Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1859-09-22
Abolitionism Explained.--No. 20.

AuoAtlVuAcu GApldAuCu.~-No. SV'
more absurd and fimsy conceit cannot be
framed, than the idea that the States of our
Union are independent sovereignties subject to
no supervision or control union for specific
objects necessarily requires controlling power
or head in order to secure the objects, whether
the members of the union are people or State
Governments or both. The State Governments
of Union must be as much subject to the head
as the people are, or how can the object be Sc
cured? Are the States of our Union independ-
ent of the General Government Suppose the
powers which the people have transferred from
ment, were again transferred from the General
Government to the British Government Sup
pose the British Government had the control of
our army and navy, the right to declare war
and make treaties for us, the whole regulation
OF our commerce, the coinage of our money, the
naturalizing of our aliens, the power to tax us,
the whole control of our post-ofice system, and
the right of all our Federal appointments
where would be the independence of the State
Governments? and how much ground would
there be for great swelling words about State
sovereignty? Suppose further the British Gov
eminent obligated to sustain the State Govern
ments against instructions of the people
could that obligation be separated from another,
an obligation to see that State Governments are
administered with such justice that there be no
cause Of iAsurrection? Could State, even by
a solemn compact, acquire Alright of demanding
the interpostion of higher government in SUP.
port of its own tyranny? Never till an I'M
righteous compact can be Of higher obligation
than the unbending law of right. Authority
to enforce obedience to State Government is
inseperable from authority to enforce State JUS
tice. No power of man, no juggling of COM
pacts can put them asunder. Take care that
you DO not release government from that gen.
eral obligation of justice and right, which in
cludes all obligations for in 80 doing you re
lease it from the obligation of compacts. A
government that may be unjust, may be faithless
or anything 1t pleases. And you may as well
look to an unclaimed tiger for protection as to
such government.
Now transfer your Federal powers back from
the British Government to the Federal Govern
ment. Does the transfer make the State Gov.
ernments independent sovereignties? No, they
hold the Same relation to the Federal Govern.
nent which they just now held to the British
Government. And the Federal Government il
bound to see that they behave well and square
themselves by the Federal Constitution. The
Federal Legislature is required to guaranty to
zach State against all usurpaton, q republican
form of government, and the Federal Judiciary
is equally tied up to pronounce State enact
ments void when they conflict with the Fedora
Constitution. Be it remembered that repub.
lican form of government is one that seeks tc
establish justice and secure liberty to the peo
pie The Constitution does not guaranty des
potism.
Not the State Governments, but the people
hold sovereignty in full, and both the Fedora
and State Governments are their instruments o.
sovereignty. 1t woald be bad policy in the peo
pie to suffer the State Governments to exercise
sovereignty against the objects of the Fedora
Government. This would be to allow one hant
to undo what the other performs. Only whel
the Federal Government violates the Compact
should the State Governments be against it,
Let a State exact all the homage due to it
sovereignty; but let no State Government OF
the ground Of mere remnant of sovereignty
put on airs and exalt itself above the obligation
and duties which sovereignty imposes. The enc
of sovereignty is to establish justice and pro
mote the welfare of the people. When Stat
ceases to do this, it ceases to be "a State to an,
purpose of sovereignty. As State sovereignty
rlghtfully belongs to all the people and not tt
a privileged portion, whenever asmall minority
as in the slave States, get the State organization
under their control and use it not to benefit thu
people, but to grind and Cypress them, it is no
exercising State sovereignty nor anything lik
it. 1t IS sheer usurpation and robbery, fo
which if the people have no remedy, Union t.
establish justice is to them failure,
l. SMITH.