The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1858-08-12

convictions, and they refused to farther identi'
fy themselves with the President and his neas
ures. With the Administration, both the last
and present, it has been Justly remarked, that
fidelity to principles is treason to party. 1t
these men would not go with the Administers
ton, right or wrong, they were to be, and are,
treated as aliens and enemies to that organi-
cation. Either they or the Administration
must now surrender. They find that their
views and principles do not correspond, and
there cannot be unity and harmony with them.
The Administration has planted itself decided
ly and unequivccally in opposition to popular
supremacy in establishing the organic law, and
having taken its position that the agent is
above his principal, the representative above
his constituents, and made that the prominent
test question, it will not recede, while its dis
senting friends will not subscribeto the doctrines
of the President and abandon ground which
they know to be right.
1t is becoming apparent to the parties them
selves, that the material of what is called the
Democratic party is not homogeneous, that it
Is based on no permanent and reliable princi-
pies, that it's professions are insncere that the
Democracy of the Administration at Washing
ton ia not the Democracy of the representatives
and people of the Northwest who aided in bring
ing it into power, and that the regular party or
ganization of State may be made irregular with
out the commission of any act, or the abandon
ment any principle, by the mere Eat of the cen.
trail imperial power, which regards State Rights
as of no more value than Popular Sovereignty.
The fallacy of attempting to perpetuate an or
ganization by mere discipline, without honest
and wellde6ned principles, is in the process OF
demonstration. The greater fallscy of pretend
ing that the Administration party is the Demo.
cratic party, and that its principles are Demo
cratic principles, which has been obvious to all
who have Invested themselves of partisan feel
ings, and looked beyond mere forms and pro
fessions, is no longer to be concealed. This is
clearly centralizing, consolidating Admins.
tration-the opponent of State Rights and OF
Popular Sovereignty. AS events develop
themselves, and action is required, the true
character of the Administration and the ten
dency of its measures are becoming understood
and, as they become understood, very many
who have been connected with it are falling
away from its support. 1t is qualification to
those who in the past could not concur in the
Territorial policy of the Pierce and Buchanan
Administrations, that so many who did concur
in that policy decline being accessories to the
schemes and intrigues of the Administration to
enforce a Constitution upon the people of a
State without their consent. The principle Of
Popular Sovereignty must be eacredly observed
the rights of the States maintained, and central
usurpation resisted. On these issues, we are
happy to find that many who disagreed with Us
in the beginning who, from association and
other causes, submitted to the wrongs inflicted
by the Federal Government under the new Ter
ritorial policy-are now rallying in defence Of
State Rights and Popular Sovereignty.
For years, the whole tendency of the Admin.
istration has been to centralize and concentrate
power in the Federal Government, by robbing
the States and the people Of their inherent and
reserved rights, which were never delegated
We have resisted the invasions of the central
power, as developed by the Administration, first
in its Territorial policy, and more recently in
tyrannizing over State and people in regard
to the formation and establishment of their
constitutional government. The Federal Gov
eminent is the creature of the States, and not
the States of the Federal Government. The
States possess ORIGINAL n-,A r-;-,;iun powers
Inc ederal Government only those which are
derivative. While the States can enlarge,
modify, or diminish Federal power, by altering,
amending, or revising the Constitution, the
Federal Government cannot, without transcend.
ing its authority, dispossess any one of the
States of its rights, disturb its Constitution, or
deprive it of its Jurisdiction. The people of
each State alone can do this in the exercise of
Popular Sovereignty.