Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1861-1862, 1861-12-24

the handiWork Of the people OF the Staes ordained oy
them for the government Of thsassvss and their poster
iy and that consequently their government, and
the government Of any power foreign to them and
superior to them, under the name Of "the UnioD, or
any other fAocfu designation which the champions of
Consolidation might choose to invent
The States in distributing the powers Of government
ia.o two leading heads defined by constitutions,
ate and Federal and exercised by two legislative bod
iss-l SAse Legislature for each State, and Congress
lo- all the SsAtes-were Influenced simply by eonsdera-
toas Of cOnvenisoes and proper division of powers
sll Offices Hence there set Of fuucliOnaries
10 attend the domestic interests o. the States and
oheT SCI appointed preside their foreign inte
rss aud relations In other words the powers Of SOW
ersgnty were distributed into different channels, those
exercising ths in either b;auch OF government simply
representing the will Of the States grded The fount
ans Of al political power Hence the high officers in
each of these branches the Governors, L>gshors
aad Judges in the State governments and the President
members Of Coaeres' and Jaegss 10 the Federal gov
erlment simply the agents Of the States. appoint
Ell BY sn, and in the last resort responsible to them
and the STATE Legislatures aad the Federal Congress
were each an agsacy, SO to speak, and nothing more
and this agency VAS in either cas-, not general agency,
eal agency, in which the agent was bound BY the
pres terms Of written Constitution.
l. results from the very Of sovereignty that it
Il unit Il "a oas and indivis6le Thsre can be but
oa5 sovereign, supreme, highest power in any gov
eramens known civilization, whatever its form MAJ
Be. The Highest powsr vi tsT1aiai, excludes every
higher power and swallows up every lower power. 1t
o5viOns thar the highest power such as the Stale is
in this county, create another highest power
call il by what name you choose without selfdestruc
ton. Il would Involve the pspsbls absurdty Of there
bsog highest powers in and over the domain
which is not oaly absurdity but impossibity. l.
was therefore, utterly Of the power Of the States
al the elise Of tho las century, TO create rival
eiyn called the United States and still remain sovereign
themselves; and what it impossible for them co
they certainly never accomplished whatever the cid
Federal party the modern Republican party, each Il
Champion Of an onniposeat Union, may think to the
contrary.
But, do not tho United Safes does no: the Federsl
Government does not theCoufeaerato Government. ex.
sr,iso sossreiga power This ia not denied but freely
admitted; bat YET the sovereign power which they pos
sess and exercise they possC and exercise By dssgd
ti,s and not Jy iHLsrsa, right. Sovereign powers ae
sizuty-to courts OF sice, to legislators, State and
Fdara to ministers penpotentiary, and even to the
hunbest Official that is employed in be service Of the
Safe and that without abrdgiag, in the slightest Dc,
gree The powers Of the sovereign jus: the rays Of the
sun are everywhere difdsed throughout the world on
which /, Lives without a. all diminishing the essential
light and selt OF that luminary.
Ian now prepared TO presen; an intelligent view Of
the subject of treason the highest crime that can be
committed because It is destructive Of oil social order
Treason is denial Of the sovereign power, and at
temp, to overthrow, and usurp by overt acts OF vo-
rieace This crime has oftea been committed in moran
ebits by subjects who have asUred to the The
mos. remarkable Instance Of treason record is that
of Adam who in corseqae1ce, told, Of the temp
ta,on Of the Devil aspred to be ss God, AN Objsct
which he could attain only by dehroning bis Creator
aud the disposOn to sex, the supreme power, both
or earth aud in heaven said TO b. hereditary with bis
descendants In this county when the supreme power
resides in the States treason consists 10 the denial CT
State sovereignty and in the attempt to enforce that dc,
Nal by overt acts The essence Of the crime consists in
tAs Intention in the Of all other crimes-Gn IN
tel,ou which would be carried out into act il nsur
m9untabs obstacles did not intervene to prevent it,
Tee number OF those who have committed this high
crime including the malignant opponents OF State rights
snd Safe sovereignty whether weariUg the robes Of
Office or aspiiBg 10 them ia great that It would
be impossible to Cpumerae tneP In 1882 and, again,
in 1850 We have seen two representatives Of the people
of the States holding the ocs Of the President Of the
Safes while eamoring against the sc.s Of the sovereign
s,tes a treason,ble esf Stats could commit treason
ss.ually employing the army and navy Of the United
he irn q n
p,r,'eular State More recently, we have seen Pres
dent the mere creature Of tho Satcs surpng in his
ON person, all the legislative and judicial in addition
TO The executive func,Oas Of sovereignty, and actually
Glowing war sgaius: nearly halt Of the sovereign States
OF the Onion, "s,rdng their enemies" all the aid and
comfort in his power and proud has this mini9n Of
mower lately bte5mo Of bis usGsped prerogstves that
h seems now disposed to take psss with the British
lion, and 10 iisOwn the sovereignty Of Great Btiain-
Whss we're these men, though gosying in the title OF
President, but trsisors,-arch traitors only the more
criminal from the high position they occupied II IS time
that the Safes should taks tbs whole subject CT treason
into their own hands and vindeats their own sovereign
~ Treason is State and not Federal offence, for the
main reason that Il sG,,Hot Be committed oga'Hst any
s ggsney which Dies possess sovereignty in Itself,
In. 10 which oaly sovsregO powers are delegated Al
Ia .bs abuse Of which Il Is responsible TO the States the
sovereign power. Is for these reAsoas have always
REGARDED the power given to the cid Congress 10 dshns
treason agAins, the United Sates one Of the weakest
f.tures in the cid eaven OF Federalism,
embedded in that instrument most crafty BY the advo
e,es Of consolidation and the enemies Of State rights
ard State sovereignty. If It's not too late, lei this IN
dous provision in respect to treason be removed from
the recer ty adopted Constitution Of the Confederate
s.ss L bsboovss the States themselves to lock to this
matter with a determined spirit, adopting for their
gulaaee the wholesome maxim, Obsta principals Let
The lines bstwsen The sovereign power AID the power
Of the sovereign that Is delegated between the principal
On the one band and the agn; the othes be so dis
po,lv drawn that they never again DO merged II
each ohsr. We ~aps 10 grand, central, consolidated