JOINT RESOLUTIONS.

699

maintained, as one of the very essentials of free

Government.

6. That in the opinion of this General Assembly,

the continued existence of the Federal Union itself,

Depends upon

not less than the continuance of the States, depends

upon the preservation and the strict observance of

all the rights, powers and limitations belonging to

and qualifying each respectively.

7. That the powers granted to the Federal Gov-

ernment by the several States, are specially enume-

Specially enu-
merated.

rated and stated in the Federal Constitution; the

several States have reserved to themselves or to the

people thereof all other powers. That the right to

select members of the State Legislatures; the right

peaceably to assemble to make laws for the State;

the right of each branch of the Legislature of each

State to select its officers, to make rules and regula-

tions for governing its own proceedings, to judge of

and determine the election and qualifications of its

own members, are matters which concern the people

of the several States alone, and with which the Fed-

eral authorities cannot rightfully interfere, and in

the opinion of this General Assembly any interfer-

ence therewith, by the Federal authority, is unjust,

usurped and in the highest degree subversive of free

Government, and dangerous.

8. That entertaining these opinions, the General

Assembly of Maryland, considering that in a time of

Protest.

profound peace, the people of the State of Louisiana,

on the fourth day of January, eighteen hundred and

seventy-five, through their representatives duly elect-

ed to their State Legislature, had assembled and or-

ganized to pass laws tor the government of the State,

and being so assembled in the Hall of their House of

Delegates in the State Capitol, in pursuance of their

State constitution and laws, and in violation of no law

or provision of the Federal Constitution whatever,

the said Hall of the said House of Delegates was in-

vaded, occupied and taken possession of by armed

troops of the United States, under the command of

officers of the United States, five of the said Dele-

gates were seized by said troops, and forcibly ejected

from said Hall, and other persons were declared to