Glasgow weekly times. (Glasgow, Mo.) 1848-1861, 1856-01-17


cal improvement, or mere imagination Of
grievance having but remote connection with
any Of the constitutional functions or duties
of the Federal Government. To whatever
extent these questions exhibit tendency
menacing TO the stability Of the Constitution
or the integrity Of the Union, and no fur
ther, they demand the consideration of the
Executive and require to be presented by
him to Congress.
Before the Thirteen Colonies became a
confederation of Independent States they
were associated only by community Of trans
atlantic origin, by geographical position,and
by the mutual tie Of common dependence on
Great Britain. When that tie was sunder-
ed they sevcrally assumed the powers and
rights of absolute self-government. The
municipal and social institutions Of each, its
laws of property and of personal relations,
even its political organization, were such
only as each one chose TO establish, wholly
without Interference from any other. In
the language Of the Declaration Of Indepen-
dence, each State had ''lull power to levy
war, conclude peace, contract alliances, cs-
tablish commerce, and TO do all other acts
and things which independent States may Of
right do" The several colonies differed il
climate, in soil, in natural productionS,in re-
ligion, in systems Of education, in legisla-
tion and in the forms Of political administra-
ton; and they continued 70 differ in these
respects when they voluntarily allied them
selves as States 10 carry on the war Of the
Revolution.
The object of that war was to discnthral
the United Colonies from foreign rule, which
had proved TO be oppressive and to separate
! them permanently from the mother country.
The political result was the foundation Of
Federal Republic of the free white men of
the Colonies, constituted, as they were. in
distinct and reciprocally Independent State
Governments. As for the subject races
whether Indian or African, the wise and
brave statesmen Of that day, being engaged
in no eXtravagant scheme Of social change,
left them as they We're, and thus preserved
themselves and their posferity from the
anarchy and the ever-recurring civil wars
which have prevailed in other revolution
lied European colonies Of America.
When the confederated Stq.es-,GouDd It
convenient TO modify the conditions of their'
association, by giving to the GenerspGov-
ernment direct access, in some Respects, 10
the people Of the States, instead Of confin-
ing it TO action on the States as such. they
proceeded TO frame the existing constitution
adheriug steadily TO one guidingthought
which was TO delegate only suehf power as
was necessary aud proper to The eSeeutior
Of specific purposes, or, in other words, t.
rctainas much as possible, cSb%i>tently wid
those purposes, oil the independent poWerf
of the individual States. For Objects o.
common defence rnd security, they eiitTust-
cd TO the General Government oeftsia cave.
fully defined functions, leaving fi3sct},ee as
the undclcgated rights Of; thas ege6iide inde.
pendent sovereigntics.
Such is the constitutional q cory Of orI
! Government, the practical observance oil
which has carried us, and us alone, among
modern Republics, through nearly etEfrce
generetions of time, without the cost Of one
drop Of blood shed in civil war. With free
dom and concert of action, il has enabled us
TO contend successfully on the battle-f~ld
against foreign foes, has elevated the feeble
colonies into powerful States ,and las raised
our industrial productions and orr COM
merce which transports them to the level OF
the richest ana greatest nations of Europe
And the admirable adaptations Of our pelu-
ical institutions 10 their objects, combining
local selT-government with aggregate strength
has established the praticabily Of Gov.
ernment like Ours 10 cover a continent with
confederate States.
The Congress of the United States is, in
effect, that Congress Of sovereigulics whIcl
good men in the Old World have sough,
for, but could never attain, and which i'm
parts 10 America an exemption from the
mutable leagues, for common action, from
the wars, the mutual nvasions, and vague
aspirations after the balance Of power which
convulse from time TO time the Government
of Europe. Our cooperative action rest,
in the conditions of permanent conlcdera.
ton prescribed by the Constitution. Oul
balance oil power is in the separate reserv.
ed rights Of the States, and their equal rep.
resentaton in the Serate. That indepen,
dent sovereignty in every one Of the State,
with its reserved rights of local self-gov.
ernment, assured TO each by their co-rqua
power in the Senate, was the Fundamental al
condition of the Constitution. Without i
the Union would never have existed. How,
ever desirous the larger States might be Il
J re-organize the Government so as to give
TO their population its proportionate weight
in the csmmon councils, they knew it wa,
impossible, unless they conceded to the
smaller authority to exercise at least neg
ative influence on all the measures Of tho
Government, whether legislative or eXecu
tive, through their equal representation il
the Senate. Indeed the larger States them
selves could not have failed to perceive tina
! the same power was equally necessary 4
them for the security of their own domesti
!, interests against the aggregate force Of tn,
5 General Government. In word, the orig
, inal States went into this permanent lcagu
= on the agreed premises of exerting thei
a common strength for the defence of III
: whole and of oil its parts, but Of utterly ex
: Guiding all capabiliiy oE reciprocal aggres
- sion. Each solemnly bound itself 10 all IN
: others neither TO undertake nor permit an
: any encroachment upon or intermeddlin
o with another's reserved rights.
L ! a 800. Joo,.al