The Ohio Democrat. [volume] (Canal Dover, Ohio) 1840-1900, 1844-06-27

goeues, and orators, were filled with Persian gold
which did what the Persian arms in the hands Of mil
lions could not do.
Sd it was when the government of the republic Of
Rome fell into The hands of corrupt political asprants;
the public crib was thrown opeh through pretended mo-
ves OF patriotism and humanity, but with the real mo-
ves Of bribery; the people ncautiousy nbbled at the
bait but one step more was necessary to overthrow the
liberties ofthe people and demosh the republic ITSELF
The public granares being exhausted and the peoples
tastes being corrupted they threw themselves in market
to the highest bidder purchaser found and
a bargain consummated. So went the Republic OF
Rome So went her free institutions went the ber
ties OF the people, But to retn to the limitations of
government At the conclusion of our glorious revolu
ton, ard when our colonial emancipation was consum
mated, and our independence was acknowledged, the
next political plan operation was to secure that inde
pendence To that end but one plan suggested itself
and that was confederation of the colonies under the
new name Uf States for national defence convention
OF representatives, or delegates from all the States was
held; and the object OF the convention declared that OBJ
ect was national defence Yes sir the object decla
red in two words-they national defence And for
that purpose new and independent government must
be formed and that government to be called the federal
government for national defence And of what was this
federal government to be formed? OF what materials
were its governing attributes to be composed and from
what source were they to be drawnl The convention
had no po#er 10 manufacture government: Materials
that was and is an attribute of the Almighty Where,
ask again, were the materials to come out of which
~ coJa ha
but enc answer, and but one source from which they
were to be drawn and that was from the States The
States voluntarily surrendered all the powers which the
federal government possesses. And it was with the
States, in the formation OF the federal government as it
ever has been and ever will be, with the people in
state Of nature when they associate themselves for the
purpose of political government that is surrenders were
made with extreme caution and jealousy. No more
powers were surrendered than what was indspersaby
necessary to secure the object which the trainers of the
government had in view, viz national defence And
10 the end that there might be no mistake to the end
that the States might be secure forever in their reserved
rights, and that no innovation should be attempted Dy
involuntary miscouception or wul violence,-the pow
ers so surrendered and granted were expressed in
written constitution and in order that the constitution
should be the better understood and the powers so sur
rendered and so granted defined and limited, it was d.
vided into articles and each article into sections, and
each section into sentences and each sentence into
words defining precisely what the contracting parties
meant on the one hand to surrender and on the other
what was to be granted well the precise object to
be accomplished
Not satisfied with all this Caution but fearing that an
attempt might be made to consue that constitution to
mean what its trainers did not intend in order TO cut off
all constructive powers and to cenfne the exercise OF
federal powers within the letter of the constitution, they
introduced section and made part Of the consttu
ton securing in express terms to the States and to the
people all powers not thereby granted and consequent
y thereby withholding from the federal government the
exercise OF any and all powers not thereby expressly
granted But so Jealous were the trainers of the nde-
pendence of the States and of the liberty of the people
that even all officers either ofhe federal State gov
ernmehts should exercise official functions, without
first appearing at the throne of eternal responsibility
and there binding himself by solemn oath id the pre-
sence Of his Maker that he would maintain that consti-
tuition.
This sir is the constitution and these were the mean
adopted for lis secury these the means 10 limit the fed
era in its exercise powers and these the
means to secure the States in the everlasting and nmo
Tested endowment of their reserved sovereignty and indie
pendenee.
The question now properly comes up, what powers
did the States surrender and what grants were made 10
the federal government The answer is contained in
the federal constitution and the powers specified and
numbered all corresponding with each other, and al
corresponding with the object for which the government
was formed, viz national defence; and no power is eX
pressed except what was and is necessary for that pur
pose.
Another question naturally arises What is the ex
tent of powers which the general government can exer
else to carry out the grants thus bestowed | answer
again, whatever may be necessary to accomplish the
objects of its creationviz national defence and all the
grants which were made were necessary for that pur
pose and all that were necessary for that purpose were
made Here, sir, permit me to enter my protest agans
the power of constitutional construction. do so be-
cause we hear statesmen everyday attempting to con-
sue the constitution-suppyng the constitution there
by or rather the federal government wihpowers which
the trainers of the constitution never intended should bt
exercised and such as never were intended to be
dered by the States or the people. deny power ant
the right to coustrue the federal constitution. In speci
flying the powers ofihe federal government the amer
Of the constitution said what they meant and meant al
they said They said all they meant and meant al
thev said reneat that deny the Tiphtto constTue