The national Republican., 1861-09-18
Wednesday, September IS, 1851.
STATE RIGHTS.

There is nothing which the multiplying poll
ticians have talked about 20 persistently as
State rights, but they pay quite as little atten-
tion to those rights, US to any other In their
present practice. -.
They have just taken possession Of part OF
Kentucky, on the plea Of special military ne
cessity, but the Memphis Appeal, in the follow
ing paragraph, takes the broader ground that
the Southern Confederacy need " the whole Of
the territory of Kentucky:
"we only speak the sentiment Of the united
South, we believe, In asserting that Kentucky
can never be allowed to cast her destiny with
the North, whatever verdict federal tyranny
may force from her people under the duress
Of the bayonet. While we respect State rights
and State sovereignty, there are re'political and
military necessities which override these rights
as measures Of retaliation, In great revolution
like the present. Kentucky may bend her
knee, at present, to the Baal Of abolitionism,
hut the strong arm of our national power will
rescue her from the possession of the enemy
before the termination of this war. as certainly
and as efftctually as the vast expanse of our ter
ritory upon the golden coast Of the Pacific was
rescued from the hands Of PROSTATE Mexico.
The truth had as well he spoken, and we can
CttEeuS-NytllstS
no such idea has ever for one moment entered
the mind of the Southern people, as that she
shall remain under the iron rule Of the Yankee
despotism. The South needs her territory, and
must have 1t, though at the price of blood and
conquest"
There Is not word about " States rights, In
this whole paragraph. We need and "musl
haze It, though at the price of blood and con-
quest" This is now the style Of the nulli6ers.
This Is really not worse than their practice
in Missouri and Virginia, although, as to both
Of them, it was considered best to wears fmsy
mask, whereas, as to Kentucky, the thing is at
tempted to be done without any mask at all
In the case of Missouri, the Richmond Con-
gress voted to receive her into the Southern
Confederacy, with the assent of her State au.
thorities, and that for the purpose Of ascertain.
ing her assent, her expelled and deposed Gover-
nor Jackson, and his associates, should be deemed
and taken to be the lap,d oistodians Of her STATE
sorreignty.
In the case of Virginia, the Confederate.
took military possession, styling it provisional
under color Of the invitation of State Conven
ton, elected under the express prohibition tc
do anything to change the political relations
of the State, without the assent of the people
6rst bad and obtained.
These various violations Of State rights, have
resulted from the knowledge by the rebel lead
ers, Of the utter impossibility Of maintaining an
independent Southern nationality without the
great slaveholding border States. They have
sometimes affected not to desire the co-opera.
ton of those States, but this affectaton has de-
ceived nobody. Without them, the rebellion
has neither the numbers nor military strength,
to constitute power sufficient even to crafty
the ambition of its great leaders. Still less,
has it the numbers, or military strength, to pro
tect its own interests and institutions, including
very delicate one, which needs good deal
Of protection against the ill-will of mankind.
With these rebel leaders, it has been, from the
first, the whole Of the slave States, or nothing,
and the whole of them by any means necessary
to the object, not excepting "blood and con-
quest" where anything short of that is iusutfi
oso