The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1878-09-18
Massachusetts A Nulllfying state.

faithless to her pledges, and violator
and nullifyer of the Constitution from
the beginning. 1t was under the lead of
her elder Adams that the infamous Alien
and Sedition laws we're passed near the
close of the last century. Another
Adams who, was elevated to the Presiden
cy by bargain and intrigue, spent the last
days of his life in sowing the seeds of
strife between the sections which finally
eliminated in bIoodshed and slaughter.
From the days of John Adams, who
originated the Alien and sedition laws,
to Charles Sumner, who at the close of
the war preached the disfranchisement of
the Southern whites and the division Of
their lands among their late slaves, she
he was an element Of strife and an obsta-
Gle to the public peace of the country.
The Constitution does not stand in the
way Of her turbulent disposition.
There is a case now in point. agitating
the country: The Constitution of the
United States provides in article i, sec
ton : ''Full faith and credit shall be
given in each State to the public acts,
records, and judicial proceedings of every
other State, Section 2. A person charged
in any State NTH treason, felony or other
crime, echo shall fee from Justice and be
found in another State, shall, on demand
of the erecuttce authority Of the State
from tchich he fed, be deltCered up to be
reneoUed to the state haUing jurisdiction of
the crime" The Revised Statutes Of the
United States, title 90, section 5278, pro-
vided that: whenever the executive
Of any State or Territory de-
mands any person as fugitive from JUS
tice, OF the executive authority Of any
State or Territory to which such person
has fed, X x it shall be the
duty of the executive authority of the
the State or Territory to which such per
son has fed to cause him be rested and
secured, and to cause notice of the arrest
to be given to the executive authority
making such demand, or to the agent of
such authority appointed to receive the
fugitive, and to cause the fugitive to be
delivered to such agent when he shall
appear" Art. VI, of the Constitution
Of the United States declares that "This
and the laws of the United
States which shall be made in pursuance
hereof, \ x x shall be the sn-
oreme law of the land, x X
lnything in the Constitution Of laws of
my State to the contrary notwithstand
ng." Here then, is the Constitution,
md here the laws designed to give it
fleet. The clause for the rendition of
ugitives is an essential feature of that
instrument. The Union never would |
ave been formed but for that agreement
The States would never have consented |
D Union under which each State would |
e ''place of refuge for the abscond-
~ criminals of another. But how does
Massachusetts, treat this Indispensable
revision of the Constitution
Recently in the Courts of South Caro-
ma an indictment was found against one
-impton, a member of the band of ad
enturers who were spewed out from the
Torthern purlieus upon the South to
lle and rob her people by the aid of
ederal bayonets. He was indicted for
aving borrowed a large sum of money as
public official of the State, upon forg-
/ securities, and of having used it for
urposes of bribery. He took refuge
ON justice in Massachusetts, of which
tate he was a citizen before his exploits
| South Carolina In the customary
,rm the Governor of this latter State
ade his requisition on the Governor of
Massachusetts, for the delivery of the
Igitive as prescribed by the Constitu-
on and laws of the United States. The
Governor of Massachusetts, has refused
, comply with the requisition, upon the
njustifable pretext that the object of
lie South Carolina authorities is not to
y the fugitive for criminal, but to
Inish him maliciously for political
fuses. OF course, Massachusetts, has
} warrant under the Constitution for
yading its requirements upon this or
ny other ground. The obligation to
rrender the absconding criminal is
ain, imperative and unconditional. 1t
for the Courts of South Carolina to {
9cide the case of the accused, and de
rhine whether or not he is guilty, not '
r the authorities of Massachusetts. We
} not know what course Gov. Hampton !
Ill deem it his duty to take under the
He is powerless to ar |
s. the criminal and to execute justice t
'on him while he is shielded by the I
vereignty of Massachusetts, We pre- i
me he viii lay the facts before the a
ational Executive and Congress for
vestigation, and that Senator Butler, :,
South Carolina, and her Democratic 5
representatives., if she has any, will give a
e subject proper attention as soon as a
at body assemblies. 1t is clear case ?
violation of the national compact, Il
bversive CT the Union, violative of i
nifty between States, destructive of
v and order, and is not to be treated -
htly. 1t has been well said Tin Prof. :
edsoe's book, us Davis Traitor ?'')
at Massachusetts, has taken the lead
# all the States in the world in the +
making of social compacts, and also Al
! the breaking of them" f.
d
So MANY healthy persons are drawing ~