The Feliciana Democrat. (Clinton, La.) 1855-186?, 1857-01-24

constitutions lhcy may ne enlarged, re-
strctrd modified and even annihilatcd by the
organic law They are therefore, subject to
higher power, and IRE not supreme or soy.
ereign. A S in the case Of the federal Govern
ment they are merely the agents through
which the sovereign power is exercised, ana
have not that high attribute of themselves.
We must look further to fad the doep source
Of political authority. The origin formation
aud history Of onr system Of government, as
us well as the Framework of it show clearly
where this high power exists 1t repoScS in
the sovereign States of this great conlc,irracy
hot IN the State GOVERNMENTS, but in the
STATES emphasize the distinction because
the two are sometimes conloundcd. In u re-
cent debate in the other wing Of the Capitol II
senator, IN allntiing to the opinion of the Stl-
prrmc Court, thai Congress possesses over the
Territories the powers Of the federal and state
governments, drew the inference that Congress
had power TO establish or change the organic
law Now neither the federal nor state yoy-
ernmcniS. nor both Of them together. have any
such power. The decision referred to does
not. therefore, 70 to that extent. Neither the
Legislature Of the State Of Mississippi, nor that
oi any other southern State, can change or al
ter the status Of a slave. The State alone, in
It's sovereign capacity has the power OF chang
ne the organic law. Negro slavery con>ti-
,a'"s part Of the social system Of these states
and although their governments may regulate
those systems, the sovereign power, which
alor lt> the entire control Of the organic law
can alone establish or i >troy them. The
State. Of TIL, Tnloa are .StateS in every sense
| .I. ..t.l,, "A
of that word, but 10 the actcptalon Of the
term ~ n.rd ~ writer, on the law Of nations
They are separate political exiSirnccs, each re-
tanning within it>ef the entirety OF its political
sovereignty, and exercising the powers of gov
"ri,m"hl, ~ part separately, through its State
government and, III part, .ontlo with the 9th
~ States, through the federal government bu,
all exercising Their highest sovereign power
only 10 cnnucncion or such other mode rs their
constitution OF organ. law shall describe.
know not, Mr.. Speaker, whether | make my
sell distinctly understood. The opinion, thai
advance are the results Of much reflection
but they ire uttered without any prevou,
preparation
have thu, pointed ont where, in my opiiI.
inn sovereignty rests il our complex system
81 government.
know that opinions on this subject are
widely different; but all must admit that when
the lie was severed which had bound the colo
M, Ia Great Britain there spr.ng into cXis-
tci,cc ,hlrtecn sovereign and independent
stat,i. having with one another no connection
save that produced by the presence Of n com.
non d,ngrr They stoo towards one another
a, separate, independent friendly nations each
csairtlG: Tor l,scil, and conced.ng 10 the rest,
a distinct national existence. This character
i stamped upon them moi only hy all their
political action, bu, by their formal arknowi-
rjelnchiS 10 one another In the Articles of
= confederation, entered into shortly after the
conclusion oi the reyolui ionary var, q, The time
Nnol .lru, North AMI South, uairr>tood he
sifufGr" OF our government certainly Us well
~ thrt 10 noW, Ills language j. used:
EI,'i state retains Is sovereignty freedom
All Independence, ani every power, .inriSiic.
Ton aai right winch Is not 10y these Articles
el Confederation delegated 10 the unilpd
States ~ Congress assembled"
"Ea.A St1s r1tim i, sorcneign'M fred0m,
uni ua,pemjear' racrp Nas a separate soy
efrlgnif, 4 separate freedom, ami separate
Neither Of these was delegated
some powers, Jurisdiction, aud rights Wrrr
alone for the Time delegated subject to b.,
resumed by IT, .oyrrri2n.
Again, sir; upon The treaty of peace with
Great Britain, how were the States then ~
@arir5i! AlthoaaH connected will one nnoh
or by IN Article 81 .onicdornI ion, the X mo
ol l.Jgand treated with lhpm as distinct
State, and not rs u common nation. We are
mol a Hfloa, bat Il Union Of States under
federal constitution II is II miSnomcr to
style ourselves ''nalon,' though, since we
act with other nations, through a common
government, they may, with more propricty,
apply III" term 10 us, The frequent use of the
words "Unted States, rs II substantive in the
singular number and Of the term ''naiion,n uS
applied to our Union Of States, is one Of the
evidences Of the tendency Of the pubic mind
10 political ecntraIi'm The first article Of the
treaty Of peace with Great Britain, signed at
Paris on the 3oth November, 1892, used these
sign iicant terms:
''AnTcLG Ills Britannia Majesty acknowl-
edges the said United States viz New
Hampshire, Massachusetts, Bay, Rhode Island
and Providence Plnntations Connecticut
New York, New jersey Pennsylvania, Della
ware, Maylnnd Virginia, North Carolina,
South Carolina, and Georga-lo be free, soy