Democrat and sentinel. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1853-1866, 1856-01-09

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duties OF the federal government To whatever
extent tleso questions cxlnLit tendency mena-
ciug to tie stabity Ct the constitution, or Tie NJ
tcality Vt the Union, and no fartLtr, they cemanu
the consideration of tie Executive, aud require TO
be presented BY him 70 Congress.
3 fore tile Thirteen Colonies 6c,uf1e corfed-
Grafton OF independent States, the, acre associated
OILY by community of trans-allantIe origin, by
..e,,nr. llcal position, aud by the mutual tie oI
eu,.liln depciicsi.ce@ on Great aBritain- Lien
that tie was sunGered, Trey scveiaily assumed tie
powers l'sd rights of atsulute self 90, ernment.-
The it,iacipal and socia! Institutions Of each, its
laws If property. and Of personal rvistion. even
It's political oreanizatia were such only as each
une cicse to establish molly without Interference
from any other. lu ti,e language OF the De.fara
ti5n OF Independence, each State rad full power
to levy war, ceneleaie peace, contract alliances,
establish comErcfce, and to do all other acts and
things which sndepcnecnt States may Of tight
sio' The several c,lonies differed in climate. in
soil in natural productions, Ill relgio in systems
of education, in legislation, and IN the forms OF
political administration and they continued TO
differ in thee respects when they volun arlly al
lted themselves States to carry on the war OF
the revolution.
The object Of that war 10 disenthral the
United Colonies from foreign rule which had pro-
| vel to be oppressive, and to separate them per
manently from the mother country; the POLITICAL
result was the foundation of federal rel ublc OF
| they were, in d stinct. and recprocally indepen-
| dent State governments. As for the subject ra-
ecs whether Indian African, the wise and
brave statesmen of that day. being engaged in no
extravagant scheme of social change, left then. as
they were and thus preserved themselves aud
/ their posterity from the anarchy. and the ever-re
CURING civil wars, whicn have prevailed in other
revolutonized European colonies of America.
When the confederated States found 1t conve-
niert to modify the conditions of their association
by giving to Tie general government direct access,
in some respects. to the people Of the States, in
stead of conhning it to action on the States as
such, tLey proceeded TO frame the existing const
tuition, adhering steadily to oie guiding thought,
which was, 10 delegate only such power was
necessary and proper to the execution Of specific
| pu poss. or, IN other words, to retain as much
as poss ible consistently with tho Sc purposes, Of
| the independent powers of the individual States
For objects OF common defence and security, they
int listed to the general government certain care
fully defined functions, leaving all Others a the
undelegated rights of the separate independent
| soveregntles.
Such is the constitutional theory Of our govern
ment, the practical observance of which has car
ried us, and us alJne. among modern republics,
through nearly three generations OF time without
the cost of one drop of bloodsheu in civil war
With freedom and concert of action, it has enabled
us to contend successfully the battlefield
against foreign foes, has elevated the feeble colo
ueS Vito OtdtSS, diil HAS iaSSN vi
dustrial productions, and our commerce, which
transports them, to tie level of the richest and
tte greatest natl, rs of Europe. And the admlra-
BILE adoption of our political Institutions to their
objects, combining zeal self-government with az
sregate strength, has established the practicable
ty of government like ours to cover continent
with confederate States
The Congress of the United States is, in effect,
: that COZ gress of soveregntles. which good mel.
, in the Gid World have sought for, but could
never attain, and which imparts to America ali
exemption from the mutabe leagues for common
action, from the wars, tie mutual lnvasions and
. vague aspirations after the balance of power,
which CO lvulse from time to time the govern
,lelts vi Europe. Our cooperative action rests
IN the conditions OF permanent coeae satio
prescri ell by the constitution. Our baance Vi
power is in the seperate reserved rights OF the
States, aud their equal representation III tie Sen
ate. That independent soverT iGnty IN every one
Of the States, with its reserved nights OF ioca
self government assured to each by their co-equa
+ power in the Senate, was the fundamental condl
5 ton of the constitution. Without it the Union
i would never have existed. However desrou'
the larger States might be 10 re-orgauize the gov
ernlnent so as to give to their population its pro
portionate weight in the common counsels, they
: Knew it was impossible, unless they conceded t,
i the smaller ones authority to exercise at east
Z negative influence ON all the measures vi TIM
1 government whether legislative or executive
through their equal representation in tie Senate
: Indeed, the larger States themselves could no
o nave failed to perceive that the same power wa
t. equally necessary to them. for the security c
L their own domes tic interests against the agGre
% gate force Of the general government. In word
1t the original States went into this perinanen
e league the agreed premises, OF exerting thei
Of common strength for the defence of the whole
and of all it's parts; but of utterly excluding al
l. capsbility OF reciprocal aggressions. Each sol
:. emily bound itself to all the others, neither
re undertake, nor permit, any encroachment upon
oi intermeddling with. another's reserved rights
When it was deemed expedient, particuia
1t rights OF the States were expressly guaranteed
vi the constitution but, In all things beside, thes
- ngnts were guartieu by tile limitation OF tnepow
< ers granted, and by express reservation Of a
AZ powers not granted, III the campact of Union
lr THUS, the great power of taxation was limited
l. purposes OF common defence and general welfar,
IN excluding objects appertainfng to the local iegis
u latlon VI the several States and those purpust
Is of general welfare and common defence we've
N terwaras defined by specific enumeration, as hein
matters only Of Correlation between the State
Is themselves, or between them and foreign govern
We ments, which. because of their common aud ger
era nature. ceuld not be left to the separate COZ
IL troll of each State.
Of OF the circumstances of local condition. intel
~ est, and rights, m which portion of the State
l constituting one great secfion of fhe Union diffe
ie ed from the rest, and from another section, th
at most important the popularity of a large
Ill relative colored population in the southern tha
ui in the northern States
lg population OF this class. held in subiectiol
L existed III nearly all tie States, but was MOI
3 numerous and oi more Serious cencernment in til
I'd South than In th; North on account of naturs
IL differences of climate aud produ-tion aud il wa
vi foreseen that, FOR the san reasons, While th
population would diminish, and, sooner or later
y cease u exist III some States, it might increase
lc others. The peculiar character and magnitud
I'd Of this question of l,cal riohts nt i,