Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1861-02-04

must Be made perpetual, Is the test Of what is
! called Democracy. That such demands will
ever be acceded to by the people Of the
/ United States DO not believe possible
But whatever may be the course of others be
the consequences what they may, by no act
/ or vote OF mine shall the Constitution Of my
country ever be 90 amended Rs 70 recognize
! property in man.
MIR. Chairman, ours is complex system Of
governments, uniting two governments with
/ IN the same territorial jurisdiction, The State
/ governments being confined within their own
Boundaries; the National Government ex-
tending over all States and Territories, and
on The high seas. Every loyal citizen is sub
| jeot TO both these governments; and can in
| no way withdraw his allegiance from either,
except by ceGsing TO be citizen Of the uni
/ ted States. If be is a citizen Of the United
States he is also a citizen OF the State where
/ he resides; and be cannot be citizen Of any
State, and be released by any action Of said
State from his allegiance to the National Gov
eminent Both these governments, the State
and Federal, derive all the power they pos
sess directly from the people. The Govern
ment of the United States is supreme 10 the
extent of the powers clearly delegated to it
in the National Constitution. The State
governments are supreme within their limits,
except in the exercise OF power reserved by
the people, OF prohibited to them by the Con-
stitution of the United States.
There can be no misunderstanding as 70
what the reserved powers are which are
/ prohibited to the States. Article one, sec
ton ten, of the Federal Constitution, declares
that
No State shall enter into any treaty, al
lance or confederation; grant letters of
marque and reprisal; coin money; emit bills
of credit make anything but gold and silver
coin tender in payment of debt pass any
bill Of attainder, or sr post facto law, or law
impairing the obligation of contract or grant
any title OF nobility"
Clause two
"No State shall, without the consent of
Congress- lay any imposts on duties, on i'm
ports or exports, except what may be abso
lutely necessary for executing its inspection
laws; and the net proceeds of all duties and
and imposts laid by any State on imports or
exports shall be for the use of the Treasury
OF the United States; and all such laws shall
be subject to the revision and control of Con-
gress."
Clause three:
No State shall, without the consent of
Congress, lay duty on tonnage, keep troops
or ships of war in time of peace, enter into
any agreement or compact with another
State, or with foreign Power, or engage in
war, unless actually invaded, OF in such i'm
minent danger as will not admit of delay"
These powers prohibited to the States were
conferred by the supreme Constitution on the
General Government. The highest attributes
Of sovereignty are thus secured by this Con-
stitution. Congress alone has power to make
war and make peace, to conclude treaties
/ and to regulate commerce with the nations
abroad, and with the States of the Union at
home. Congress alone possesses the exclu-
sive power to keep an Army and Navy, to lay
and collect duties on imports, coin money and
regulate lis value, and, to crown all, it is de-
clared that:
This Constitution, and the laws of the
United States which shall be made in pur-
suance thereof, and all treaties made, or which
| shall be made under the authority of the
| United States shall be the supreme law of
the land; and the judges in every State shall
4 be bound hereby anything in the cOnstitu-
! tion or laws Of any State TO the contrary not
/ withstandng"
There is, then, no necessity for a conflict Of
! jurisdiction between the General and State
governments To the extent of the powers
/ conferred by the Constitution on Congress, it
was intended that the General Government
! should act directly upon the citizens Of all
! the States and Territories, and execute its
own laws and DEGREES by its own officers. To
! the States are secured the regulation of their
1 own municipal affairs, with which Congress
can in no way constitutionallly interfere
The powers and duties both governments
are clearly defined, and neither may of right
/ interfere with, or attempt to exercise the
! functions of the other. Where the citizens
and officers of these governments discharge
their duties properly, there can be no collision.
These systems of government are, in my
opinion, the best ever devised by man.
The history of this nation, for the past
seventy-three years is the best evidence of its
practicability. There have, and ever will
work harmoniousy, if honestly administer
ed. The people residing in the thirteen col
onies created this national Government by
making and adopting our present COnstitu-
ton. They did not make it and ratify it as
nations make and ratify treaties. They did
not make it for a temporary purpose
but to secure a perpetual Union" It
was made by the action and with the approx
al Of the whole people residing in all the
colonies, and was not made by the citizens
of independent sovereignties, as the seees-
sionists claim. Neither before nor after the
declaration of our national Independence was
any one of the thirteen colonies free and
independent States or nations; but they were
colonies Of Great Britain; then they were
colonies united as one government under the
Articles ofCOnfederation, in rebellion against
! Great Britain, calling themselves the "United
] States Of America" The war of our indie
pendence was fought and our liberty secured
| by the Confederation, and not by single col
onies. Their joint independence was ac-
/ knowledged by Great Britain and the nations
OF Europe, and never as separate sovereign
| independent States The several States are
not even mentioned by name in any one of
these treaties, so far as have examined. Our
fathers intended, in every possible manner,
to impress upon the American mind the max
/ i'm, that our freedom and independence was
secured by our union; and that, without this
union, we would not maintain our liberty and
independence.
From all the patriotic men ofthe Revolution,
there comes to US warning to beware of the
dangers of dissolution of the Union. In a
letter Of the date of October 10, 1887, ad-
dressed by Randolph to the Speaker of the
House of Delegates of Virginia, he sai1
"Severe experience under the pressure OF
war, ruinous weakness manifested since the
return of peace, and the contemplation of
those dangers which darken the future pros
pect, have condemned the hope of grandeur
and of safety under the auspices of the Con-
federation
"Among the upright and intelligent few can
read without emotion the future fate OF the
States if severed from each other. Then
snail We learn the full weight Of foreign in
trigue Then shall we hear of partitions Of
the country" e.
HBut dreadful as the total disss-
luton of the Union is to my mind. enter.
tain no less horror ct the thought of partial
confederaeies. In short sir, am fatigued