Daily Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1860-1862, 1861-07-10

I you so loved hath departed from her glory
In the radiance that sheds its lustred sheen
from the Central throne, 4the light of other
days which Memory calls about US now.
shall forever lose its melancholy power, and
the cups of Eden. which ye quaff in bowers
of Biessedness. shall ne'er be tinctured with
the drops of NORWOOD and of gall. which
have been forced upon our shrinking lips.
Let us now turn and contemplate the high
duties and the social trusts which still are ours,
and as we do so, let he emile of CHEEKY Hope
still shine even through the swimming tears
of cur Regret The Revolution of which we
| have spoken. based upon principle and bless
! ed by Heaven, was undertaken and carried
on by the COLONIES, united temporarily for
mutual aid and defence, not as unit.d into
one Sovereignty. At the successful termina-
| tioa OF the war; the separate ind pendence of
the several Colonies was duly and in form ac-
knowltdged, and each formed itself into a
| State S. separately and Independently from the
| Others. In that very Declaration, the adop-
| ton of which has so endeared this day t. us,
| IL is granted sthat the Colonies are, and of
right ought to be, free and Independent States, !"
| not free and independent State.
| Tn" Unlon then was not as MANY have
supposed. consolidation of the people under
| one government, followed by a redistribution
| of the same. for convenience sake into States
corresponding in extent and title to The for
mer Colonies. The Colonies themselves first
became, as we have seen. States, free and iu-
dependent, and, from their aggregation, still
| retaining these powers, arose the material
| for the Federal government. To give il vi
tally aud authority. certain powers, belong
| ing to the States, were coded aud vested in
| the Federal government--the Constitution.
| as yet reads, expressly declaring that the
| powers. not thus delegated to the common
agent. are still reserved severaily to the
| States. The Inherent power or right of the
| people to modify, or il necessary, altogether
change, the form of government, could not.
| from the nature OF things, be vested in the
| Federal g0yerpment,t Not being so vested by
| the Consultation. tits reserved eeverally to
| the States. IT, therefore, the States, or even
| au Individual State, chooses to exercise that
| power, can 1t be said to act unconstitution-
| ally As the Federal government da-
rives all It's authority from the consent of the
/ governed, it is, OF course. weakened as that
1 consent is withheld. The delegates who
| framed the Constitution itself, voted in their
| Convention, therefore, not "a officers under
| the Federal government but BIZ States, and at
| the completion of their task presented it as
- Done by the consent of the States PRESENT.
| aud even after their adoption of that docu-
| ment, 1t was null and void till subsequently,
ratified by the States themselves, and in that
| ratification each acted for itself and in the
unrestricted exercise of it's own full sover-
| eighty. Even after the Constitution had been
| rati6ed-and this is point of prime signi6-
| canoe, as being the especial stipulation Of
seven of the States--if, after fair trial, dis
| satisfied with the government. they held
| themselves empowered and at liberty to re-
nounce it. The Federal Constitution. thus
| formed and thus ratified, was not submitted
to the voice OF the people, and this, too in
accordance with a resolution of the Congress-
The government formed under that Constitu-
| ton was actually in operation for consi-
d-rable time before at least two of the States
adopted or took any part in it. Three times
the question came before the Convention
| framing it, as to the necessity or propriety of
giving the Federal government power to
compel obedience from State. and on as
many distinct and different occasions the
Convention gave it decided negative. John
Q Adams, speaking of the same question in
an official paper, says THE case of conflict
between the two powers-the State and Gen
eral government--bas not been supposed,
nor has any provision been made for it in our
institutions" Said the distinguished Thomas
JehersoU: w. It'll Respect to the Federal and
State governments, | do not think their rela-
lions are corr city understood by foreigners
They generally suppose the St tie govern
ment to be subordinate to the Federal. Bnt
his not the case. They are coordinate de
partments OF one simple and integral whole
aud upon aquestion as to partition of powers
If such discussion Can neither be avoided
nor compromised, a Convention of the States
must be called, to ascr,be the doubtful power
Ia that department which they may think
uest"
When the General Assembly of Virginia
presented the famous Bill of Rights. declara-
zion, positive aud unmistakable, was msdt
IS to the right retained by the States. which
it had never yielded and would never yolun-
tfrV Ia at 70 -
yield would be regarded as a ground of i'm
mediate rupture They declared that they con
sidered such a rupture among the greatest
calamlties that could betai them, hut not the
greatest There was yet one greater calamity
submission to a government of Unlimited
power. When that Threatened them, forbear-
auce would no longer be indulged. Our own
beloved State maintained similar position.
She also entered the late Union with certain
reservations of right. She declared THAT all
power Is Inherent in the people, and that all
free governments are founded on the peoples
authority, and are instituted for their prace,
safety and happiness For the advancement
of these ends, they Ohe peOple) have at all
times an inalienable and iudefeasible right to
alter, reform, or abolish the government, in
such manner as they may think proper"
Again-''that government being instituted
for the common benefit, the doctrine of nom
resistance 10 arbitrary power and oppression
is absurd, slavish, and destructive of the
good and happiness of mankind"
Alexander Hamilton and President Madi-
son may be referred to as confirming the pos
iIions thus taken by several States at the
outset. Not wishing to weary you in multi
plying authorities, close this part of the sub
ject by quoting the preamble of the Federal
Constitution, as conclusive in itself:
I'VE, the people OF the United States in or
der to form more perfect I'm on, establish
justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide
Tor the common defense, promote the general
welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty
for ourselves and our posterity, do ordain aud
establish this Constitution for the United
States of America"
Herein are expressed its sole purposes. If
the present administering of that Constitu-
ton Is 10 accordance with the spirit of this
preamble, and If the efforts of those in power
under it conduce to these worthy objects il
is your bOunden duty still to remain faithful
TO those authorities. Is this the case? The
bond of Union, instead OF being made more
perfect, has been shattered beyond the posi-
bllity of reconstruction; justice, instead of
being established, has been in many quarters
subverted entirely; domestic tranquility, in
stead OF being insured, has taken Its depar-
ture for the time, so give place to fratricidal
assaults-the Old strife of an envieus Cain
against an unoffending Abel--while the bless
ings OF liberty can now be secured for your
selves and your children only by the most vi
gorous and determined assertion of your
rights. Think over these things seriously,
and form your own conclusions.
will not 'respass on your time and pa
thence by detailed recital of the thronging
and pregnant events of the last few months:
but feel that the genius of the hour impels
me to remind you, again and again, that Tor
these things We still contend.
TO BE CONTINUED.
Tribute OF Respect,
TO HE MEMORY OF Isl LIEUTENANT W. ". HUDpLEsIoS.