The Kingwood chronicle. [volume] (Kingwood, Va. [W. Va.]) 1861-1861, 1861-05-18
MISCELLANEOUS.
From the National Intelligencer.
Jefferson and Hamilton on Coercion.

From, the National Intelligencer.
Jefferson and Hamilton on Coercion"
We find in a late number Of the New Or
leans Picayune the following discriminating
comparison between the Articles Of Confed-
GRAFTON adopted by the Continental Congress
and the Constitution Of the United States
framed by the Convention Of 1887;
The old Confederation was simply a
league, acting exclusively by governments,
and not on persons. Each State was repre-
sented in Congress BY it's agents, having
single vote The executive power was exer-
cised by majority in Congress, through their
presiding officers, changed every year; and
the Cabinet elected annually BY a committee.
The Confederation had no judiciary, and no
revenue system They could neither lay nor
collect taxes, nor regulate commerce. They
could only ascertain and declare how much
money they needed, but they could not do
even this without the assent Of nine Of the
thirteen State delegations, and after ascer-
tained and apportioned BY the same powers
among the States, it was required that the
several Legislatures should lay and levy the
necessary taxes on their own authority, and
pay over the money when collected to the
Federal Treasury, and it was done when con-
yenient, and sometimes not at all
The Congress of the Confederation was,
therefore, il practice little more than a con
sssltating body Of States for recommending
the measures which we're to be executed By
the concurrent acts Of all Of them passed sew
orally in their separate Legislatures.
The organization Of the Union BY the
trainers Of the Confederation Of 1889 corrects
these defects
1t has single Executive, who is indepen-
dent Of the legislative power, common ju-
dietary, uniform revenue power, and the
means and capacity to administer all these
powers by it, own vigor, without the agency
Of the State powers In all these respects it
makes what the Confederation was not, and
what the fathers who are quoted won and
made-a Government operating by it's own
powers.
These are immense improvements on the
old Confederation, even if they were the
ground for alarm, which is 50 freely express
ed, that States, Of a State, may, BY the ex-
ercise of its sovereign power, interrupt the
operation Of an odious law, resist what it de-
cides to be oppressive, and obstruct and break
up the Government.
There is this essential difference in behalf
of the Constitution over the Articles of Con
federation, that, under the old plan the sep
aratc concurrence Of every State, serintim,
was necessary to the most vital functions Of
Government, Non-action was as fatal as dis
sent. Under these, all the regular operations
OF Government are put into movement BY
their own vigor, acting upon individuals every
where, and not upon States, expounded by
their own Judiciary and executed by their
own officers, and enforced by the common
power Of the Confederacy, at least until some
State, acting in the name Of its whole peo-
pie, and through its organs, takes action III
all the forms Of ultimate sovereignty To make
an Issue Of resistance The theory Of the
Confederation was that very scanty powers
were granted at all, and not the most simple
act for administering the most indispensable
among them could be done without the inter-
mediate and active agency Of numerous State
Assemblies Not to act was as fatal as to
oppose. n
Our readers are aware that the question
has been raised respecting the right Of the
Federal Government, under the Constitution
Of the United States, to coerce obedience to
its laws against the assumed authority Of !
sovereign State. The general principle laid
down BY Mr. Jefferson on this subject, even
under the Articles Of Confederation and the
comparatively weak Government established
BY them, was stated BY him ID the following
terms: I'VE quote from letter which be