The Bedford gazette. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1805-current, 1856-01-25
BEDFORD, Pa. FAY MORNING JAN. o. 1856.

SuidtuS thought which was, TO delegate onl
such power as was necessary and proper to tb
execution OF specific purposes, or, in othe
words, TO retain as much as possible, consistent
~ with those purposes, OF the independent pow
ers OF the individual States. For obIects OF com
mon defence and security. they lntruSted t
the general government certain carefully defin
ed functions, leaving all others as the undeIe
gated rights OF the sepeIate independent sover
eighties.
Snuh is the constitutional theory Of our gov
ernment, the practical observance OF which ha
carried US, and US alone, among modern repub
lies, through nearly three generations of time
without the cost of one drop OF blood shed il
civil war. With freedom and concert Of action
It has enabled us to contend successfully oi
the battle field against foreign foes, has tleva
led the feeble colonies into powerful States, aiit
has raised our industrial productions and ou
/ commerce which transports them, TO the leve
4 OF the richest and the greatest nations OF Eu
T! rope. And the admirable adaptation Of our pll
/ litieal institutions TO their objects, combinE
local sell government with aggregate strength
/ has established the practicablity Of goytSS.
ment like ours 10 cover continent With 4tla,
iederate States 81
The CongaeSs fihe United States is, in etate
that Congress OF sosereigntIes. which goodtl4r-
IN the Cid World have sought for, bat ca&d
never obtain, and which imparts 70 America IS,
exemption from the mutablr lragueS for col
mon act on from the wars, the mutual invasioAe
and vague aspirations alter the balance Of pog-
1 er, which couvulse fiom time to time the poS,
rrs 81 Europe. Our cooperative action rests Il
/ the conditions OF permanent confederation ID
I Srribpd bv tba constitution H,,r -, .
/ power is in the sepcrate reserved rights of tie
States, and their equal representation in the
Senate. That independent sovereignty in ev-
cry one Of the States, with lis reserved rights 81
local set-government assured to each by thei
co-equal power in the Senate, was The iund2
mental condition Of the constitution. Nithof
1t the Union would never have existed. Hoy
ever deSirous the larger States might be to r.
organize the government SO as TO give to thar
population It's proportionate weight in the com
mon councils, they knew II was impossible,
unless they conceded 10 the smaller ones an
thorlty to exercise at least a negative influence
on all the measures OF the government, Whrfh-
er legislative or executive, through their equal
representation in the SENATE Indeed thp
States themselves could not have failed 10 per-
ceIve, that the power vas equally necessary TO
them, for the security Of their own don,eS.ic
interests against the aggregate force of the gtsf
States went INTO this permanent league on The
agreed promises, of eXertlng their common
strength for the defence Of the whole, and Of all
It's parts but Of utterly excluding all caPahiity
of reciprocal aggression. Each solrnly bound
itself to all the others, neither to undertake, nor
permit, any encroachment upon, or nterIned-
ding with, anoher's reserved rights.
Where it was deemed expedirnt, particular
rights ofthr States were expressly guaranteed
/ by the constitution bot, in all things beside,
/ these rights were guarded by the limitation oi
/ the powers granted, and by express reservation
/ Of all powers not granted, in the compact OF
union. Thus, the great power OF taXa;Ion was
/ limited to purposes OF common defence and gen
/ eraI welfare excluding objects apprrtainng
! to the local legislation Of the several States
and those purposes Of general welfare aud com
/ mon defence wrre afterwards defined by Speci-
/ fc enumeration, as being matters only OF core
I lation between the States themselves, or be-
! tween them and foreign governments, which
because of their common and general nature
! could not be left to the septrate control Of eact
State.
or she circumstances Of local condition inter
est. and rights, in which portion OF the : to'S
constituting one great section of the Unl1eny
! fpred from the rest, and from another s. as /
the most important was the peculiarly OF the
ge7 relative coIoyed population in the so'}ch +
than in the northern States ne
1 A population of this class held in subjection
existed in nearly all the States, but was Nor,
numerous and of more serious concernment II
the South than in the North, on account Of ma
tural differences of climate and production; ant
it was foreseen that, for the same reasons, %hi
this population would diminish, and, sooner o
later, CEASE to exist in some States, ii might IN
crease in Others. The peculiar character att
magnitude OF this question OF local rights, no
in material relations only, but still more in socIa
ones caused it to enter into the special stlpula
tions of the constitution.
Hence, while the general government, as vel
by the enumerated powers granted to It, as b,
those not enumerated, and therefore refused to II
f was forbidden to touch this matter, in the sens
of attack or offence, it was placed under the gen
eral safeguard OF the Union, in the sense OF de
fence against either invasion or domestic VIC
lence. like all other local interests OF the sever
al States Each States expressly stipulated,
we'll for each and all of its citizens, and ever
citizen of each State, became soemnly bound b
hts allegiance to the constitution, that any pei
son. held TO service or labor in one State, escar
ing into another should not, in consequence {
any law or regulation thereof, be discharge
from such service or labor, but should be deilS
cred up on claim Of the party TO whom sue
}, service or labor might be due by the law OF h
: State.
j Thus, and thus only, by the reciprocal guar
anty Of all the rights ofevery State against inter
: ference on the part OF another, was the preser
: form Of government established by our father