Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1860-12-05
s.erss1ou No w.

The CONSTITUTION A SINGULAR POWER OF
ArroRNEY-wHAr Is TO BECOME OF LANDS |
CEpxD BIT THE SrArEs-SEoEssIoN AN EASY |
WAY TO PAY DKBrs AND GET OUT OF WARS.
To the People Of the South. !
"Allegiance" to an agency. Tfsassnn against
an agency" An agency which has power TO
enact and enforce laws! An agency divided into
three departments-legislative, executive and ju-
dicial! u
Such il the political monster into which secgs~l
sion converts the United States and their govern
ment The Constitution IL a mere power Of at
torney, forsooth A singular power Of attorney
which creates the very being II clothes with
power Buff II be mere power Of attorney,
why was 1t called q Constitution, And II the
Government was q mere agency for the States,
why was IL not called an agency! Why was not
the preamble TO the Constitution made to read
I: we, the people of-the United States" &c, &C.,
" do ordain and establish this agency for the Uni
ted States Of America! Why was 1t not made to
say that " all Legislative powers herein granted
shall,be vested in Congress Of the United States
ags~ey?n ss-85 FE.v tss 80.
WHY not have said ssthe House Of Represents
tives Of the United Statesn agencyi "The Sen
ate Of the United States" agency! "The Presi-
dent OF the United statesn agency! .sss o
why not have sworn the President "to pre-
serve, protect and defend tks powsr Of ott~nss
constituting the United States agency Would
this have been ridiculousf II %, It 10 because
the fundamental arguments Of secessionists are
ridiculous. ,.ssfrCo .Fa-
why were not the judges Of the United States
called judges OF the United States agency, and
their jurisdiction defined to extend to all cases
| arising under the pOpsr Of attorney, the laws Of
| the agency? &c, &C.. --... --..-,,,
Why was It not provided that the United States
ugsney shall have power to lay and collect taxes,
borrow money, regulate commerce, coin money!"
&C, &c. 10 s5a
II the Constitution be mere power Of attorney
II contains some very singular provisions. II 10
not usual for parties giving powers of attorney,
revocable at will, to restrict their own powers
But in the power Of attorney which we call the
Constitution, the principals bind themselves TO
their agent, that they will INST exercise some Of
| their own powers. "No State" says the pre-
tended power Of attorney, " shall make anything
| but gold and silver coin a tender In payment CT
debts, pass any bill OF attainder, sz post Jacto
law, or law impairing the obligation Of contracts,
or grant any title Of nobility" Now, is 1t not
very singular, that the States, in giving power
| Of attorney to agent, should thus tie up their
| own hands In matters not at all involved In the
powers conferred upon their agent! Does IL not
| make the Constitution look little more like a
compact between the States than joint power of
| attorney to a common agent!
But the oldest feature In the Cons titution con.
sidered as power OF attorney given by the
States, il the provision which relates to amend.
ments. IL provides that amendments when pro-
posed In a manner specified, and " ratified by the
Legislatures Of three fourths Of the several States
or by conventions in three fourths thereof 4" shall
be raiid to all inients and purposes part of the
Consfitntto.:." Now, who ever thong ht Of amend
ing power Of attorney, either charging or re.
stricting the powers Of an agent without the con-
currence Of all the parties originally granting it
We have now thirty three States, twenty-five OF
which can make any change they please in the
Constitution, and the other eight will be bound
by them. Here, then, is the anomaly Of provi-
sion in power Of attorney binding on eight par
who have net given their assent to IT, ID there
parallel to such "a po,csr Of attorney" In the
worlds history?
But let US look at this question In another as.
pect. Many Of the States have coded to tn.
, United States from time to time large tracts o.
territory including soil and Jurisdiction as wei
as small tracts for forts, arsenals backwards and
| other needful buildings, and for the seat Of Gov
| eminent. Over the District Of Columbia and
many more Of these tracts the jurisdiction of th,
General Government In exclusive. IL not tn.
United States their sovereign, IL not, who IL
And If the United States be their sovereign, the,
, are something more than an agency.
In case Of the secession Of a State which ha
made one OF these grants does the property returr
4 to her! Virginia owned nearly all of Ohio. Indi
5 ana and Illinois. Should she secede, would nj
these regions revert to her, the ground that sh,
couid not part with her sovereignty or divide IL
so, most OF the territory embraced in Alabam,
and Mississippi was coded to the United States b,
Georgia. Should she secede, does II all revert I,
| her,
The truth IL, that all the States making tbes
grants supposed they were making them to
GOrsrnmsHi of perpetual duration, and not to a,
agencywhich might be broken up by the smalles
{ state In The Union. They had no conception tina
under the - more perfect Unionn formed by tn
Constitution, any State could recover its cedet
property or Its coded powers by seeding from tn
| Union.
Look at the principle In other aspects. Their
IL national debt; could South Carolina eyad,
the payment Of her portion Of IT by seeding from
: / the Union,
See what sort Of Government a RECOGNITION O
right Of secession would leave Us: "a
State don't like an existing tariff, and she se
! cedes.
state don't like a direct tar which Congres
hnds 1t necessary to impose, and she gets rid Of 1
by secession.
Congress lays an embargo, and Massachusett
opens her ports BY secession.
Congress declares war, and South Carolina
thinking 1t more for her interest to sell cotton
The enemy than to furnish men and money for tn
war, makes peace for herself through secession
, Is this the more perfect Unionn which GU
fathers made " to establish justice, ensure domes
ue tranquility, provide for the common defence
promote the general welfare, and secure the bless
lngs OF liberty to themselves and their posterity.,
The blood Of Revolutionary warriors cries from
the ground, and the names Of Revolutionar
statesmen shout from their tombs, No, xo-a Sr
| cRssIoN Is TRKAsoN.n
Few remarks about the attitude of South Ca,
onna and the Idea Of "coercing a SITTER will
form the topics Of another number.
| AMOS KENDALL.
r. s.-That secession IL treason 10 not a
original thought. In 1905, Massachusetts, threat
ened to leave the Union on account of the iniur
10 her commerce caused by the restrictive meal
ures OF Ieherson's Administration In Decembe