Lewisburg chronicle. [volume] (Lewisburg, Pa.) 1850-1859, 1857-12-25

merely state that this IS the position | Lay
ever occupied, and my reasons FOR entc!
tanning this opinion a,e clearly aul dis
tinctly set forth in the printed pamphlet
published over my signature, on the lJil
Of June, 1856, and then extensively ciIcu
lated, trora which | quote as follows
"Judcr oar confederate system ,s9vreiguty
is that highest political power which, at it.
pleasure, creates government, and delegate:
authority TO them. Soyreiguty grants
powers, but not sovereign powers other
wise it might extinguish itself ty raaLine
the creature Of its will the equal or superb
or Of its creator. Sovereignty makes con-
siitu'ions, and through them establishes
governments. It delegates certain pawers
to these goyeram@nts, distributing the ex
ercisc Il tie granted power among the le.
gislatiye, executive and judicial depart.
mcLts.
la the Territories, then, as veil rs in
the State, Congress possesses no sovereign
ty, aud can exercise only the powers DEL
cgatcd By the Constitution and all the
powers net thus granted aye dormant, or
reserved powers, belonging in common to
a.! the States, as cCequal, joint tenants
there Of that highest political power cll!t9
sovereignty. 1t viii be perceived that
the doctrine that Sovereignty makes
constitutions tia. Sovereignty rests ex-
c!asively with the people of each State, ="
that Sovereignty can not be Delegated y
that at IS inalienatlc, iudivisiu.e,' a
'.upi-, incapable Of par;i;iou," are doc
triBcs ever regarded by NE a, fundamen-
tai principles Of public liberty and Of the
Federal Constitution.
1t vii be seen that these views Which
| have entertained we're rot framed TO
suit any emergency il Kansas, but were
my lifelong principles, and were pabllzh-
ed over my own signature twelve mouths
before my departure to ,ha, Territory, and
when never thought Of going to Kan
sas. These rights | have ever regarded
as fully secured to the people Of "all the
Territories On adopting their State Con
stitu,ion, BY the Kansas and Nebraska
bill. Such is the construction given to
that act by Congress IN passing the MIN
uesota tiIl, 50 justly applauded b the
President. Su;h Is The construction Of
the Kansas art by is distinguished au
thor, 10; only in h.s late irresistible argu-
meut, but III addresses mlde aud publish
ed BY him long autocetent 70 that date,
showing that this sovereign power of tie
people III acliug upon State C1usti!u
lion Is not cJuhred to the question Of sla-
very, but iuc.ules all other subj en-
brac,l il such al instrument. Indeed, ]
believe the Kansas and Nebraska bill
would have violated the rights Of soye-
reiguty reserved to the people Of each
State by the Federal Cons:ilptiOn, if j,
had deprived them, or Congress should
now deprive them, Of The right Of voting
fox or against their State Constitution.
The President, in his Message, thinks
hat the rights secured by this bill to the
people, in acting upon their State COns,i-
u;ion, are confined to the Slavery quas-
ion; but think, as shown in my address
,efore quoted, that Sovereignty Is the
,)wer that makes CONSTITUTIONS and Gov
.ruments," and that net only the slavery
.lau-e IL State Constitution, but all eth
rs must be submitted.
The President thinks tLa. State Sove-
eighty can be delegated, at least in part
think sovereignty can not be delegated
It all The President believes that sove-
eighty is diyisitlc between Conventions
nd the people, to be exercised by the
ormer on all subjects but slavery, aud by
lie latter only On that question. Where
;, think that sovereignty is "iuaiicua-
lie" and "iniiyisibic, "a unit incapable
fpar;ition ana, "tbat i; can not be del
gated in whole or in part. 1t will net
{ denied that sovereignty is the only
over that can make State Constitutions,
I'd that it rests exclusively with the peg
!e :; and if it is inalicnable, and can not
e delegated, as | have shown, then it can
nly bo exercised by the people them
lives. Under the government, We know
Q soyereigns but the people. Conrca-
ons are composed Of "dclcga,es." They
c mere agents or trustees, exercising,
,t sovereign, bat delegated power. F.;
ID the people axe the principals. The
,wcr delegated to such conventions can
operly only extend to the framing ot
c Constitution, hut It's ratification or re- Y
ction can only b. PelfJIncd ty the pow t
whore soyrciguty alone rcsts-the vco- L
{ themselves We must not eoutuund 4!
yoreign with delegated powers. The C
DIVISIONAL authority of Convention to 5
inc constitution, and submit it TO the a
ople, is delegated power bat soye- .
ruty alone, which rests exclusively with ii