Carl Schurz

“ Let the traitors and cowards hide their faces behind the authority of the Federalists, but let them no longer call Jefferson the father of their party, and the Virginia and Kentucky resolutions a part of their political creed. [Loud cheers.]
I rejoice to see that the development of things has torn the masks from their faces. There they stand in the open light of day. — Let them dare to appear as they are, and the people will treat them as they deserve. ”

“ They cannot stop after having once begun. They must go further; for usurpation has but one means to sustain itself, and that is further usurpation. They must proceed or give it up entirely — and who of them did ever speak of giving it up? [Cheers.]
Do not lull your fears into sleep by the idle delusion that the Constitution will prevent them from attempting faurther encroachments; that the Constitution will protect you. Let the annals of this country teach you that the Constitution is no barrier to any kind of tyranny, if the general government have the exclusive authority to construe it. ”

“ The Democratic party have sacrificed to the slave power almost all they had; their original principles, their consciences, their honor, even their power in the Free States. But they always effected a certain reverence for the stern and consistent Democrat, whom they called their father. That man was Thomas Jefferson. They have overcome that weakness also. The slave power wills it, the fugitive slave act is in danger, and they sell their father with as little scruple as they sold their principles. ”

“ Citizens of Wisconsin, you do not fight for yourselves alone. If you stand firm and do your duty as men, then the question of State Rights may be decided on the soil of our State. To you will belong the honor, and the fruits of your victory to the whole nation and to posterity. ”

“ The assumption by the general government of exclusive jurisdiction, would clearly result in usurpation. The States being the principal depositories of organized local self-government, such an assumption would destroy the whole foundation of our democratic system. The dangerous tendency of governmental authority to aggrandize itself cannot be counteracted but by a system of checks and balances, which in this Union is found in co-ordinate authorities and concurrent jurisdiction. ”

“ Each State in ratifying the Constitution is considered as a sovereign body, independent of all others, and only to be bound by its own voluntary acts.”
There is the evidence of historical facts; but where is Mr. Webster's bold assumption about the origin of our general government? Even the thunder of his voice cannot silence the voice of history. ”

“ If this position is correct — and the attempt to controvert it is yet to be made — where is then, the appellate jurisdiction of the United States Supreme Court over the Courts of the States? Where is then the exclusive and final jurisdiction of the Federal Judiciary over questions of constitutionality? Where is then the exclusive authority of the General Government, to define its own powers? Mr. Webster points to the Constitution and says there it is. We ask where in the Constitution? and receive no answer. It is like the ghost in Hamlet. ”

“ I will, so help me God, so long as I have a tongue to speak, never fail to assert the right of every man, woman or child, in the State of Wisconsin, without regard to color, rank, or condition in life, to a trial by jury on all questions touching liberty or life. ”

“ No, worse than that; they attempt to construe Jefferson's Democracy by the rules of Webster's Federalism. They libel their father and call it a vindication. To me, sir, this is astonishing. No theory of government was ever advocated in this country which agreed so well with the nature and pretensions of the slave-power, as the doctrines of the Federalist. There is an old Federalist in the Presidential chair, and the party acknowledges another old Federalist in their Supreme authority. ”

“ Does it not mean direct interference of the judiciary of the State with the action of the general government? This is Jefferson's own construction of the Kentucky resolutions.
This, sir, is the ground we stand upon. — The laws of Wisconsin, administered by upright judges, shall protect every man against any exercise of power, unauthorized by the Constitution. ”

“ Though the experiment has not yet had a long course enough to show us from which quarter encroachments are most to be feared, yet it is easy to foresee from the nature of things, that the encroachments of the State governments will tend to an excess of liberty, which will correct itself, while those of the general government will tend to monarchy which will fortify itself from day to day instead of working its own cure as all experience shows. ”

“ They betray him not even with a kiss, but they kick him most unceremoniously aside and throw themselves into the arms of another prophet, whom, not many years ago they considered the most inveterate enemy of Jeffersonian principles, and for whom they could not find words of abuse strong enough — they throw themselves into the arms of Daniel Webster. ”

“ The habeas corpus shall secure every man here, alien or citizen, against everything which is not law, whatever shape it may assume. The trial by jury shall be vouchsafed to every man in Wisconsin, citizen or alien, black or white, anything in the Fugitive Slave Act or any other assumption of a usurping authority to the contrary notwithstanding. ”

“ And what other evidence could Webster bring forward, but the evidence of his imagination? [Cheers.]
That conflicts may ensue in consequence of the States resisting the exercise of doubtful constitutional powers, is true. Nobody denies it. But they are conflicts of opinion, and hardly ever collisions between force and force. Whenever the resistence of the States has the moral sentiment and the common sense of the people on its side, it will succeed, when not it will fail. ”

“ He forgot to say that not the possibility of collision and conflicts, when fundamental rights are attacked, but the tendency of governmental authority to consolidate itself is the most dangerous stumbling block of democratic experiments. ”

“ We are inclined to forgive a man his errors when we see that he honestly struggles to find the truth. Even more serious failings we are apt to overlook for the sake of redeeming qualities. But there are certain kinds of degradation which try our charitable feelings too severely. ”

“ It is, shall our liberties be defenseless in the hands of the general government, or not? This is the question to be decided. The line is drawn, and the parties have taken their ground. There is the Democracy whose watchword is Submission. The Candidate they have nominated is the very personification of submission. ”

“ The doctrine that the Federal Judiciary have exclusive jurisdiction of the cases enumerated in the Constitutional provision referred to has hardly ever been advocated. — Certainly would those, who claim for the Federal Supreme Court appellate jurisdiction over the State — Courts commit the grossest absurdity in claiming at the same time exclusive jurisdiction for the Federal Judiciary ”

“ Unconditional servility is one of these. A thorough servile man will do the basest act not only without a scruple but even without a blush. There is a point where charity ends and disgust begins. [Cheers.] ”

“ It is the doctrine laid down in the celebrated Kentucky and Virginia resolutions and “Madison's Report.”
But it seems, the advocates of the slave power do not consider this a safe ground to stand upon. In defending the binding force of their pet measure, the fugitive slave act, the see themselves obliged to drop Jefferson and Madison and to take refuge under the wings of Daniel Webster. The modern democracy appeals to the authority of the Federalists ”