The Camden weekly journal. [volume] (Camden, South-Carolina) 1853-1861, 1860-04-24


stroy that which gives this country predom!-
nance and power. Senators, does 1t not occur
to you that the party is, in effect, foreign
party2 1t is British party; and If the Peo-
pie Of the United States are so fir stultlhed as
to aid in its success, may God have mercy on
their fatuity for they know not what they DO.
Mr.. President, have said that in the pre-
vaiing misconception Of our system OF govern
ments might be found one OF the important
causes OF the present unsatisfactory condition
of the country. As to the foundation and
principles of government we differ t0to csfo'
One party in this country seems to hold that
the Declaration of Independence is the basis
of the Constitution, and argues as if the tcdc-
raj Government derived its powers from that
famous instrument, and was organized for the
express purpose OF carrying them into effect
Strange as it m;tt seem, still it is true, when
the auti-slavery party generally come 10 speak
Of the powers and. duties Of the Government
in relation to the domestic affairs and social
systems OF the several States, they string their
sophisticaI arguments on these abstract opin-
ions.
The purposes Of the declaration Of lndepen-
dence were clear and specific and, IN deter
ence to the opinion of the world. to assign the
reasons which induced and justified that fact.
Besides these, it had no other purposes. 1t IS
true, that the trainers Of that instrument saw
fit to announce certain political and social dog
mas, some of which are true and plllosophlc
While others, in the sense in which they seem
to be understood and used BY the anti-slavery
party, are fantastic and false yet they seize
on these last and present them as indubltable
evidence of the correctness OF that theory
which they advocate. BY what authority the
doemas of the Declaration OF Independence
are made the busis of the Constitution, or how
thew are imputed rs principles Of the Govern
mcnt! am unable to see. Those who take
that ground must prove fact in contraventon
Of history and in the face Of wcll-cstabllshcd
truth.
The Constitution rests upon no such rlckettyy
basis. 1t arose out of the necessities and con-
venience Of the States. 1t was formed for a
practical purpose; which was, to institute
common Government for common purposes,
practical and plainly apparent in the instru,
ment itself Although the States were free and
independent, still they were feeble, and not
much respected by the other Powers OF the
earth. In order to preserve the liberty and
independence which they had so lately won,
and to enjoy peacefully the incidepts flowing
from such condition, it became necessary
that they should unite more closely and con-
centratc all their power, to be exercised IN
matters Of foreign relations through common
agent.
The exterior relations among themselves
were embarrassing, and. forcshadowcd ultimate
danger. Hence, also, it became both conycni-
ent and:necessary, forthe continuance of peace
among tllem, that allmatters of'this kind should
be regulated and controlled by she same COM
mos.agent. Insall matters arising under these
. an,.a;ll S-!-:I. = l,s corr
mon agent could exercise 'thc eolJolhed. pow
crs of the States more conveniently and bcne-
fcially than each State could for itself. 10 ac-
complish this, the Constitution was adopted
which formed the Government. 10 carry into
effect these objects was and is, the main puT-
pose OF the Government. The interior and
domestic affairs of the States were never lntcn-
ded to be affected BY it, except in special ca
scs provided, or in so far as the proper exercise
of the powers granted to the common Govern
lnent would necessarily do so. The relation,
therefore, which tlie State Governments and
the Federal Government stand to each other is
not that of inferior to subordinate but as parts
of one system, deriving their powers from the
same source, namely, the people OF the States
scyerally. The people of each State has two
Governments, neither complete, inasmuei as 1t
exercises portion of its sovereign powers
through one separately ; and another portion
.coniointlv, by agreement with other States,
through another Government. The two to-
getheT, in their appointed spheres, and within
the limitations, exercise the sum OF powers that
constitutes complete Government.
But sovereignty resides in neither OF the
Governments. They exercise only the powers
delegated to each respectively. 1t remains
still pcnary in each the. several States, which
instituted both, precisely in the same manner
and to the same extent IS. it did before the
adoption of the Constitution. The people OF
each Of the several States, therefore. can re-
sumo the powers delegated to either or both
This results from the sovereignty of the States
and the nature of the compact between them.
| use the words States" and "people of the
States" in this connection, in the same SENSE
From this doctrine it results that the Con-
stitution rests on the will Of the States and
that the Government formed by it is purely
Fedcra-can have no other purposes, powers
or principles than those derived from the Con-
stitution itself, which are all delegated, defined
and limited. What the States intended and
agreed to may there be found. What they
did not intend and did not agree to, cannot be
imputed land feel curiosity to see how any
one OF the Republican party can point out III
the CONSTITUTIONAL as among the delegated, de-
fined and limited powers OF the Government,
their favorite and fantastic dogmas announced
in the Declaration of Independence.
There arc vet others, embracing in their
number some of tLemost able and distinguished
of the Republicans, chiefly those who have
rescued themselves from the wreck OF the old
Wing party by uniting their fortunes with Il
mole prospcring cause These. while they
agree with us as to the history of the Constlti'-
ton, do nevertheless hold that, by ratifylng it,
the States surrendered their sovereignty, at
least to the extent OF the delegated powers,
which are irrcvocablc; that the Federal Govern
ment is that of single nation, extending over
all the people of the United States, as Il single
community united socially, and not politically,
as States; that the Government, therefore, is
National, and not Federal that it Is the cX'
elusive Judge of the extent OF It's own powers,
and has the right, by force of arms, to exact
obedience to such Interpretation from the State;
who made it. They deny that the several
States. who are the custodians of the reserved
rs the Federal Government is of the delegated
powers, has any right to judge Of the lnrac