Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1880-06-11

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Legislatures passed acts practically
nullifng the so-called Fugitive Slave
Law, and the party in Convention
in those several States pledged
themselves to resist its enforcement
after its Constitutiona.ity had been
affirmed unanimously by the Su-
preme Court of the United States.
The Federal authority was resisted
in Boston by force of arms, in the
person of Devens the present Attor-
ney General of the United States,
one of his deputies killed outright,
and the rebellion was signalized by
trailing the american flag through
the dust of the city without interior
ence by the State authorities. Like
instances were perpetrated in Ohio,
,, Wisconsin and several other States,
aided and Allotted by the State govern
ments. The Republican Lagisla-
ture of Wisconsin passed joint reso-
luiions, by strict party vote, from
which we extract the following:
"hesolred. That the Government framed
by the Constitution of the United States,
was not made the exclusive final judge
Of the extent OF the powers delegated to
itself, but that, as in all ether cases OF
compact between among parties, having
no common Judge. each party has an
equal right to judge for itself as well OF
attractions, as of the mode and measure
of redress.
" Resolrcd, That the principle and con
struction conterG'i =" by the party
4 rll ~ "a
Nation that IT," General Government
| is the exclusive Judge of the extent of the
powers delegated to it, stop nothing short
of despotis:n, since the discretion OF those
who administer the Government, and not
the Constitution, would be the measure OF
their power-that the several States which
formed that instr ument, being sovereign
| and independent, have the unquestiOH.
| able right to Judge of its infraction. and
that n positive defiance by those sovereign.
ties, of all unauthorized acts, done, or at
tempted to be done, under color Of that
| instrument, is the rightiul remedy"
This action was approved and
lauded by the Republican party in
every Northern State.
It will be remembered that every
effort at compromise by which the
Union could be preserved without
war was resisted by the Republican
party in Congress. After the cleo.
ton and pending the secession OF
the Southern States Mr.. Greeley re.
peatedly declared that if thess States
chose to secede they had an undoubt-
ell right to do so. Mr.. Chase said
1.-THE Union is not worth fighting
| for" Mr.. Banks said: Let the
Union slide" Mr.. Chandler tele
graphed to Gov. Blair to send dele
gates to the Peace Congress opposed
to any compromise, saying" With.
! out blood-lettipg the Union is no,
worth preserving" On the 9Th of
January, 1862, Mr.. Valandigham
offered the following resolution il
Congress:
Resolved, That the Union as it was must
be restored and maintained, one and in
| divsable, forever, under the Constitution
| as it is, the 5th Article, providing fol
| amendments, included"
On motion of Mr.. Lovejoy that res
olution was tabled by u strict party
votes Republicans to so Demo
Gratis.
The foregoing facts but represent
the position of parties at that time
every proposition for Union came
from Democrats; all opposition to
Union was by Republicans. What
alchemy has time to change dis
Union party into Union party ant
rice rersa? when we talk Of rebel
lion being a crime and the secession
of States being treason, do not spare
our Revolutionary fathers, or shield
the first advocates and defenders Of
the right of secession, and let nc
minister of Christ presume on send.
ing men to hell for differing will
him in political views: