Washington sentinel., 1854-07-23
From the State Rights Register
state Hfghts.


From the State Rights Register.
state Rights.
This vast country was first wilderness, in
habited by Indian savages There were MANY
different tribes, all occupying and claiming do
minion over different tracts, parcels, or sections
of country. Each tribe was sovereign in its
own territory, until conquered and driven out by
some other tribe. In process of time, savage
man retired before the advance of a superior
and civilized race, and Indian rule was sup.
planted by the usages, institutions, and gov
ernment of enlightened man. The country be-
came settled, but it was only an appendage to
the countries from which the settlers came. Il
was divided into different tracts or parcels as
among the Indians, each having distinctive
name. They were separate, and were called
colonies; each independent of the others, but
all dependent on foreign power. That gov
ernment which they all looked up to as q com
mon head, became grinding tyranny. They
determined together to throw off its yoke.
They united as independent colonies in that
purpose, and triumphantly achieved it. From
colonies, they erected themselves into separate
and independent States, retaining their colonial
names, their geographical limits, and their do
mestic institutions and laws. AS separate SOW.
ereign States, they formed union, confede-
racy, q general government, and formed it for
purposes OF convenience and defence. But
even though formed in time of pressure and
peril, when amalgamation, solidity, and unity,
seemed absolutely necessary to success, with q
prophetic prescience and providential eal
ousy, they chained the political agent they
created-the Federal Government-and left
themselves free. They limited that govern
ment to defined sphere, and beyond that
sphere it cannot go.
The powers OF the people of the States are
sovereign. One proof of it is that thew are
nnwritten. II deriyatiye they would be written.
The powers OF the Federal Government are writ.
ten, defined, and limited. The sovereign States
formed that Constitution, and only delegated
collectively to it powers which each originally
and inherently possessed, but which. as indi.
viduals, they could not render available in exi.
gencies, such as wars. Each colony, or State,
after the revolution, was as sovereign as was
England, France, or Russia, inst as the smallest
man here is rs free as the largest.
But men cannot all agree, even in regard to
the plainest propositions. 1hey did not agree
in regard to the powers Of the Federal Govern
ment. NO sooner was the Constitution adopted
than two schools of politicians arose, which
have continued, but under different names.
trom that day to this. Indeed, to speak cor.
rectly, they existed before its adoption. There
was a class of politicians in the convention of
1851 who, educated in the political schools of
Europe, had imbibed high ideas of the strength
cignlty, and sovereignty of governments, and
ieit profound distrust for the intelligence and
capacity Of the people. They were accustomed
to look upon colonies and States as inferior
powers that could not exist without being
subordinate to some great head.
These men, many of them sincere patriots and
eminent scholars anc statesmen, had in their
earher years, Dasked IN the sunshine Of courts.
Inc piood OF the mobiles of England coursed
through their veins. Their proud family tradi-
their opinions. They had bent the knee 10 KINGS.
been dazzled by the blazing stars ofkniohtbood.
and had learned to regard with almost suner.
stihous reverence, the high sounding titles Of
nobility and the favored men who bore those
titles. They were men of patrician blood. and
while they could shed their own blood TO free
their country from foreign woke, all their in.
| stincts, and all their feelings reyolted AGAINST
republican simplicity and political eunality.
They believed that strong government was
necessary. They would have moderated and
reduced despotism into elective monarchy. and
IN place OF traditions, and specific compacts-
| Ia place indeed OF on unwritten constitution
tney would have had a complete comprehen-
slve, and written constitution. But their con-
stitution would have contained vast conces-
sions OF power, and their elective monarch
would have been surrounded with all the nom.
pous insignia Of ofroyalty and all the imposing or
ders Of nobility. Such was one school of poI;.
ticians who, after the adoption of the Constitu.
ton received the name of Federalists.
The other school held different views Tbey
had suffered so much from the expressions. and
seen so little of the sunshine of ROYALTY. that
they entertained towards it but one sentiment.
and that, the sentiment of hatred-ntense. i'm
placable hatred. They knew royalty and its
attendant institutions only by their exactions,
their expressions, and their chastisements.
They saw that unlimited power would be
abused. They determined to restrain that
power. They saw that kings and mobiles were
but men subject to the same diseases, the same
infrmities, and worse vices An hereditary
monarch struck them as an impious and irreve-
rent imitation Of selfcreated deity. They
felt that chosen President was preferable to
born monarch, and written constitution with
jealously guarded powers, better than un-
written, underlined, and unlimited powers.
Hence they gave us President and q Consti
tutlon. lnese were tne tepuDllcans.
No sooner did the new government 90 into
operation, than the antagonism of these two
parties became bitter and impassioned. The
federalistsd tsdeclared that the Federal government
was sovereign and supreme. They pointed TO
the surrender by the States of the war and
treaty making powers, and some other powers
as evidence Of that supremacy and sovereignty.
The republicans scoifed, and very properly
scoffed, at the idea. They asked, WHY, II the
Constitution cxtinguished the sovereignty Of
the States, did they In convention defeat, vote
down, and reject all propositions which were
professedly offered with that view? Theyfurther
asked why, when they adopted any clause or Sec
ton of doubtful import, did they adopt it with
q protestando against any such construction |?
Indeed, for the States TO have bargained with
one another that the sovereignty of each should
be extinguished, or surrendered to a mere
agent, would have been an unparalleled politi-
cal suicide.
The old articles OF confederation did not
reach the dignity Of a constitution. They
were adopted in haste, and under pressure.