Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1868-03-12

aud then the State should come down
with It's military force, and sweep away
this insurrection and replace the legal
aud proper officers where they ought TO
be, would anybody undertake. TO say
that the State government might govern
that county Of Lancaster contrary 70 the
constitution OF the State or contrary to
its lawsf No, it will not do TO suppose
that there is any difference in principle
between the relations which the people
Of State bear TO State government
and those which the same people within
another sphere bear to the United States
Governments not a mere confederation,
mere aggregation Of States; II Is q
supreme government, as has been decided
by this court many times, which speaks
directly to the individual people OF
whom II is composed, over the heads
Of the States, in making, administer
ing, and executing its laws. II has no
more to do with State lines than State
govern ment has TO do with county lines,
in performing the same functions. This
must be admitted, will be admitted
doubtless; because anything which con-
tradicts that is secession. That is the
very ground and the only grcand upon
which you can maintain the invalidity
of the acts of secession. With that, Sc
csssion was right enough. That is, Il
was right so far as each individual was
concerned, who opposed the United
| States. III the State Government can
interfere or interpose itself between me
and the Government of the United
States, to relieve me from the obliga-
tions which l owe Of obedience to the
Constitution and laws Of the United
States, then those States, when they did
intervene between those individuals and
the United States, were right and the
secessionists were engaged in doing that
which they had perfectly lawful right
to do. But it will not do; 1t Is an utter
heresy; IL is a heresy which has been
literally blackened by the decisions OF
the courts made repeatedly, from time
to time, at every period of our country's
history. And not only blackened by
being branded in that way, but it has
been Redeemed now by the blood of a
great many persons, and therefore 1t
will not do to raise the point again,
|
Now, soy that apart and independent
of anything that the States may do or not
do, Of anything which they may be able
or unable to do, every individual within
the limits of the Union owes obedience
to the Constitution of the United States,
to the laws which may be passed in pur-
suance Of the Constitution; and, on the
other hand, there is q reciprocal obliga-
ton which the Government is under ia
the individuals to protect them, by moi
doing anything outside the Constitution
But il your honors shall think differently
from that, then I think it's pretty nearly
over with us. do not believe that any
thing that amounts to the semblance of O
free government will last another year
more. Yes, this is the third day oi
March it may last year and a day
But certainly it cannot survive that pc
riod. 1t will not merely lose the privi-
leges of the Government which we are
epioying now, but the overthrow will
be followed by the substitution fol-
it Of the most thorough faith
less and corrupt oligarchy that
has ever existed in the world do not
say this now because it may or may not
be composed of certain persons. 1t is
not the persons or the material that am
speaking about. 1t will be the necessary
consequence of a government of that
form. | am not old enough to have sat
BY the cradle of constitutional liberty
but if it is now to receive its death blow
at the hands of Congress, and with the
consent of this Court, Ishall claim to be
one of that melancholy throng who will
follow with the hearse, and lift up voice
of lamentation over its grave that is all