Southern standard. [volume] (Columbus, Miss.) 1851-1856, 1852-02-07

reignty, if it be divisibleand whether, if it can
be, and is delegated or granted, a still remains
aoiM the grdntor. We, also, desire to enquire, If
the 10th article of the Constitution increases or
strengthens the reserved rights of the States
the distinction between political and legal judi
ciary rights questions, and what is meant by
the ..last resort We would like for the Stand
ard to speak of these TERMS &C., in distinct Ian
guage, SO that we may know exactly what it means
when it refers to or uses them"
Presenting immaterial and unimportant issues at
the outset, shows either weakness less common
dable subterfuge. 1.-THE former, victory would be de-
void of its aural if the latter, controversy would be
profitless. The questions propounded above of a
character too unimporant attract attention. Except
one which we shall notce] if presented in any other
connection than in that which they appear. But we
shall notice all now, with the distinct understanding
that we shall upon any other explanation of
them other immaterial NATTER until comes I'D in
legitimate debate We do so now alone through cou-
teSy.
The writer desires to know the 'defnition of Sc
cession.'" photographers have defined tive used
it, and shall continue it, defined, and in no
other sense. "Secede," is to Withdraw from fellow
ship, says the books, and in using the word "secede
in the article commented on above, we added cor,
u
for decent qubblng about the employment of the word
secede,' Secession used by usit is distinct
arbitrary.
The next question requires sdefnton of sovereign
ty,'-whether "divisible or not''-what is meant by
"delegating sovereignty"-and when "deegated' does
it still reman with the grantor " Now all this is
"lettng out the agony, if such question pro-
pounded in circle ofintelGgent men by lawyer, or
a who to he he would no
ed to scorn for his stupidity.
GAS Republican, SIR" said Mr. penlleton, 81 think
that the security of the liberty and happiness of the
people from the highest to the lowest being the object
of government, The People the Fountain of All Po1c
err They must, however, delegate it toagents because
from their number, dispersed situation and many 9TH
er circumstances, they cannot exerciseit in person.
2 y. Elliot, p. 800
The People, are the fountain of all power-Sover-
eighty resides with them perpetuols-they are the
Creator, and not the Creatures of Govsrnment-what
ever powers it may have it derived from the People,
they having delegatedit.
"The people of that State,'' saws Mr. Grayson,
(which suffer any power but her own immediate gov
ernment to interfere with the Sovereign right of taxa
ton, are gone forever."-Ib. p. 22I.
Taxation is a Sovereign power and the government
possessing it, derivedit from the People No man dare
say that the People may not any time, the
power delegated, thus depriving the government of
Sovereign power which it at one time possessed and
exercised by delegated grant, and not because the
power inherent IN the government for the govern
ment had no existence until the People Created and
gaze 1T po,oer.
"There is division of Souereigntl,' says Mr. Mon
roe, "between the National and State governments y
ID. p 49,
Madison, Hamilton, Jefferson JAY and every man of
| intel I'll. .44l-z
or, as modern Solomons say, "dviding sovereignty
Mr. Madison's argument in the Virginia convention,
found in the published proceedings of that body be-
ginning at the 18th and ending the 206th page,
Is unanswerable. Hamilton published three numbers
IN the Federdlit the subject and contemporary
history all sustain and avowit But we are not done
with this subject We shall put it out of the power of
ow-down demagogues, and sappy, seconceited petit
Jogging lawyers to misconstrue misrepresent us on
this question of Sovereignty, either now or hereafter
''We maintain the SOVEREIGNTY OF THE
PEOPLE as originally belonging to, and perpetu-
atty o6tdaag ruth them as not only not transmit
ted to the public agents, denominated 1.-The Gov
ernment," either State or Federal, but not trans
Missile by any people without an instant, abso-
lutte forfeiture of their title to the high character
of freemen. And where is the recreant to Lber-
tvs holy cause, who will dare openly, and with
out disguise, to maintain the opposite doctrine :?
Who will venture to assert, that the people who
have created Government have parted with
their sovereignty, by the act of creating it ? On
the other side of theAtlantic where speaking gener
ally, the Governments are either monarchial or
despouc, such doctrine will find advocates
Kings, Emperors, Autocrats, rule by the right d.
zine. They dsdaln to look to the people as the
source of authority The arbitrary will of the des
pot, is the law which binds the slave who acknowl-
edges his sway. Even in the Government of mixed
monarchial form, the power to alter the funda-
mental law, belongs to their different branches
and with these collectively, sovereignty is therefore
said to abide. But here in this land of freedom,
where all men of all parties, are compelled to &C
knowledge that sovereignty resides agiM the people,
that they and they only, the legitimate source
of authorlty-thatt the power which is exercised by
public agents, is but emanation from the peo-
pies sovereignty,-tha the power of such agents
is called into existence by, and depends for its con-
tinuance upon their aUiU, how is it that we have
suffered ourselves to be entangled in the contro-
versies which have been begotten, on the question
of divided sovereignty? Sovereignty is in other
words the poUer to prescribe the fundamental lar,
which regulates the conduct of individuals, in the
social state the creati0e poaoer by which constitu
tons are called into being in conformity to whose
provisions an official existence is temporarily given
to number of individuals, who colkectiuely consti
tate the Government and are charged with the ex-
ercse of certain sovereign powers-the impartabLe,
intransneissibte power, which freemen always re-
tain, and by virtue of which they are competent
at all times to control the agents created by their
H.