Cooper's Clarksburg register. [volume] (Clarksburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1851-1861, 1856-01-09

such, they seem to frameAheg proceeded
TO frame the existing constitution. adher-
ing steadily to one guiding thought, I
which was to dele gate only such
was as was necessary and proper to
the execution s'Of specific purposes, or,
in other words, to retain as much |
as possible, consistently with those pur-
poses, or, in other worps, to retain as
the individual States. For objects to
common defence and security, they in |
trusted to the general government cer~
tain carefully defined functions, leaving
all others as the undelegated rights Of the |
separate, independent sovereignties.
Such is the constitutional theory Of our
government, the practical observance Of
which has carried US, and us alone,
among modern republics, trough nearly
three generations of time without the
cost of one drop of blood shed in civil
war. With freedom and concert Of sc-
ton, it has enabled US TO contend success
fully on the battlev6 field against foreign
foes, has elevated the feeble colonies into
powerful States, and has raised our in
dustrial productions, and our commerce,
which transports them to the level of the
friCheSt and Of the greatest nations of Eu-
rope. And the admirable adaptation Of
our political institutions TO their objects,
combining local self>government with ag-
gregate strength, has established the prac-
tcability of a governmcntlike ours TO cover
a continent with confedrrated States.
The Congress OF the United States, is,
in effect, that Congress OF sovereignties,
which good men in The Old World have
sought for, but could never attain, and
which impartS 10 America an exemption
from The mutable league for common ac-
Zion, from the wars. the, mutual invasions,
and vague aspirations after The balance Of
power, which couyuIse, from time to time
the govrnmcrt5 of Europe. Our cooper
ativive Nction rests in The condition Of per-
N ancnt confederation prescribed BY the
constitution. Our balance of power is ia the
separate reserved rights Of the States, and
their equal representation in the Senate.
That independent sovereignty in every one
! ofthe S,ates, viii lis reserved ligh.s of
local SCI government assured to each by
their co-equal power in the Senate, was
the fundamental condition of the consti-
tuition. Without it the Uuion would new
q nav C-AIAiSu. IlO"GNCl uGSiEUuS INC
larger States nigh. be TO re-organze the
government So as 10 give TO their popuIa-
don its rroportionste weight in the COM
mun coVnse,s, they knew il was impossi-
bic, unicas tEoy conceded to TIE smaller
ones authority 10 exercise at least n ne
4atiye influence on all the measures of
the government. whether legislative or
executive, through their equal rcprcsen-
tation in he Senate. Indeed the larger
States themselves could not have failed to
pcr-clvc, that the same power was equal
" necessary TO them, for tie security OF
their own domestic interests against the
aggregate force CT the general govern
mcnt. In a word, til" original States went
into this league on the agreed premises,
OF eXterting their common strength for
The defence Of the whole, and OF all its
parts but Of utterly excluding all c%pa-
bility Of reciprocal aggression. Each
soIcmnly bound itself to all the others,
neither TO undertake, nor permit any en-
croRchmcnls upon, or inLermedlinr with
another's reserved rights.
Where it was deemed expedicnt, par.
Gcular rights of tie States were expressly
guaranteed by the constitution but, in all
things beside, these rights were guarded
by the limitation Of the powers granted
and by cEprcss reservation of all powers
not grained, in the compact Of union.-
Thus, he grcat power of taxadon was
lImltcJ 10 purposes Of common defence
and general welfare, excluding objects
IapFct.inin5 to the local Legislation Of the
several States and Mcsc purposes of
general wc!tAre and common defence
were Afterwards defined BY specific emu
meratlon, rs being matters only of coreIa-
ton between the States themselves, or be-
tween them and foreign governments,
which, because Of their common and ucn-
cral nature, could not be left to the scpa>
rate control Of each State.
Ot the circumstances Of local condition.
interest, aud rights, in which portion Of
the States, constituting one great section
of thc Union differed from the rest, and
from another section, the most important
was til" popularity Of q larger relative
coiorcd population in the SOUTHERN than
III the northern States.
y population Of this class, held in sub
LECTION, existed in nearly all the States,
but was moro numerous and Of more SCI
rouS concernment in the South than in
the North, on account Of natural differ
ences Of climate ard production and it
was forcsccn that, for the same reasons,
whIethis population nd diminish, and,
sooner or later, cease to exist, in some
States, 1t might increase in others. The
peculiar character and magnitude of this
question Of local rights in material rcIa-
tons only, but still more in social ones,
caused to enter into special stipulations
of the constitutions.
Hence, while the general government,
! IS well Uy the enumerated mowers ,,r,-t