Year: 1865

80 construed as to give unlimited powers, nor
part OF them to be taken, rs to destroy the whole
residue OF the instrument. That the proceeding
OF the general government under color OF those
articles will be fit and necessary subject for re-
visal and correction at time Of great tranquil
ty. while those specified in the preceding resolu
tions call for immediate redress. I'D y "A


Resolved, That the preceding resolutions be
transmitted TO the senator's and representatives
in Congress from the commonwealth who are en-
joined to present the same to their respective
houses and 10 use their best endeavorsto procure
at the next session Of congress repeal OF the
aforesaid unconstitutional and obnoxious acts.
Resolved, lastly, That the Governor OF this
commonwealth be, and is authorized and request
ed to communicate the preceding resolutions to
the legislatures Of the several states to assure
them that this commonwealth considers union for
specified national purposes. and particularly for
those specified in their late federal compact to
be friendly 10 the peace, happiness, and prosper
ity Of all The Sates-th faithful to that COM
pact, according to the plain intent and meaning
in which it was understood and acceded to by
the several parties, it is sincerely anxious for its
preservation; that it does also believe that to
take from the states all the powers of self gov
ernment and transfer them to a general and con-
solidaied government. without regard to the
special delegations and reservations, solemnly
agreed to in that compact, is not Tor the peace,
happiness and prosperity OF these states. And





as il doubts not II co-satcs are, to submit to un
delegated and consequently to unlimited powers
| i'm no man. or body of men, on earth; that il the
acts before specified should stand, these conclu-
sions would grow from them, that the general
government may place any act they think proper
on the list OF crimes and punish it themselves,
whether enumerated or not enumerated by the
| constitution cognizablc by them. that they may
| transfer its cognizance to the President or any
other person. who may himself be the accuser,
counsel. Judge and jury. whose suspicious may be
| the evidence. his order the sentence, his officer
| the executioner, and his breast the sole record of
| the transaction. that very numerous and valu-
able description Of the inhabitants OF these states
| being by these precedent> reduced as outlaws TO
| the absolute dominion of one mn, and the bar
rie,s OF the constitution thus swept from us all
| no rampant now remains against the passions and
| the power Of ma oriiy OF Congress to protect
from a like expectation or other grievons punish
| ment the minority of the same body. the leeisla-
| lures. judges. g'veinoTs and counselors of the
states. nor their other peaceable inhabitants who
may venture to reclaim the constitutional rights
and liberties oil the states and people, or who for
| OF her causes. good or bad. mly be obnoxious to
| the views. or marked by the suspicious Of the
President or to be thought dangerous to his or
| their election or other interest. public person
al: that the friendcss alien has been selected as
| the safest uijcct of a first experiment, but the
citizen will soon follow. or rather has already
| ollowed; for. already hasa sediion act mark ed
| him as its prey. That these and successive acts
OF the same character, unless arrest ed at the thres
| hold may tend to drive these states into rcvou
| ton and blood. and will furnish new calumnies
| against republican government and new pretexts
| for those who wish it TO be believed that man
| cannot be governed but by rod of iron; that it
would be a dangerous dclusion were Il confidence
in the men of our choice to silence our fears for
the safety Of our rights; that confidence is every
where the parent OF despotism; free government
is founded in jealousy and not in confidence; it is
jealousy and not confidence which prescrbes
limited constitutions to bind down those whom
we are obliged 10 trust with power. that our con-
stitution has fixed the limits to which. and no fur
thcr our confidence may go; and let the honest
vocate OF confidence read the alien and sediion
acts and say if the constitution bas not been wise
in fixing limits TO the government it created. AMI
whether we should be wise in destroying those
limits? Let him say what the government is. if
it be not Il tyranny which the men Of our choice
have conferred upon the President and the Pres.
ident OF our choice has assented to and accepted
over the friendly strangers, to whom the mild
spirit Of our country and its laws have pledged
hospitality and protection; that the men OF our
choice have more respected the bare suspicious of
the President than the solid ri ehts Of innocence
the claims OF justification. the sacred force of
truth and the form and substance of law and ius
tce. In questions OF power then let no more be
heard Of confidence in man. but bind him down
from mischief by the chains Of the constitution





its co-states for an expression Of their sentiments
on the acts concerning aliens and for punishment
OF certain crimes hereinbrIore specified, plainly
declaring whether these are or are not authorized
by the Federal compact. And it doubts not that
their sense will be announced as TO prove their
attachment nnaltercd TO limited government
whether general or particular, and that the rights
and liberties of their CO. states will be exposed to
nc dangers by remaining embarked on common
bot ON with their own. But they will concur with
this commonwealth in considering the said acts
as so papabc against the constitution as to
amount to an nndseuised declaration that the
compact is not meant to he the measure of the
power of the general government, but that it will
proceed in the exercise over these states of all
power whatsoever. That they will view this as
scizing the rights Of the states and consolidating
them in the hands Of the general government
with the power assumed TO bind the states. not
merely in cases made Federal. but in all cases
whatsoever by laws made not with their consent,
but hy others against their consent; that this
would be to surrender the form OF government
we have chosen, and living Vnder one deriving
lis power from is own will and not from onr al-
tboriiy; and that the states recurring to their
natural rights il cases not made Federal will con
cur in declaring these void and Of no force, and
will each unite with this commonwealth in re
qucstng their repeal at the next session of Con
gres.