Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1861-05-24

pFesentstivos BY Hon. J. n, Ashley, ofOhio
January IL, lesl;
Mr.. OnamnAx: Article fourth, section
fourth, Of the Constitution, declares that the
"a United States shall guarantee 10 every State
iu the Union q republican form Of govern
mentn This includes, Of course all Che States
IN the Union when the Constitution was
adopted, and all new States which should at
terWards be admitted into The Union, Thebe
words arc rot susceptible Of double interpre-
tasi0n, They can have bat one meaning
They declare imperatively that the executive,
Legislative, aud judicial powers Of the gov
eminent, acting under and By iheRuthority Of
The national Constitution, shalt see that every
State in tho Union has secured TO ii repub-
licau form govsrnment Tgis pTovisl0aof it.
self is clear denial Of The claim setup here,
that every Sta;eis sovereign and independent,
and that the Federel Government IS only q
Confederation clothed BY these sovereign and
Independent States with temporary authority,
which can be withdrawn at the pleasnre-
caprice, or whim, Of an accidental or absolute
majority Of the citizens of any State. Gen.
eral Jackson declared In his celebrated pro-
clamation that to say that any State nay a.
pleasure seosdl from the Union, Is to say
that the United States aro not q nation
This claim Of the right Of any Sats %
Withdraw from the Hnioa A pleasure is SO
absurd that il would seem unworthy Of seri-
Gus consideration, were Il not tor the fact that
the doctrine is daily proclaimed here, with
some show Of seriousness, and, regret to
say, by some Northern men. s-7.
Mr.. Chairman, the people OF the United
States in creating this National Government
intended 10 protect thcmselver from every
form Of despotsm. They intended to secure
themselves against the action OF State Gov
ernments which, IN an excitepsnt like the
present. might attempt 10 establish despOtic
Government, abolish liberty, and violate the
guaranteed rights Of any portion Of their
citizens. And in order thus 70 secure them-
selves, they provided in the national COnsti-
tuition for redress of their grievances by ap-
pealing from the unconstitutional action Of
snch State, TO the whole people In all the
States, Represented in one Government The
National Government by this mandatory
clause, becomes the protector of the whole
people in all the STATES against the violation
of their personal rights and liberties, even
Il cugh committed by Legislative majorities;
and the General Government is clothed with
all necessary power and authority 70 preserve
inviolate the guarantees secured 70 all eid-
zens by the Federal Constitutions. This was
a wise and salutary provision, enabling an
oppressed minority in any locality 10 secure
the assistance and protection Of the whole
people against every form OF despotism.-
As nation, the law Of self-preservation
demands that we permit no State or combine
ton of States to break up and destroy this
Government, and stablish upon our borders
auti-demoeratie, mouarchical, or military ies-
pOtisms As sgovernment, We can no more
allow this TO be done, than State can allow
one or more counties within its jurisdiction
20 dissolve their connection at pleasure with
the State Government and establish a Gov
ernment hostile to the State. The fact that
the citizens Of these counties might vote
unanimously for secession, would not JUSTIFY
the citizens in the remaining counties ofzths
State in permitting the State thus to be
dismemhered, any more than the Govern
ment of the United States could permit a
State to be withdrawn, even though the citi-
liens of the seeded States should vote unani-
mousiy in favor of the proposition. Neither
could we permit States in the Union TO
change their Governments, aud adopt Gov
ernments anti-repnblicsn in form, much less
70 establish monarchical or military despot-
isms in violation Of the fundamental provis-
ions Of the national Constitution.
Chief Justice Taney, in the case Of Luther
Us. Borden et al, 9Th Howard, page as, case
growing. out of the Dorr rebellion ia Rhode
Island, and to which msy again allude, de-
clarsd that
"UnquestiOnebly military Government,
established as the permanent Government of a
State, would not be a republican Govern
ment and it would be the duty Of Congress
to verthrow IL
Ifit be the duty of Congress, as Chief JUS
tics Taney declares, and as believe, to over
throw a military Government established BY
the legal authorities of any State, it cannot
be denied that it is also the duty of Congress
to overthrow and abolish any fOFm Of gov
ernmeni in State which is in fact anti-re-
publican and oppressive, no matter whether
established by the legally constituted author
tiles, or by usurpation. The power Of the
Federal Government TO prohibit any State
from establishing an anti-republican form of
Government, il as clear and unquestioned as
is It's authority to prohibit any State from
setting the National Constitution at defiance
and assuming the power Of an independent
nation.
The mole and manner Of procedure, iu
either case, is committed entirely 10 the dis
cretion of Congress as provided in section
eighth, clause eighteen, Of the Constitution,
which authorizes Congress q 70 make al IGrs
phieh sh1H Be necessary and PTopsr 10 carry
iato e1seutios the foregoing Porers vested By
his c0nstfutiOn N ths GOUeTnneBt Of ths
United States, or IN any department or office
thereof" ~
In the Rhode Island case to which have
alluded, there was, | believe, an admitted
majority of the people Of the State who de-
sired to change from the charter government
Of Charles the Second, granted 1888, under
which the State bad always acted, to con-
stitutional government, which should extend
the right Of suffrage and fairly adjust the in
equality in the apportionment Of repres enta-
tives ia the State Legislature. The charter
pointed out no mode Of procedure by which
amendments could be made, and the Charter
party, by the unfair apportiOnment and the
property disqualification for electors, we're
able to keep possession Of the Government,
and on a pretence Of want Of power to pro-
pose any amendments to the charter, they
repeatedly refused 10 initiate proceedings, on
application Of the people, for change Of the
organic law from the old monHrShical char
ter to republican Constitution.
The people, falling to obtain redress Of
their grievances from the recognized authori-
ties, proceeded to secure them iu a revoln-
tionary manner. They formed associations,
held public meetings, prescribed rules for
the election Of a Convention Of delegates
to form a State Constitution; in &C
cordance with which, delegates were elected
throughout the State, who met, framed an
excellent Constitution, and submitted It to
the people for adoption or rejection. A vote
was taken upon il at the time and in the
manner prescribed hy the Convention, and it
was adopted end ratified by large majority
Of the people. Elections were subsequently,
held in accordance with the provisions of this
Constitution, and Thomas W. Dorr was duly
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