Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1856-01-24

: tive action rests in the conditions {
E permanent confederation preserve
by the constitution. Our balance G
!, power is in the separate reserves
! rights of the States, and their equa
representation in the Senate. Tha
: independent sovereignty in ever,
one of the States, with its reserved
rights of self.government assured t
each by their co-equal power in th'
J, Senate, was the fundamental condi
ton of the constitution. Withou
it the Union would never have exis
i ted.
However desirous the larger States
might beto reorganize the government
SO as to give to their population its
proportionate weight in the common
councils, they knew it was impossi-
BILE, unless they conceded to the
smaller ones authority to exercise
at least a negative influence on all
the measures of the government
whether legislative or executive
through their equal representation
III the Senate.
Indeed the larger States them
selves could not have failed to per-
ceive that the same power was equally
necessary to them, for the security
of their own domestic interests
against the aggregated force of the
general government. In a word,
the original States, went into this
permanent league on the agreed
premises of exerting their common
strength for the defence of the whole,
and all its parts; but of excluding
all capability Of reciprocal aggress-
ion. Each solemnly bound itself to
all the others, neithere to undertake,
nor permit any encroachment upon,
or intermeddling with any others
reserved rights.
Where it was deemed expedient,
particular rights Of the States were
expressly guaranteed by the con-
stitution; but, in all things besides, these
rights were guarded by the limitation
of the powers granted, and by ex-
press reservation, of all power not
granted, in the compact of union.
Thus the great power of taxation was
limited to purposes ofcommon defence
and general welfare, excluding objects
appertaining to the local legislation
of the several States; and those pur-
poses of general welfare and the COM
mon defenses were afterwards defined,
by specified enumeration, as being
matters only of correlation between
the States themselves, or between
them and foreign governments, which
because of their common and general
nature, could not be left to the sepa-
rate control of each State.
OF the circumstances of local con-
dition, interest and rights in which a
portion of the States, constituting one
great section of the Union, differed
from the rest and from another section,
the most important was the pecul-
iarity of larger colored population
in the southern than in the northern
States.
A population of this class, held in
subjection, existed in nearly all the
States, but was more numerous and
of more serious concernment in the
South than In the North, on account
of natural differences of climate and
production; and it was foreseen that,
for the same reasons, while this pop
ulation would diminish, and sooner
or later, cease to exist, in some States,
it might increase in others. The
peculiar character and magnitude OF
this question of local rights, not in
material relations only, but still more
in social ones, caused it to enter into
the special stipulations OF the Con-
stitution.
Hence, while the general govern
mentaswell by the enumeratedpoweri
granted to it, as by those not enumer-
ated. and therefore refused to it, was
| forbidden to touch this matter in the
sense of attack OF offense, it was
placed under the general safeguard
/ of the Union, in the sense OF de.
fense against either invasion or do.
] mestic violence, like all other loca
1 interests of the several States. Eacf
State expressly stipulated, as well al
/ for itself as for each and all Of it'
|, citizens, and every citizen of eaci
State became solemnly bound by hii
allegiance to the constitution, that any
person, held to the service or labo
i'm one State, escaping into another
should not in consequence OF any Law