The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1878-10-09
The Massachuse.ts Notification.

The singing letter Of Gov. Hampton
to the Governor Of Massachusetts re-
mindiDg the latter Of his bad faith in
refusing to surrender a fugitive from
justice to the South Carolina authorities,
will be found in another column. We
have quoted the Constitution Of the
United States requiring that . a person
charged with crime, who shall flee from
justice and be found in another State,
shall on demand Of the executive au
thority Of the State from which he fed,
be delivered up to be removed to the
State having jurisdiction Of the crime"
and have shown that Massachusetts in
refusing TO comply with this provision Of
the Constitution, is multiplying State,
recreant to her obligations to the other
States Of the Union, and deserves 10 be
held up to public scorn as unworthy Of
their association. 1t was the greatest
statesman that Massachusetts, ever pro
duced who said that - a compact broken
q
and the truth OF it cannot be disputed.
Notification even in the eyes Of loyal
ist is worse than secession. Modification
is to remain in the Union and refuse
obedience to the conditions on which it
was formed. Secession is withdrawal
without disturbance OF those that re
main in it, 1t il an old habit Of Massa-
chusetts to break faith with the other
States She threatened to seccde from
the Union on account of the admission
Of Louisiana, which she had a right to
do, as it was her prerogative to decide
when the powers of the government
were exercised to her injury. She
threatened to secede again in the war Of
1872. and produced divisions in the
councils Of the country when, as the
contest was against foreign foe, there
should have been at least the appear
ance Of unity. 1t was on still another
occasion that without threatening to
take herself out Of the Union, she
remained in it, and claimed the right to
annul the compact Of the Constitution,
without which the Union would not have
existed. Mr. Webster declared this to
be an act of "clear treason Equally
so, is the conduct Of Massachusetts in
the present instance. She has refused
''to deliver up" upon the requisition
Of South Carolina" "a person charged
with crime" under the laws Of the latter
State She has constituted herself city
of refuge for the criminals Of another
State, in palpable violation of her obi
cations as a member Of the Union. Her
Governor has sworn to obey the Consti
tuition, and has violated his oath.
Massachusetts,, was very ready with
sword and torch to visit desolation and
ruin upon the Southern States, for at
to withdraw from a compact
which she herself had broken, and now
with this record so recently made up she |
is claiming the right again to trample
the Constitution under foot What is |
to be done about it? viii the Hayes
Cabinet desist from their bloody shirt
stories invented against the Southern
States to fire the Northern heart, and
give heed to this perfdious conduct Of
or Will they pass it over
N silence? Massachusetts, profits largely
BY the Union. The present tariff enrich
Is her at the expense of the other States,
md in numerous other ways, she draws
argelv from the Federal treasury She
5 too worldly wise to fall out with the
Union although the compact requires her
o surrender fugitives from justice in
ther States. She usurps the right to
-iolate it and at the same time to enjoy
Ter perquisites and stealings from the
Common treasury.