Such  are  the  inevitable  results  of  this  doc-
trine. Beginning  with  the  orginal  error,  that
the  constitution  of  the  United  States  is  nothing
but  a  compact  between  sovereign  States ;  as-
serting, in  tlie  next  step,  that  each  State  has  a
right  to  be  its  own  sole  ludge  of  the  extent  of
its  own  obligations,  and,  consequently,  of  the
oonstitutionaBty  of  laws  of  Congress ;  and,  in
the  next,  that  it  may  oppose  whatever  it  sees  fit
to  dedare  unconstitutional,  and  that  it  decides
for  itself  on  the  mode  and  measure  of  redresa,
the  argument  arrives  at  once  at  the  conclusion
that  what  a  State  dissents  from,  it  may  nullify ;
what  it  opposes,  it  may  oppose  by  force ;  what
it  decides  for  itself,  it  may  execute  by  its  own
power ;  and  that,  in  short,  it  is,  itself  supreme
over  the  legislation  of  Congress,  and  supreme
over  the  decisions  of  the  national  judicature;
supreme  over  the  constitution  of  the  country,
supreme  over  the  supreme  law  of  the  land.
However  it  seeks  to  protect  itself  against  these
plain  inferences,  by  saying  that  an  uncoostito-
tional  law  is  no  law,  and  that  it  only  opposes
such  laws  as  are  unconstitutional,  yet  this  does


DEBATES  OF  CONGRESS.
i08


VwmmoAMW,  18891]


JbveMiie  CciUctim  BiU^NuUijuxOum.
[S:


not,  in  the  slightest  degree,  vary  the  resnlt ;
nnee  it  insists  on  deciding  this  question  for  it-
self; and,  in  opposition  to  reason  and  argu-
ment, in  opiHMition  to  practice  and  experience,
in  opposition  to  the  fndgment  of  others,  having
an  equal  right  to  Judge,  it  says,  only,  ^^  Such  is
my  opinion,  and  my  opinion  shall  be  my  law,
and  I  vill  support  it  by  my  own  strong  hand.
