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"SEEKING TO PRESERVE ... THE DIGNITY
OF THIS STATE" - WALLACE 1963
School House Door Speech
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Go here for more about
 George
C. Wallace.
Go here for more about
George
C. Wallace's School House Door Speech.
Photo above:
Gov. Wallace standing defiantly at a door while being
confronted by Deputy U.S. Attorney General Nicholas
Katzenbach, June 11, 1963. Photographer: Warren K. Leffler -
Library of Congress
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It follows the full text transcript of
Governor George C. Wallace's Statement and
Proclamation, also called his School House Door Speech, delivered at
the University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, Alabama - June 11, 1963.
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As Governor and
Chief Magistrate of the State of Alabama, |
I deem it to be my
solemn obligation and duty to stand before you
representing the rights and sovereignty of this
State and its peoples.
The unwelcomed, unwanted, unwarranted and
force-induced intrusion upon the campus of the
University of Alabama today of the might of the
Central Government offers frightful example of
the oppression of the rights, privileges and
sovereignty of this State by officers of the
Federal Government. This intrusion results
solely from force, or threat of force,
undignified by any reasonable application of the
principle of law, reason and justice.
It is important
that the people of this State and nation
understand that this action is in violation of
rights reserved to the State by the Constitution
of the United States and the Constitution of the
State of Alabama. While some few may applaud
these acts, millions of Americans will gaze in
sorrow upon the situation existing at this great
institution of learning.
Only the Congress makes the law of the United
States. To this date no statutory authority can
be cited to the people of this Country which
authorizes the Central Government to ignore the
sovereignty of this State in an attempt to
subordinate the rights of Alabama and millions
of Americans. There has been no legislative
action by Congress justifying this intrusion.
When the Constitution of the United States was
enacted, a government was formed upon the
premise that people, as individuals are endowed
with the rights of life, liberty, and property,
and with the right of self-government. The
people and their local self-governments formed a
Central Government and conferred upon it certain
stated and limited powers. All other powers were
reserved to the states and to the people.
Strong local government is the foundation of our
system and must be continually guarded and
maintained. The Tenth Amendment to the
Constitution of the United States reads as
follows:
"The powers
not delegated to the United States by the
Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the
States, are reserved to the states
respectively, or to the people."
This amendment sustains the right of
self-government and grants the State of Alabama
the right to enforce its laws and regulate its
internal affairs.
This nation was never meant to be a unit of one,
but a united of the many. This is the exact
reason our freedom-loving forefathers
established the states, so as to divide the
rights and powers among the states, insuring
that no central power could gain master
government control.
There can be no submission to the theory that
the Central Government is anything but a servant
of the people. We are a God-fearing people, not
government-fearing people. We practice today the
free heritage bequeathed to us by the Founding
Fathers.
I stand here today, as Governor of this
sovereign State, and refuse to willingly submit
to illegal usurpation of power by the Central
Government. I claim today for all the people of
the State of Alabama those rights reserved to
them under the Constitution of the United
States. Among those powers so reserved and
claimed is the right of state authority in the
operation of the public schools, colleges and
Universities.
My action does not
constitute disobedience to legislative and
constitutional provisions. It is not defiance
for defiance sake, but for the purpose of
raising basic and fundamental constitutional
questions. My action is raising a call for
strict adherence to the Constitution of the
United States as it was written for a cessation
of usurpation and abuses. My action seeks to
avoid having state sovereignty sacrificed on the
altar of political expediency.
Further, as the Governor of the State of
Alabama, I hold the supreme executive power of
this State, and it is my duty to see that the
laws are faithfully executed. The illegal and
unwarranted actions of the Central Government on
this day, contrary to the laws, customs and
traditions of this State is calculated to
disturb the peace.
I stand before you here today in place of
thousands of other Alabamians whose presence
would have confronted you had I been derelict
and neglected to fulfill the responsibilities of
my office. It is the right of every citizen,
however humble he may be, through his chosen
officials of representative government to stand
courageously against whatever he believes to be
the exercise of power beyond the Constitutional
rights conferred upon our Federal Government. It
is this right which I assert for the people of
Alabama by my presence here today.
Again I state, this is the exercise of the
heritage of the freedom and liberty under the
law, coupled with responsible government.
Now, therefore, in consideration of the
premises, and in my official capacity as
Governor of the State of Alabama, I do hereby
make the following solemn proclamation:
WHEREAS, the
Constitution of Alabama vests the supreme
executive powers of the State in the
Governor as the Chief Magistrate, and said
Constitution requires of the Governor that
he take care that the laws be faithfully
executed; and,
WHEREAS, the Constitution of the United
States, Amendment 10, reserves to the States
respectively or to the people, those powers
not delegated to the United States; and,
WHEREAS, the operation of the public school
system is a power reserved to the State of
Alabama under the Constitution of the United
States and Amendment 10 thereof; and,
WHEREAS, it is the duty of the Governor of
the State of Alabama to preserve the peace
under the circumstances now existing, which
power is one reserved to the State of
Alabama and the people thereof under the
Constitution of the United States and
Amendment10 thereof.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, George C. Wallace, as
Governor of the State of Alabama, have by my
action raised issues between the Central
Government and the Sovereign State of
Alabama, which said issues should be
adjudicated in the manner prescribed by the
Constitution of the United States; and now
being mindful of my duties and
responsibilities under the Constitution of
the United States, the Constitution of the
State of Alabama, and seeking to preserve
and maintain the peace and dignity of this
State, and the individual freedoms of the
citizens thereof, do hereby denounce and
forbid this illegal and unwarranted action
by the Central Government.
George C. Wallace
GOVERNOR OF ALABAMA
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