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rights of her citizens, to the judicial tribunals of the countrybut in vain. No citizen of Louisiana or South Carolina has dared to present the wrongs of this much injured class of our citizens-wrongs inflicted under color of the laws of the states -to the only tribunals having the power of adequate redress, the judicial tribunals of the national government.

Massachusetts, failing in every attempt to secure the rights of her own citizens through the aid of the citizens of Louisiana, commissioned one of her most respected citizens to repair to that state, and there to render such aid as it might be in his power to render, to all her citizens who might require it,-to bring the subject of controversy between herself and Louisiana to a peaceful and final determination, by means of the paramount authority of the judicial tribunals of the national gov

ernment.

This peaceful mission has signally failed. Massachusetts will only refer to its details to shew that neither the laws of our common government, nor those of our common nature, the laws of civility and hospitality, have been found in effective operation, on this occasion, in our sister state.

Under these circumstances, therefore, Massachusetts has no other constitutional or peaceful resort but to the national gov

ernment.

To that government she has surrendered her whole power to protect the rights and redress the wrongs of her own citizens, when without the limits of her own Commonwealth.

Mindful of her own constitutional duties, she asks of the national government that those states may be obliged to remember theirs, and remembering, not to be permitted to disregard them with impunity.

Massachusetts claims, in short, that her citizens may have what the Constitution so clearly and emphatically declares they shall have, "all privileges and immunities of citizens in the several states."

She also claims all the commercial rights secured to her citizens under the constitutional power "to regulate commerce among the several states," and the laws of Congress made in pursuance thereof. These are her claims, and these claims

she has constantly presented, or endeavored to present, and enforce, through the judicial tribunals of the nation. In this most peaceful and constitutional resort, she has been met by her sister states of South Carolina and Louisiana, and hitherto defeated. Her last and only resort for a peaceful determination of this controversy is, therefore, to the supreme power of the Union, as existing in Congress, and in its judicial tribunals. Massachusetts complains that Louisiana and South Carolina. set at nought the personal and commercial rights of her citizens as secured by the Constitution and laws of the Union. She complains further, that Louisiana and South Carolina have made any resort, or attempt to resort, within their respective limits, to the courts of the general government,—the common arbiter of "all matters in law and equity arising under the Constitution and laws of the Union,"-a public offence, subjecting the offender to an infamous punishment. Massachusetts refers the settlement of these claims of her citizens to the constitutional tribunal of the Union. Louisiana and South Carolina make such a reference, in any form, an infamous offence by her local legislation. This, then, is the issue made up between Massachusetts and her sister states of Louisiana and South Carolina.

Massachusetts claims certain personal and commercial rights as appertaining to all her citizens while within the limits of Louisiana and South Carolina, under the Constitution and laws of the Union, and has earnestly and perseveringly endeavored to present them to the appropriate tribunals of the country for final adjudication. Louisiana and South Carolina, on the other hand, declare that any attempt so to present them shall be deemed and taken to be a crime against the state, and punished

as such.

Massachusetts, therefore, calls on the general government to provide, by appropriate legislation, for the full and fair protection of the personal and commercial rights of all her citizens, as secured by the Constitution and laws of the Union, whenever, in the pursuit of their lawful callings, they may be found within the limits of any of her sister states. This is her claim on the general government. She makes this claim because she

has surrendered to that government all right to enforce it by her own power and authority, and she will never abandon this claim while her constitutional relations to the general government remain, or until the claim itself is acknowledged and fulfilled.

Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

In the Year One Thousand Eight Hundred and Forty-five.

RESOLVES

In relation to Louisiana and South Carolina.

Resolved, That the personal and commercial rights of the citizens of Massachusetts, of whatever origin, race or color, as secured in and by the Constitution and laws of the Union, are, and of right ought to be, when such citizens are without the limits of the Commonwealth, under the protection of the general government, and ought therefore, in all cases of infringment or violation, to be sustained and vindicated by that gov

ernment.

Resolved, That, as the judicial power of the United States extends to all cases in law and equity arising under the Constitution and laws of the Union, every violation of the personal and commercial rights of the citizens of Massachusetts so secured by the Constitution and laws, ought to meet with prompt, adequate and unhesitating redress in the courts of the

Resolved, That the states of South Carolina and Louisiana, have, by a series of legislation, infringed upon and violated the personal and commercial rights of certain citizens of Massachusetts, solely on account of their origin, race and color, while pursuing their lawful business within those states, and have made an appeal to the federal courts, for redress in such cases, an offence punishable as an infamous crime, so that all redress for such wrongs in the federal courts holden in those states, has become wholly impracticable.

Resolved, therefore, That Massachusetts now demands as her clear right, under the Constitution and laws of the United States, that the general government should so extend by appropriate legislation the jurisdiction of the federal courts, as to enable them to embrace and give redress in all cases of wrong done to the personal and commercial rights of the citizens of Massachusetts, secured to them by the Constitution and laws of the Union, whenever such wrongs are perpetrated and sustained by the local legislation of states, in plain derogation of the rights, privileges and immunities, secured to citizens of every state by the Constitution and laws of the United States.

Resolved, That our Senators and Representatives in Congress of the United States, be requested to procure such an alteration or amendment of the laws of the United States as will carry into effect the object of the foregoing resolves.

Resolved, That His Excellency the Governor be requested to transmit copies of the foregoing report and resolves to the Senators and Representatives of this Commonwealth in the Congress of the United States.

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