New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1861-05-06
! TFEE tsREaT MISTAKE.

ONLY about threesq Narters of century have
,assed since the adoption Of the Constitution by
which the different States of the old Gonfederaey
Yrganiaed d central Federal Government. It'll
veil known historical fact of the States
exhibited the utmost reluctance to establish the
Union upon the terms which were proposed, In
stead Of ratifying the Constitution Immediately and
some of them held back and hesi-
tated, and it was only after long debate that they
agreed to the act North Carolina did not consent
to 70 into the Union until after the Union had been
fully established, and the central Government was
III full operation. Virginia ratified the Constitution
against the votes of apowerful minority, and only
did SO then with d special reservation that she
would consider herself at liberty to repudiate the
league the moment it became oppressive, OF the
Federal authority transcribed its Just and legih-
mate powers.
The hesitation which existed arose from fear
that this central Government which they were Gre
atpg would usurp authority not granted to It, and
gradually encroach upon the rights of the sepa-
rate States. AT that time no one was found bold
enough 10 dispute the claim Of the sovereignty Of
the States in their individual capacity, as to every
thing but the powers specifically granted to the
Federal Government in the Constitution. The ap-
L
was allayed by pointing to the checks and balances
provided 1.-THE Constitution itself and to the special
provision put in that instrument, for greater Sc
| curty, that all powers not clearly granted were
reserved TO the States and the people respectively.
Now, then, the great mistake which the NORM
makes is in regarding the Union as consolidated
| Government, instead Of a mere agreement, tor q
| few plain purposes entered INTO oy sovereign
1 -nff I,oh Ntt nj
1 the war which the North proposes to make upon
| lie south. 10 compel the latter into submission
Short as has been the time since the adoption Of
the Federal Constitution, the whole North has for
gotten the fundamental principles upon which the
Union was formed, has ignored the doctrines Of
State sovereignty, State rights and state equalty
| has dwarfed the States into subject provinces
Of the Union instead of regarding them as the ere
ators and masters of the Union, and has changed
| tile entire character and perverted the Whole ob
ject Of the FederatiFe system.
| In the entire North it is difficult to find maj
| who does not affirm that he owes 9 higher ale
giance to the Federal Union than to the State il
| which he resides and Of which he is a citizen.
The more sagacous and intelligent Of Norther
/ statesmen admit that by allowing the doctrine Q
State sovereignty, as understood by all the state
4 in the beginning, they have then no right Of coer
i cion, and no pretext whatever for compelling
| State to remain in the Union Hence, by a iog1ca
Il necessity they are driven to the position q deny
ing the doctrines of the fathers, and asserting una
Il the States in agreeing to the compact by VINO
II HE Federal authority was established, parted 1or
i ever with their sovereignty, and have no remed
4 whatever, in their individual capacity, for an
1 amount of wrong or oppression or disgrace ina
i may be put upon them.
Thus protesting to believe, they treat as a mer
arebellion.', to be put down by force Of arms, thu
i RESUMPTION Of the powers granted by the States
4 and their return to the exact position they were
| at the time these powers were yielded. Henc
\ they call this X civil war u when it is not civ
I war at all, but a war between two independent an
4 distinct nationalties, just as would be war be
4 tween England and France. Even Mr.. Lincol
himself is SO ignorant or obliyious Of the principle
i mon which the Union was established, that in
4 public speech, made on his way to his capita
Il he likened the sovereignty Of State 10 the sove
eighty Of q county, and denied boldly that thel
was any sovereignty belonging to either
!. 1t is said to be much more difficult to unleal
than to learn but it is manifest that the North hi
II much to unlearn before the two sections can con
TO any common UNDERSTANDING. IL ihusoj caPoSi'
", unlearn and repudate the political heresy TIL
\ has erept ia among them and permeated all class
, Of Northern society. whereby the separate Stat
are considered as mere;contributors to conso
dated central authority, and haye dispossesse
themselves Of all the attributes of independe
:. sovereignty. The whole question hinges upon d
recognition of this doctrine on one side and its
NAL on the other. Mr.. Jefferson often warned 7
people, in cases of doubt, of the necessity and il
portance of recurring to first principles. New
was it Of greater Importance to recur to first pr
Q cpies than at the present time. If the people,
rather the political leaders, of the North, will
y back to the beginning, and study honestly
II thoroughly and impartally the principles up
which the Government was founded, they cam
but see how radically wrong they are in the pc
! lions they now take, and how grievous is the n
1t take they make in endeayoring, by fire and swo
y to compel the Southern people to give up the Il
faith as held and e1pounded by the fathers, for
j. purpose of accepting the modern heresies and
I structive innovations of the new Northern sch
: Of political philosophers.