Year: 1865




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 a time of great tranquil
ty. while those specified in the preceding resolu
tions call for immediate redress.


Resolved, That the preceding resolutions he
transmitted TO the senators and representatives
in Congress from the commonwealth, who are en-
ioued to present the same to their respective
houses and TO use their best endeavors to procure
at the next session Of congress 4 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 to the peace, happiness and prosper
ity Of all The States-that 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
preservaton that it does also believe, that to
take from the states all the powers of self gov
ernment and transfer them to general and con-
solidated government without regard to the
special delegations and reservations, solemnly
agreed to in that compact, is not for the peace,
happiness and prosperity Of these states. And
that. therefore, this commonwealth is determined,
it doubts not it co-stltes are, to submit to un-
delegated and consequently to unlimited powers
in no man. or body OF men, on earth; that If 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, bis otflcer
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 precedeuts reduced as outlaws to
the absolute dominion of one man, and the bar
riers OF the constitution thus swept from US all.
no rampant now remains against the passions and
the power of Il majority OF Congress to protect
from like expectation or other grevous punish
ment the minority of the same body, the legisla-
lures. judi 9es. governors and counselors OF the
states. nor their other peaceable inhabitants who
may venture to reclaim the constitutional rights
and liberties of the states and people, or who for
other causes, good or bad. may 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 or person
al; that the triendlcss alien has been selected
the safest subject of first experiment, but the
citizen will soon follow, or rather has already





him as its prey That these and successive acts
OF the same character, unless arrested at the thres
hold may tend to drive these states into rcvolu-
tion and blood, and will furnish new calumnes
against republican government. and new pretexts
for those who wish it to be believed that man
cannot he governed but by a rod of iron; that it
would be Il dangerous delusion 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 despotsm: free government
is founded in jealousy and not in confidence; it is
Jealousy aud not confidence which prescribes
limited constitutions to bind down those whom
we are obliged to trust with power. that our con-
stituton has fixed the limits to which, and no fur
thcr our confidence may go; and let the honest
advocate OF confidence read the alien and seditiOn
acts and say ii the constitution has 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 4 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 ghts OF innocence,
the claims OF Justification. the sacred force of
truth, and the form and substance of law and jus
tice. In questions OF power. then. let no more be
heard oil confidence in man. but bind him down
from mischief by the chains of the constitution.
That this commonwealth does therefore call on
its co-states for an expression Of their sentiments
on the acts concerning aliens, and for punishment
OF certain crimes hereinbcore specified, plainly
declaring whether these are or are not authorized
by the Federal compact. And it doubts not that
their sense will be so announced as to prove their
attachment unatercd to limited government,
whether general or particular and that the rights
and liberties of their co-states will be exposed to
no dangers by remaining embarked on "a common
bottom with their own. But they will concur with
this commonwealth in considering the said acts
us palpablc against the constitution as to
amount to an undisgused declaration that the
compact is not meant to be the measure of the
power of the general government, but that it will
proceed in the exercise over these states of all
powers whatsoever. That they will view this as
seiZng 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 by Others against their consent; that this
would be to surrender the form of government
we have chosen, and living under one deriving
its power from its own will. and not from our au-
thority and that the co-states recurring to their
natural rights il cases not made Federal will con-
cur in dec claring these void and of no force, and
will each unite with this commonwealth in re-
questing their repeal at the next session of Con-
grets.