The Lancaster ledger. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1852-1905, 1862-03-19

pie. and therefore inevitably tending TO
ruin. The patriotism Of the people must
be relied upon, or their social order, and
political independence vii pernh.
The Confederate Government can WELD
no power but what the States have gran.
ted, or may confer. All Of its resources
must come from the people OF the Con
federate States for it can hope to Dor
row nothing from abroad. Let it no lon,
ger borrow from the people, or any class
Of them; and If it has not the Sovereign
power Of appropriatiug whatever may be
needed for the war, and giving its scrip
for such appropriations, for future adjust.
ment; let it rely upon the States, to
whom that sovereign power does belong
AZ an essential attribute.
The States may either confer such
power on the Confederate Government,
or may each within its own domain, ex'
erciss it directly. II II be best that this
Government should have the power, and
it has not been provided for in the Con
stitution, that can be amended; and, in
the meantime, each State can confer such
power, within its own domain, until the
amendment made. Whether the Con.
stitution of the Confederacy be so amen.
ded; or its government be specially en-.
powdered, as the agent Of the States or
the States themselves exert the power,
for the benefit Of that Government; are
questions OF not much immediate c, NJ,
Germ, at least in comparison with the mo-.
mentous Importance Of the efficient ex
ercise of the power itself, in some effectu
al mode.
This is only one Of the illustrations OF
the defective system Of government, un,
der which the people Of the American
States have been living, since The forma,
ton Of the false, and delusive Union
which has been hastily, and almost fatal.
ly, initiated in the Permanent Cons,itu
zion Of the Southern Confederacy. The
absurdity OF uniting sovereign States,
which are, in their very nature, supreme,
has been dep!orably shown BY the dis.
cord now devouring the American peo.
pie. That portion, who have been
allowed 10 assume the title, and illus,ri.
Gus flag, which belonged to all, ,have been
compelled to yield to practi al over
throw Of their vaunted Constitution, in
order to consolidate their power.
This truth is, without supreme sover.
eighty, there can be no vital energy, or
concentration Of the power Of society,"
The sovereignty Of the Northern propls
has been unequivocally asserted. by the
usurpation at Washington, to bo in the
government Of the United States ; and
they have acquiesced. That usurpation,
therefore, acts with energy, and singleness
Of purpose.
In the Southern Coniederacy the SOW
ereignty ID in the several States and
the Confederate Govern mi ent is their
gent, with limited powers. 1t has no in.
dependent supreme vitality and canno,
exert any power. however urgent the ne
cessity, unless the occasion for its exer.
else has been previously anticipated, and
granted by the compact Of confederation.
1t is evident, therefore, that among US.
OF the South, we must either abandon
the noble rank Of soveseign States and
devolve the actual sovereignty upon the
Confederate Government; or not con6de
too much upon it, for the protection Of
the freedom of the people, and the indie
pendence Of the States but rely upon
the unquestioned, supreme, absolute, soy.
ereigDties Of the States. We must learn
10 realize the truth, that the Confederate
Government, and all its function aries are
in fact, only the agents Of the States
and dependent on the sovereignties Of all
OF them. The exigencies of the presen,
war are daily developing this truth and
the time seems net far off, when the Sc
curity Of our people will require all Of the
sovereign powers,-belongiug only to the
States themselves, to be eXerted. The
Confederate Government may have TO lie
reformed, in more than one respect, BY
the sovereignties, which created it. Pub.
lie necessity may require one or more oI
those sovereign States to provide for their
security, without depending on the tsrdy,
or unwise action Of their agent at Rich.
mond. 1t should be remembered, ths,
desperate diseases require violent and
prompt remedies and as long as the
people OF the States are conscious Of ,hei.
supreme sovereignty, they will, in the las,
resor. look 10 that, as the only firm basis
Of freedom .and independence.
The entire military organization Of the