The Buchanan County guardian. (Independence, Buchanan County, Iowa) 1858-1864, 1861-07-16


! cludel all conceivable powers. however
misuhievous or destructive, but at most
such only as were known il the worll
at the time as governmental pow sand
certainly a power 10 destroy ihe Govern
ment itself had never been known as Il
governmental As a merely admins
tratiye power, this relative matter of ma
tonal power and State rights, as prin-
ciPle, is no other than the principle Of
generality and locality. Whatever CON
Germs the whole should be confined TO
the whole General Government, while
whatever concerns only the State should
be left exclusively to the State.
This is all there is Of original princi.
pie about it. Whether the National Con-
sti;ution, in defining boundaries between
the two, has applied the principle with
exact accuracy, is not to be questioned.
We are all bound BIZ that defining with
out question What is now combatted
is the position that Secession is ctusis-
tent with the Con7li,uion--is lawful anl
peaceful. 1t is not cuntended that there
is any express law for it, and no hing
should ever be implied as law which
leads 70 unjust or absurd consequences.
The nation purchased with money the
countries out Of which several Of these
States were formed. Is it just that they
should go Off without leave, and without
refunding? The nation paid very large
sums in the aggregate-l believe nearly
a hundred milIjons-to relieve Florida Of
The aboriginal tribes
Is il just that she shall now be Of with.
on! consent or without any return Tho
nation is now in debt Tor money applied
to the benci. of these so-caIled seeding
States, in common with the lest. Is it
just either that creditors shall 90 unpaid,
or the remaining States pay the whole
\ part Of the present national debt was
contracted 70 pay the cid debts OF Tex
as. Is it just that she shall leave and
pay no part OF this herself! Again, if
one STATE may secede, 50 may another;
and when all shall have seceeded none
is leit to pay tie debgs. Is this quite
just to creditors DID we notify them
Of this sage vicw Of ours when we bor.
rowed their money II we now recor-
niza this doctrine by allowing In. ssc3-
ders TO - in peace, it is difficult 70 see
what We can DO ii others choose ID % or
to extort terms upon which ,Esv will
promise to remain.
The seceders insis, ,ha. our C,os.i,n.
ton admits Of secession. They have as.
sumed 10 make a National Constitution
of their own. in which, OF necessity, they
have either discarded or retained the
right Of secession, As they insist ., exists
in ours. Ii they have discarded il, they
thereby admit that, on principle, itou ,ht
not 10 eXis, in ours If they have retain
ed it, by their own construction ofour's.
they show that, To be consistent they
must secede from one another whenever
they shall find i the easiest way Of sci
ding their debts, or etiec,ing aay other
selfish or unjust object
The principle itselli7 one Of disin,eg-
ration, and upon which no government
can possi5, ! endure Ii al, the States
save one Should assert The power To dive
that one out Of the Union it is presumed
the whole class ot sceeIer politicians
would al once deny tie power and de
''N'''iNN N''N 't't - A'tN NtNsNSh NdAt
upon State rights. Bat suppose that,
precisely the same act instead of being
called driving the one out shoall be cal
led the seeding OF the Others from that
one il would be exactly what the sece
delS claim q DO unless indeed they
make the point t,at the one because II
is minority, may rishau'Iy do what
the others because they are majoriy,
may not righlfu|ly do.
These politicians ar2 subtle aud pro.
found in tire ,hts OF migotities. They
are n1t parta, % deaf power which mad
the Constitution, and speaks from the
preamble. calling itself F" We the peo.
pie, l. may well be questioned wheth
er there Is to-day majority q the legal.
~ qualified voters ot any Sate, except
perhaps, South Carolina, in favor ot Dis
Union. There IS mach reason 10 believe
that ihe Union mer are tie majority in
many, i Mt N every other one ot the
80 called Seeded STATES
The contrary has aos been demousHa.
tel ID anJ one Of them. |, IS rentufed 70
affirm thss even Of Virginia aud Teanes