enactment OF the So
called Reconstruction laws.
1t is States Rights doctrine, that the
executive, legislative and Judicial depart
ments of government were designed to be
checks upon each other, and that no de-
partment can lawfully encroach upon the
lust powers and attributes of any other
- -"
Whether it Is to any of, these, Or to some
other States Rights doctrine that reference
is made in the paragraph quoted, your COM
mittee are unable to say.
i Your committee cannot suppose that the
reference is to the celebrated Virginia res
olutions OF 1898 and 1799 tor every Repub-
Ilican member of this General Assembly,
Including the mover of the preamble and
RESOLUTIONS under consideration, only few
weeks since, voted to re-elect the Hon. Ben
]jamin f. Wade Senator in Congress. But
h nj. in, fhn G. in
Wade said There are some Senators who
profess greet regard for the rights of the
| States. i am one of those who have quite
as much regard for the rights of the States
As some who make louder roiessions on
| the subject than do. l am one of those
! who, not only when an election is pend
! ing, but at all times, believe in the wis.,
dom, the constitutionality and propliety
OF the Virginia resolutions OF 1898 and
1893. 1 ground myself upon these reso-
| lutions; and standing upon them l de-
nounce this bill as violation, not only of
the spirit OF those resolutions, but as an
attempt to trample upon the rights OF the
States and deprive them Of the power TO
| protect their own citizens.
| WHO is to be the judge in the last resort
of the violation of the Constitution of the
United States, by the enactment of laws?
Who is the final arbiter-Ghe general Gov
ernment or the States in their sovereignty !?
/ Verify, sir, to yield that point Is to yield
up all the rights of the States to protect
tneir own citizens, and to Consolidate the
Government iiieo miserable despOEism. l
1 stated that this bill was Intended to pro-
| mo e and help theexecutiOn ofthe fugitive
| bill.
"The Senator does not deny it. 1 said
| there were States in this Union whose
| highest tribunals had adjudged that bill to
| be unconstitutional, and that was one of
4 frf,r, oil
thatmy State believed it unconstitutiO tiOnal !;
i that under the old resolutions OF 1913 and
| 1893 State must not only be the judge OF
that, but of the remedy in such case"
I Surely after voting for the author OF
these sentiments for the high Office of Sem
\ ator in Congressf the mover OF the pre-
1 amble In question does not intend to con-
denim the sentiments themselves, much
/ less to assert that Mr.. Wade's agitation o:
/ chem brought about "a causeless and un-
holy rebellion"
/ We are further informed by the para
graph under consideration that the rebel
! hon s'entailed (that is, fixed inalienably or
unalterably upon u.s. sea of troubles"
from which. nevertheless, we have happily
How one car, emerge from a calamity
that is sentailed, I" fixed, inalienable, un-
alserable, lis what your committee do not
clearly comprehend, but ii the fact be
/ possible, they are constrained to deny It's
reality.
| Ten States deprived of all voice in the
| Government, their state governments over
thrown, and military rule substituted tor
them, the civil law and its tribunals sub
jverted and military law Installed in its
lsteau; ali the Constitutional guarantees OF
i freedom abolished, the elective franchise,
1 and capacity, To- bold. efie- by the Congres
tihsteau of the people. This state Of things
bin one portion of the republic, while debt
lof three thousand millions OF dollars Op-
tpresses every portion OF it, and want and
misery are every where to be seen, SHOWS
4 that we have not yet emerged from our sea
=l'of troubles, and that we are not likely tO
i emerge from iJ until we Ouce more respect
the Constitution as our fathers respected II,
IsTielding obedieuces to the Federal Govern-
lmenL where it has right 10 commaiid 1t,
and at the same time maintaining with al
4 intleXible purpose the reserved rights OF the
i states and the people.
| The next paragraph of the preamble Is
as follows: "Aud whereas, States Rlshts,
SO called, have been discussed from the
Il wear 1893, when john Q. Calhoun, from
.lthe state OF South CaruIiua, introduced in
q, the S nate OF the United States Ills cele-
lbrated secession resolutions, up to the Pc
lriod when, in the month of December oi
1860, the Southern Democracy witnurew
IN body from the halls oil Congress, In Or
l,er To levy war upon the General Govern
ment. in order to vindicate the so calleu
STAT Right doctrine"
Your committee cneerfully admit the a. :
curacy of the statement that john y. Cal
noun was from the State of south Carolina
But they feel constrained, by their recol-
leyt on and reading, TO say tnat the discus
sion of States rights began long prior u
J 1888. They have been accustomed to heal
Thomas Jefferson called the Apostle ol
States Rights, and tuey are unwilling IL
ldeny to him a title that for sixty years al
& least. endeared him so much to a majority
of the American people. Whether the
tdoctrine OF secession can be legitimately
deduced from his teachings. is question
l-..-.. minds n al