Washington sentinel. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1853-1856, 1855-08-23
VS.. STATE RIGHTS.

our own. Even IL we felt equal To such task
a subject already exhausted by the genius and
craftsmanship Of the first men in our country
we feel that it ought noe TO be work of SUPERB
rogation. Our sole object is TO point out some of
the evils which are fast fastening themselves upon
our beautiful system, and which, if not eradicated
or corrected in time, viii certainly arrest our
mission, and ultimately sap the very foundations
of our Government. This Government was de-
signed republic, in the days when the true
Specification of that term was rightfully understood
Unhappily, however, republic has grown into a
generic term, too often sgnifying little more than
the seductive tocsn To revolution and anarchy.
Thus, France called herself repnblic-and yet
IN what Government upon the face Of the earth,
al that time, were there so few of the features or
clements of repubhcanism in the Government
of France. 1t was purely military despotism.
The people had nothing to do with it, either be-
cause they do not understood what is republican
ism, or that they were willing to be blinded by
the mere parapharnala and empty insignia of a
Republican Government, Mexico was until lately
a republic She herself would acknow ledge the
misnomer South America abounds as much in
Republics" as in her huge and horrid serpents,
or the luscious fruits of her tropical cline. And
yet, as if emulatng the destructveness of her fear
full earthquakes and burning craters, she is the
scene of an almost continuous upheaving of Gov
ernments. Anarchy prevails everywhere, and
revolution seems the order of the day.
Hence we say, the name Of republic" has
been brought into disrepute, and law and order
and conservation are strangers under the per-
verted and mistaken ends to which modern
republics have been directed.
Our form of Government, however, differs
radically from every other. Ii is an anomaly.
II is republic, not formed by the people as in
every other republic, bH is league Of nations,
each as strong and independent the othcr-each
equally near to, and far from, the Central Gov
eminent
Each Of these nations reserved, when they en-
tered into the federal compact league, its
sovereignty unshorn and intact. They gave only
such powers 10 the Federal Government as were
absolutely necessary 10 administer it in accord
ance with the provisions of the instrument that
was intended To bind them. This was done for
the very Obvious reason, that if strong central
Government was created by this league it would
not be easy 10 prevent the merger-gradual
perhaps-bui not less sure, of the rights, soyer-
eighties and iadiridualifitS of the States Expe-
rience had shown that the tendencies of all Gov
ernments are TO strong central power, and
the wisdom and sagacity of the astute founders
of our republic were keenly alive to this danger.
Ii was therefore guarded against as well and
as fully as language could possibly guard il in
tbst,p
such is the insane Ito us at least) love Of strong
governments, that many and able in our
country have attempted to claim powers for the
central or general government not expressly
granted" in the Constitution-power which, il
yielded, would be sadly subversiye of the spirit
and genius of the institutions which have grown
up under il, The source of power is not in the
Ps0pie. The source Of all power in this govern
ment is in the STATES. The people in all the
States have not equal rights-in some States
the elective franchise is restricted by very high
property quali6cation-n other States, the re-
striction is not SO severe-while in others again,
universal suffrage prevails. So, in some States,
a foreigner may exercise the right of suffrage
after six months residence--in others il varies
between one and five years. Thus il this greatest
of all privileges to American citizens controlled
by the respective State governments, and not the
less controlled where the suffrage is to be en-
ployed for federal instead Of State officers The
reservation of this grsaita power, and the undis-
puted exercise Of il by the States, shows clearly
how Eme the States designed TO surrender Of
their rights and privileges. Why, If the central
government intended TO be the absorbent of
the rights Of the States, was not this most i'm
portant right before al, efted, and the power
claimed by il of prescribing tie restrictions and
regulations Of the voters in the States for federal
Offices II, then, the relation of The States to
the central government be thus understood, why
i il that we find, under all administrations, such
cncruachments upon the rights of the States
Steadily and stealtIily these nroads have been
made, until what we at first demanded as a right,
we are now gnobly content TO receive as faror
Scarcely a decade but is marked by serious
looping off from the sovereignties of the States,
and the time may not be far distant, if they do
not awake from their supineness, that, Samson
like, they may find themselves shorn Of their
strength and their prowess. One of the causes Of
this condition Of things is, that the habit is
growing upon the people, through the politicians,
Of looking too much to the Federal, and too little
to the State Governments Too much weight
and Importance are awarded TO Administrations
They derive this undue power and consequence
from no other source than the absurd estimate in
which they are held. An Administration may be
as unpopular as possible, or even as the present
one has become, and yet the power that resides
with it is fearful. Il may come into power, backed
by the united and approving voices Of the largest
political party ever known 10 our country. II
may through bad faith, and forfeiture Of the
principles and pledges which carried il into power
SO entirely cstrango its former advocates and
supporters, to leave il with scarcely corporal's
guard. Still its power remains unabridged, and
we really seem TO regard THE thing Of our our
creation, as a aw-head and bloody -bones Sena
tors, representatives, judges, governors, and al
the lesser officials come under the spell Of fright
and would not even risk the dreadful peril o
calling their souls their own. There are in al
these, honorable executions not only IN this bu