Year: 1866

go construed as to give unlimited powers. nor a
part OF them to pc taken, as 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.


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 TO use their best endeavors to procure
at the next session Of congress q repeal of the
aforesaid unconstitutional and obnoxious acts. go


Resolved, lastly, That the Eoyernor Of this
commonwealth be, and is authorized and reouest.
ed to communicate the preceding resolutions 70
the legislatures OF the several states, to assure
them that this commonwealth considers union for
specified national purposes. and particularly forr
be friendly TO the peace, happiness, and PROSPER
ity of all The States that faithful to that CON-
pact, according to the plain intent and meannie
in which it was understood and acceded to by
the several parties it is sincerely anxious for its
presentations; that it does also believe that ~
take from the states all the powers of self coy t
ernment and transfer them TO general and CON
soidated government without regard TO tho
special delegations and reservations, soemnIy
agreed to in that compact, is not for the peace
happiness and prosperity of these states. And
that, therefore, this commonwealth is determined
as it doubts not it costates are, to submit to uu
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 cognzance to the President or any
other person, who may himself be the accuser.
counsel. judge and jury, whose suspicious may b.
the evidence, his order the sentence, his officer


the eXecutiOner, and his breast the sole record of


the transaction, that very numerous and yalu-
able description Of the inhabitants of these states
being by these precedents reduced outlaws to
the absolute dominion of one man, and the bar
riers of the constitution thus swept from us aE,
no rampant now remains against the passions and
the power Of a majority Of Congress to protect
from like expectation or other gricvous punish.
ment the minority OF the same body, the legisla-
lures, judges, 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 triendess alien has been selected as
the safest subject of first experiment, but the
citizen will soon follow, or rather has already
followed; for, already has a sedilion act marked
him as its prey. That these and successive acts
of the same character unless arrest ed at the Tires
hold may tend to drive these states into reyolu-
ton and blood, and will furnish new calumnies
against republican government. and new pretexs
for those who wish it to be believed that man
cannot be governed but by a rod of iron; that it
would be dangerous dclusion were a 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: il is
jealousy and not confidence which prescrbes
limited constitutions to bind down those whom
we are obliged to trust with power that our con
sttutiou has fixed the limits to which and no tur-
thcr our confidence may go; and let the honest
advocate of confidence read the alien and seditop
acts and say if the constitution has not been wise
in fixing limits to The government il created and
whether we should be wise in destroying those


limits? Let him say what the government is. if
it be not tyranny, which the men of our choice
have conferred upon the President, and the Pres


dent of our choice has assented to and accepted
over the friendly strangers to whom the mild
spirit Of our country and lis 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 ebts of innocence,
the claims of Justification the sacred force oil


truth, and the form and substance of law and JUS


icc. 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.
That this commonwealth docs therefore call on
its CO-States tor an expression vi tDelr sentiments
on the acts concerning aliens, and for punishment
of certain crimes hereinbctore 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 prov their
attachment unaltercd TO limited government,
whether general or rticuar, and that the rights
and liberties Of their costates will be exposed to
no dangers by remaining embarked on common
bottom with their own. But they will concur with
this commonwealth in considering the said acts
as SO palpablc against the constitution as to
amount to an undsguised 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 ali
powers whatsoever. That they will view this as
sezing 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 thei consent
but by others against their consent; that ths
would be to surrender the form OF government
VIC have chosen, and living under one deriving
its power from its own will. and not from our an'
thorty; and that the CO. states recurring to their
natural rights in cases not made Fedora will con.
cur in declaring these void and Of no force, aqf
will each unite with this commonwealth in Ie-
questing their repeal at the next session OF Con-