Year: 1860

duo tuc IiSuts oi property III eiatcs Wou'V
depend, not upon the guarantees of the
Constitution, but upon the shifting major
tiles of an irresponsible territorial legis
lature. Such q doctrine, from its iDtrin
sic unsoundness. cannot long influence q
ny considerable portion of our people,
much less can it afford a good reason for
a dissolution of the Union.


The most pslpable violstion of eonstitu-
tional duty which have yet been commit
ted, consist 10 the acts of different State
legislatures to defeat the execution Of the
fugitive slave Law. 1t ought to be re.
menbered. however, that for these acts,
neither Congress nor any President can
justly be held responsible Having been
passed in violation of the Federal Con-
stitution, they are therefore, null and
void. All the Courts, both State and
national. before whom the question has
arisen, have from the beginning declared
the fugitive slave law to be constitution al.
The single exception is that Of State
court in Wisconsin and this has not on.
ly been reversed by the proper appellate
tribunal. but has met with such universal
rcprotation that there can be no danger
FROM it as a precedent The validity of
this law has been established over and o.
yer again by the Supreme Court Of the
United States with perfect unanimity.-
1t is founded upon an express provision
of the Constitution. requiring that fugi-
tive slaves who escape FROM service 10
one State to another shall be "delisered
up to their mastersl


Without this provision it is a we'll
known historical fact that the Constitu-
ton itself could never have been adopted
b. the Convention. To one form or 9th
er under the acts of 1893 and 1850, both
being substantially the same. the fugitive
slave.law has been the law of the land
from the days of Washington until the
present moment. Here, then. a clear
case il presented, in which it will be the
duty of the next President. as it has been
my own. to act with vigor in executing
this supreme law against the conflicting
ensctments of the State legislatures
Should be fail in the performance of this
high duty, he will then have manifested
a disregard of the Constitution and laws,
to the great injury of the people of near
ly one hal; Of the States o: the Union.


But are we to presume in advance that
be will thus violate his duty1 This would
be at war with every principle of justice
and of Christian charity. Let US wait
for the overt act. The fugitive slave law
has been carried into execution 10 every
contested case since the commencement
of the present admini,tration; though Of
ten it is to be regretted, with great loss
and incony nieoce to the N sster. and with
considerable expense to the government.
Let US trust that the State legislatures
will repeal their unconstitutional and OBJ
poxious enactments. Unless this shall
be done without unnecessary delay. it is
impossible for any human power to save
the UuioD.


The Southern States. standiog on the
basis of the Constitution, have right to
demand this act of justice from the States
of the North. Should it be refused, then
the Constitution, to which all the States
are parties, will have been wilfully viola
ted by one portion of them in provision
essential to the domestic security and
happiness of the rem ainder. In that g.
vent, the Injured States, after having first
used all peaceful and constitutional mems
to obtain redress, would be justified In
revolutionary resistance to the Govern
meut Of the Union. have purposely
confined my remarks to revolutionary re.
sistanee, because it has been clsimed
within the last few years that any State
wheneve this shall be its sovereign vii
and pleasure, may seoede from the Union
in accord snce With the Constitution, sne
without any violation Of the constitutions a
rights of the other members Of the Con
federacy. That as each became parties
to the Union by the vote of its own peo
ple asse bled iu Convention, SO any oU'
Of them may retire from the Union iu I
similar manner By the vote of such con
vention.


In order to justify secession as cor
stitutioual remedy 1t must be on the prln
ciple that the Federal Government is
mere voluntary association Of States. e
be dissolved'st pleasure by any one OF th
contracting parties. II this be so. tb'
Confederacy is rope of sand, to be pen
etrated and dissolved BY the first adsers
wave of public opinion in any of to-
States. In this manner our thirty -thre
States may resolve themselves into as Cd a
nv petty jarring, and hostile republics
each one retiring from the Union, With
out responsibility. Whenever any sudde'
excitement might impel them to such


course. By this process Union nigh
be entirely broken into fragments in fe'
weeks, whish cost our forefstbers man
years of toll, privation, and blood to es
tablish.


Such principle is wholly incoDsisten


with the history ss well as the oharaots
of the Federal Constitution. After


was framed. with the greatest deliberstio
and care. it was submitted to convention


of the people of the several States for raj
i6cstion. Its provisions were diseusse


at length In these bodies, composed OF th