The Tiffin weekly tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1859-1868, 1868-05-07

shall be the supreme law Of the land,
and the judges in every state
shall be bound thereby, anything in
the Constitution aud laws of any
state TO the contrary notBithstand.
ing. That is the solemn declaration
of the constitution itself, and pend.
ing this trial. without parallel IN
the history Of any nation, it should
be written upon these walls, aud con-
sidered, not simply by Senators, but
by that. portion Of the people who
look from these galleries upon this
days proceedings. The constitution
aud the laws passed in pursuance
thereof shall be the supreme law of
the laud, anything in the constitution
and laws of any state to the contrary
Notwithstanding. How are these
propositions, so plain aud simple that
waylaring man, though fool,
could not err therein, met by the
learned counsel who appear for him
10 defend this betrayal of the great
trusts ofan outraged people a.? The
proposition is met by stating to the
Senate, with an audacity that has
scarcely a parallel in the history of
judicial proceedings, that every Off
oial may challenge at his pleasure the
supreme law of tho land, and especi
ally the President of the United
States, charged by his oath-charged
by the express letter Of tho Conslitu-
tion--that he shall take caro- that
the laws shall bo faithfully executed,
is invested with power to interpret
the Constitution for himself and de.
termine judioially. Senators, use
the words used by the learned gentle
man who opened the case for the ac-
cused, ITO determine judicially
whether laws declared by the Con-
stitution to be supreme, are, after all,
null and void because they do not
happen to accord with his judgement"
That is the defence which is pre-.
sented here before the Senate of the
United States, aud upon which they
are asked to deliberate. That anyex.
ccutivo may judicially repeat ,their
own words and desire that it NAY be
burned into the brains of Senators
when they come to deliberate on the
question-that tho President may
judicially coustrue the Constitution
for himself, aud judicially deteNmine
finally for himself whether faws
which, by your Constitution, are dc.
clared to be supreme, are not, after
all, null aud void, and Of no effect,
aud not to be executed, because it
suits tho pleasure of his highness
Andrew johnson first king of the
people of the United States. in imta.
ton of George the Third, to suspend
their exeoutionl lie ought to re-
member when he comes with such de
fauce as that before the Senate of the
United States that it was said by
those mighty spirits who put revolu-
ton in motion, and who contributed
TO organizing this great and powerful
people, that Caesar had his Brutus,
Charles the First his Cromwell; and
he would do well to profit by their
example. Nevertheless, and this is
the central point Of this entire dis
cussion, the position is assumed here
in the presence of the Senate, in the
presence Of the people of the United
Stetes, in the presence of the civilized
world, that the President of the
United States is invested with this
judicial power of determining the
force aud Uncct of the Constitution,
of his own obligations under it, and
the force and effect of every law
passed by Congress in the United
States, Senators, it this President
may declare an act unconstitutional
aud violate its provisions without
danger to his official position, and
thh by the authority Of the constitu.
tion itself, as is insisted upon by his
advocates, respectfully submit that
the constitution which we have been
taught to revere as the sacred charter
Of our liberties is, at least, consti-
tuition Of anarchy. not of order;
constitution which authorizes the vic
lation of law, not constitution which
eujoins obedience to the law. But |
respectfully submit furher to you,
Senators, with all the Difference
which owe to the representative Of
great aud powerful people, that
when you shall have established any
such rule by tho solemn Judgment
which you may pronounce in this
days proceedings, it requires no
prophet Of the living God to foresee
that you will have proved yourself
architects Of your couutry's ruin,
that you will have transformed this
land of law and order, of light and
knowledge, into land of darkness,
the very light whereof will be dark
ness, land where eternal night and
chaos, the ancestors of nature, will
hold eternal anarchy amidst the noise
of endless wars, and by confusion
stand. Gentlemen may gloze over as
they may, excuse with spurious pre-.
texts and arguments as they may the
acts of this guilty President, The
fact, nevertheless, remains patent TO
the observation of all right-minded !
men in this country that the question /
upon which the Senate must pass
upon, is the issue ;oi:Sa between the |
people of the United States and the |
President whether the President
may at his pleasure, and without
peril to his official position, set aside |
aud annul both tho Constitution and |
Laws Of the United States, aud there !
by inaugurate an anarchy, That is
the issue the recording angel of his.
tory has already struck iuto adamsnte,
there to abide Forever.
The whole defense of tho Presi /
dent rests upon the simple but start
ling proposition that he can not be |
held to answer for any violation of
tho written Constitution and laws of |