Camp 1524 Sons of Confederate Veterans held their monthly meeting on Thursday May 8th at the Masonic Lodge in downtown Prattville. Commander Grooms was not able to attend so 1st Lt Spears ably stood in for him. Larry also provided the opening Invocation and closing Benediction. Following the pledge to the US flag and salutes to the Alabama state flag and Confederate Battle flag, the SCV Charge was recited by Lt Commander Spears. A special presentation, a Brigade Recognition Award was made by Larry for Wayne Sutherland who completed very long service as the camp's Adjutant. A brief report on recent activities was made by attendees including the Confederate Memorial Day programs and the spring picnic at Confederate Memorial Park. Upcoming events and dates were then enumerated.
The guest speaker was Editor Emeritus of the Alabama Confederate magazine and frequent columnist for the Alabama Gazette, John M. Taylor provided a presentation on Nullification. John began his discussion stating that this is not the country we were raised in where local radio stations would come on the air playing the Star Spangled Banner and sign off at night playing Dixie. John offered a definition of nullification as the right of the state to nullify federal legislation which is in violation of the Constitution. The states predated the United States government and voluntarily formed a Union preserving states' sovereignty and rights of secession and nullifcation. Jefferson in the Kentucky Resolution and Madison in the Virginia Resolution of 1798 in response to the Alien and Sedition Acts which made it against the law to criticize the federal government or the President, which was signed into law by John Adams, argued for this principle of nullification. The Sedition Act was an abomination and direct threat to constitutional freedom of speech.
During the Viginia Ratifying Conference of 1788, Patrick Henry and Jefferson had warned of an all powerful central federal governement. Statists can't fathom the idea of a limited central government, including wanting military enforcement. Frank Zappa called the federal government the entertainment arm of the military-industrial complex. Jefferson and the libertarians believe that if teh federal governement overstepped their authority, any such laws would be unenforceable. Nullification sought to keep the Union together whereas the concept of secession allows seperation and dissolution.
The Tariff of Abominations of 1828 was met by fierce opposition and John C. Calhoun argued for nullification of this legislation. In response, President Andrew Jackson had a use of force bill passed for the military to collect these tariffs. But cooler heads prevailed and a compromise was struck in 1833 and South Carolina repealed its Ordinance of Nullification refusing the Tariff. The supremacy clause of the Constitution is often cited as proof nullification is invalid but Article 1 Section 8 limits the federal governments authority. Any matter settled by force or that threat is not settled so the concept of nullification and secession is not settled. The War for Southern Independence was a war for Northern bankers demanding continued tariff revenue.
The Treaty of Paris of 1783 and the Articles of Confederation say states have sovereignty, that the states enjoy such if they are able to retain it as the Articles maintain. Even Alexander Hamilton a staunch federalist, stated that state's having their own constitutions infers sovereignty. There are two definitions of nullification, one to wipe it off the books and secondly, to make the law unenforceable. State and local governments are often the enforcement bodies of federal laws so such unconstitutional laws can be practically nullified.
Lord Acton in his correspondence with Robert E. Lee after the War said state sovereignty was what kept the federal government in check. More and more it is clear why our Revolutionary and Confederate ancestors seceded because of the consolidation of power into a central government authority. The US came into being thru secession - such a concept is fundamentally American and patriotic. Jefferson warned that the federal government can not be the determinant of the limits to its own power. Today with the attacks on free speech, gun ownership and confiscatory taxation, we need to derial the authoritarian regime/federal government.
No comments:
Post a Comment