Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1861-01-18

L he people OF each state may mould and
control the civil and political Institutions
pertaining particularly to itself, and SO
long as they do not act in conflict with the
Constitution Of the United States, may
change their system as they please, with
out consulting the General Government
The people Of the United States alone can
change the character Of the General Gov
ernment. The General Government can
not change the character of State Gov
eminent, or usurp or exercise any power
over 1t not delegated, nor can any State,
or the people of any one State, change the
character Of the United States Govern
ment, abridge its powers, or add anything
to them; restrict or increase its jurisdc-
ton or authority, impair any Of its rights
violate its constitutional laws, or disturb
its integrity and Wilderness.
Each State has the power, within its
own jurisdiction, as it is its duty, to pro-
tect the rights of persons and property of
its citizens; and the citizen of any one
State, sojourning in any other State, as
a citizen Of the United States, has right
to be protected in his person, by the gov
eminent of the United States, in the exer-
else and enjoyment of all the privileges and
immunities which belong to him under the
Constitution, which is the common char
ter and SHIELD Of the whole people.
The government of the United States is
Federal in limited sense, so far as in the
exercise of its powers it operates upon the
political bodies called States, in their po-
ltical capacity. But so far as it operates
upon the people in their individual capac-
tiles, in its ordinary and essential proceed
ings, it is purely National, though limited
in its jurisdiction. The governments, both
of the several States and of the United
States, are inviolable within their distinct
spheres. The people act, make and I'M
make constitutions and laws, by processes
known only to the Constitutions of the
several States or the United States. The
government is one of law and not of force.
and there is no revolutionary element in
its character. The Constitution tells lis
how it may be changed, and tells us the
only peaceable mode of changing it. Tt
tells us how boundaries and territorial ju-
risdiction may be extended and enlarged.
1t gives power to Congress to admit new
States, but no porer to t,un one out. By
virtue of its complete sovereignty and in
dependence as against all the other nations
Of the earth, and as power necessarily in
cident to government, it may acquire new
territory by treaty, by conquest or by pur-
chase. 1t has power in itself to strength
en- and confirm the government, making it
greater, richer, stronger; but no where in
it is found a delegated power to aid in
breaking in pieces the Union, or to suffer
it to be broken.
When the government was made, it was
intended to be perpetual, and no plan or
device was suggested or conceived where
by it could be destroyed Mr. Madison
concsely stated the delegated and some of
the reserved powers of the national and
state governments. The powers delega-
ted in the Constitution to the government
are few and defined Those which remain
in the state governments are numerous and
indefinite. The former will be exercised
principally Oh external objects, as war,
peace, negotiations and foreign commerce;
with which last the power of taxation will,
for the most part, be connected. The
powers reserved to the several states will
extend to all the objects which in the Or
binary course of affairs, concern the lives,
liberties and properties of the people; and
the internal order, Improvement and pros
perity of the state. The operations of the
federal government will be most extensive
and important in times of war and danger;
those of the state governments in times Of
peace and security. In the exercise of
the various powers by these different gov
ernments great care and prudence must
ever be exercised The reserved rights of
tbs states are not to be imposed upon or
impaired by usurpations of the national
government or any of its departments, nor
in a single delegated power to be restrict
ed or opposed in it's exercise. The gen.
eral government is to look to the general
welfare, and to the integrity and perpetu-
ity of the Union for the great purposes for
which it was established; willie the states
must take care Of the lives and liberties and
properties of the people: and the internal
order, Improvement, and prosperity of the
state.
This government, so artfully conceived,
and skillfully formed, with its legislative,
judicial and executive departments, as be-
tween state and national, claiming of right,
a double allegiance-an allegiance not in
consistent or antagonistic - complicated
yet simple, is to-day involved in strange
difficulties, and perhaps dangers For three
score years the state multiplied and wax
ed strong; the nation grew great and rich.
beloved at home, and respected and feared
abroad. The citizens of the United States,
in any part of the civilized world, had but
to declare their country, and nations re-
spccted their rights, To-day, citizens of
Independent states and of the United
States, within the national jurisdiction, up
on American soil, are mobbed and hung
upon the next tree, for the mere express
sion of opinion upon questions both of rad
ical principle and of public policy, and
sometimes for even refusing to express an
opinion, - silence being construed into
crime.
The idea of Mr.. Jefferson, that govern
ments derived their just powers from the
consent of the governed - not from a
part, but from the whole goyerned-rurs
through and is the spirit of cur common
Constitution. The people who were to