Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1861-07-06

than 80 years anOuntll At Ienglh tncY uNNN
brought many good men to a willingness
to take up arms against The Government
Tue day after sdme assemblage oil men
have enacted the ArcicaIpretence of taking
their State out of tie Union, who could have
been brought to no such thing the day be-
fore.
This sophism deserves much, perhaps
the whole of its currency, from the as
sumption that thFa is come Omnipotent
and sacred snprebsey pertaining TO n
State, 10 each StSttof our Federal Union.
Our States have teither more nor less
mower than that Nserved 10 them in the
Union by the Constitution. none, Of them
ever having been a6tate out of the Union.
The original nnes hssed into the Union
even before they cat of thei. British colo :
niaI dependence, aid lhe new ones each
come into the Uniot directly from con
ditiun of independence, except Texas, and
even Texas in its teiporary Independence
was never Designate a State. The new
ones only took the daignation Of Suites on
comm. into the UnSn. while that name
VA. first adopted 70 hhe old ones in and
by ti,. colonies: weldleclared to be free
and indeneaient STATE; but even then the
object pi.,iuiy was nj To declare their in
dependence Of ona Rnother or OF the
Union. bst directly l. contrary as their
mutual pledge and DER mutual action
before. nj The time. IA afterwards album
dainty shows. The kpres5 plighting of
faith hy each and of the original
thirteen in the artcAs of confederation,
two wears later. ti4 que Union shall be
perpetual i4m StcGAAl9ifs. Having never
Ueeu States either " sRstnnee or in name
outside of the UnioN, vfence this magical
omuipoten"e OF State tghts. asserting a
Claim of power to lajully destroy the
! UuiOn itself?
Much is said about he sovereignty OF
the States. But the 4 ri even is not in
the uationuI CONSTITUTE; nor, as is be-
lieved, in any of the ate Constitutions.
What is sovereignty ia the political
sease of the term? Wdl / it he far wrong
to define IL. political c Immunity without
political superior? ksIed Ivy this, no
one Of our States excepI Texas ever WAS ~
sovereignty; and even Texas gave up the
character on coming htO the Unicn, by
which act she acknowledged the Corstttn-
ton of the United Statd, aud the laws aud
treaties of the United Hates made in pur-
suuuce of the Constitution, TO be for her
the supreme law Of lbsland. TIE S"tes
have their status in tia Uni m, and they
have no other legnl salts. If they break
from this, they can oulydo so ag'tinst avs
By revolution. The FRlon, aud not them
selves separated, Foiured their indie
pendence and their Thirty Ivy conquest OF
purchase. The Union gave each of them
whatever independen.chnd liberty it has
The Union is older tLa1 any of the States,
and, in fact, il created them rs States
originally. Some dpendent colonies IN tde
the Union, aud in tIin, the Union threw of
their old dependence fer them, nnd made
them States such az thry ara. Not one Of
them ever had a Stkte Constitution indie
pendent OF the Gnioh.
OF course, it is not forgotten that all the
new States framed their constitutions be-
fore they entered tina Union, nevertheless
dependent upon and preparatory to COM
ing into the Union! Cnquestionably the
States have the powers and rights reserv'
ed to them in and by the HHtionai GOnsti
tuition, but among these surely are not III
cluded nll conceivable powers. however
mischicyious or destructive, but almost
such only rs are known in tho world at tbs
line as governmental powers. The gov
crnmentitse:fhld meyer knowuEovernment
al as merely admfnisirNtife power. Til.
relative mssZer of Aallsn.l power and state
TIght-, ,,s a p-inci!He as no olnsr tl1nn tlI
principle of generality and locality, what
ever concerns the whole should lie conf
ded to the whole aud the General Govern
ment, while. whaIeteT concerns only the
State should be lcftexciusivelyt TO the State
This is all there Il of the original priu-
cip!c about it. Whttber the National Con-
stilution in defining boundaries between
the two bias appliedthe principle with ex-
act accuracy is not 10 be questioned. We
are also bound by uNt deficiency without
question. What is now combatted is the
position that secession is consistent with
the Constitution, AMI is lawful and peace
fnl. 1t is not conthded that there il any
express law for ii, aTi nothing should ever
he implied as law Which leads to uni ust or
absurd consequences. The nation pur-
chased with money the countries out oil
which several of tlIj States we're formed
Is it Just that they'shall so off without
leave and without rifunding. The nation
paid very large Guns, in the aggregate
believe hundred millions, TO relieve
FIorida of the A6gigines tribes. Is ii
Just she shall now 70 off without consent
or without making Soy return? The ma
ton is now in deblfo money applied to
the benefit of th,se so-callcd seeded
States in common with the rest. Is it just
either that creditorsshall go unpaid, orthe
remaining States pRf the whole. Part OF
the present nationAltiebt was contracted Ia
ply the old debt of Texas. Is it just that
she shall leave and pay no part of this her
self? Again, if one State mny secede so
may another, and wheuall shall have se-
coded none is lett to pay the debts. Is