Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1896-07-02

insured the observance Of the fundameh-
tai law Of the land.
"Such northern expounders Of the Con-
stitution as Story, Webster, Pierce, Wood
bury. Fillmore. and buchanan aihrmei
the duty of the government TO carry out
this solemn engagement. In Prigg VS..
Pennsylvania. Justice Story. rendering
the decision OF the Supreme Court, SAID;
From 1898, the date of the passage OF the
fugitive slave law. down to the present
hour. not a doubt has been breathed upon
the constitutionality OF the act, and every
Executive I'm the Union has constantly
acted upon and admitted its validity
THE SECOND INSTANCE.
"In later years under the new mode OF
Interpreting the Constitution by the
higher law resistance was made by
men, families, secret organizations, ana
States. Impediments were thrown by
lawless mobs In the way Of the return OF
fugitives from labor. Ten States inter
nosed TO protect the thieves and conhscate
the property OF citizens Of sister States.
This was the second instance OF fragrant
notification Of a plain provision or the
Constitution and of laws made In pursu-
ance thereof. These ten states rendered
null and void the express covenants OF
the Constitution, without which the Union
never would have been formed. These null
lihcations were sharp, decisive, revolution
airy, and dissolved the Union so far as
this clear constitutional mandate was con-
cerned. No Southern State ever nulliiieu
a clause of the Constitution or an act or
Congress.
~The notification proposed by South
Carolina. was never carried into eject
for II was made contingent upon the re-
neal of the tariff laws, and they were
repealed by the compromise act or lobo'
for which Mr. Calhoun voted. the NUM-
fcation proposed by convention OF the
State was intended as an arrest or Juls-
ment a suspension Of authority untll a
convention of the States, the creators OF
the Union. could be legally summoned 70
decide whether they had delegated a de-
MED power TO their governmental agent
The utmost extent Of the nuiilncatlon Was
that r. State acting In its sovereign capa-
city as one OF the parties to the constltu-
tional compact, may compel the govern
ment created by that compact TO submit
a question touching It's lhlractioh u VIC
parties who created IL.
Annie citations were made from the
Virginia and Kentucky resolutions, ana
from decisions of the Supreme Court tna'
the States were parties 10 the cons'itu-
tional compact, that II the CONSTITUTION
nd lavs made in pursuance are supreme
the laws made. not in pursuance cannot De
the supreme law Of the land
ARBITRARY ASSUMPTION.
.grhe notification Of the Northern States
was the arbitrary assumption or mons
courts. legislatures, determining the grants
of the Constitution. and making lnopera-
tive the laws Of the MON. Inc proposed
u,',I,eca,ion Of South Carolina was de-
! 81 nj "a
barv Of her people through protective Ia
rtns levied for favored interests OF the
Nortb until there could be an appeal 10
the tribunal provided by our fathers Tor
~ settlement of such disputes. The con-
,rast hetwixt the two kinds or nullinca-
tin Il the contrast between order ana
anorchv. between law and misrule, be-
Ten Difference to the rights OF other
oontract,ng parties and passive and AFRO
Ssnt assumption Of absolute authority.
.aTbe same spirit marked the course OF
New England in the war or 1872, when
states and Governors nullihed the laws
Of Congress. giving ala ana comfort 10
,ho enemy while burning the capital. and
ea,,no as ~ they had no common duty in
rrotecting the flag, IN resisting invasion,
in defending our soil and country.
SECESSION.
"1'he election OF 1860 was a deliberate
decision that the States could not
exist together as slave-holding and nom
slave-holding. and that the irrepressible
conflict must go on until the
right 10 hold and be protected In slave
property was effaced from the Constitu-
ton and the laws. The Southern States
believed that the transfer Of the govern
ment 10 pronounced hostility 70 their in
stitutions evolved a reputation OF the
covenanted faith OF their sister States.
and released them from the burden or
their own covenants. when they were
denied the benefit OF the corresponding
covenant OF the other contracting States.
''They, then, openly. with public declara-
ton of PURPOSES determined to withdraw
from the compact. and establish a sepa-
rate government for themselves. No as
sault was made on property, institutions,
or constitutional rights OF the Northern
States The secession was regarded as
valid az the act OF ratification by which
the States entered the Union. virginia.
New York, and Rhode Island. in assent
ing to the Federal Government. declared
ln unambiguous phrase their right to re-
sumo the delegated powers whenever the
same should be perverted TO their injury
or oppression.
THE States were so distrustful OF Fede-
raj encroachment that they proposed va
rious amendments, all OF which were
restrictive, and not one OF which limited
at the omnipoience' OF the General Gov