The mountain Democrat., 1863-10-10
oua ooRREsroHEDEHzrs.
The COnsttsWttOn-The UniOn-Ths
Duty OF the Citizen.


| tn the U aim. but whn avow, nevertheless, an
! indifference a. Ia the Constitution uf the UOi.
! ted Siutrs. All true friends 1T The Union viii
| u" what, IN their Judgment, will best pr"mOie
| the Union cause.
| Is The Ualnn of ineStimable value! l. il
SnuIeIhing distinct from the CunsiituII"n! CLn
! il pruperiV be considered separaIe and apart
irOm that inSIrumrBtr j TbPSs qBrs'n,Ds' g
DC SnSwcrt d in the Affirmative, We Sh-Uad rnaiL-
tain the Uuinn, th"ngh, to do 50, we may even
destroy the Constitution.
| Did the adoption Of the Constitution form
! The Union and create the Government OF the
! United States? Are there numerous terms
and cnndiIInnS Z" the Uninn thus fnrmed -
!. Ate 4hey Ais specified aud defined IN The Con
| SIiIulUnI l. the Union exactly what the
| Constitution has made il.
lfiheSe qneStkhs must be answered In the
affirmative. We al rive al result widely diIiet-
enI. The Constitution is tu the UnTn, what
the chart and compass nre Ia The maj iner, ur
| the Bible tn The Christian
Ii Is hence inIIurIani tu understand the rela-
tiSn the Constitution, the Union, and the duty
of the citizen sustain Y each other.
d. not purpose mlnuIeneSS I dc Nt MYSTN
! the subject uf constitutional law. A mere
! general view "f the Constitution must, there
! tore. suffice me.
ltis. perhaps. proper to survey the circum-
stances aud motives ia which the Constitution
| had its origin.
In 1873, the thirteen original States were.
| politically. aS distinct from each other as were
any thirteen governments in the civilized
world.
Great sticklers for constitutional rights, our
| pa:riuiic ancestors, in l774, formed what is
known as the Revolutionary Government, for
| the purpose of more etiecIually resisting the
IyranmicAl. oppressive aud unconstitutional
acts Ut Georg- Ill, king at England. Then.
for the first time, were the ihIrieen cOiUnleS
the United States ui America.
To- give greater security To the rights sought
tO be protected, it was NOT long bei"re SIruE
gle commenced fnr redress nf grievances,
was made 0nr for independence.
The Revolutionary Government was, at
length. superseded bv that under the Articles
"f C.nIederaIihm. Under the latter govern.
m'cnt, the great prIze Ut American lndepen
denre WaS Non
Hat the acknowledgment of American Inde-
prndence by Great Britain. did not, "f itself,
| relieve the United States hnm enbarrasS-
| HtenlS, difficulties aud dangers ni the most Sc
rIuWs nature. The Uminn between the States
was very iR,IIeI iecl uIIe, aud il was feared by
our best patriots and r. ediest state smen that
the Government of the Confederation would
tall Ia pieces, aud American liberty be lost.
At time when the mIghIy Issue before the
county Uas-Shall all be saved, ur all lost: 1t
was resolved In call C.'nvenIr"n autlI"rIzed
| 10 pruDuSe amendments tu the Articles ui Con.
federation.
Un the 18th nf Nav, 1857, the prnpnsed
Convention miet III PmilHdrlphIu. u that au.
gust bId,, George Washington was President.
aud such men as Roger Sherman, Ben njamIn
| FranklIr', Alexander Hamilton and James
MWli>"n we're Delegates Before those great
taen aHd their illu>IrIuus ass,ciaies there came,
! f'r practical ShuiIun, such questions rs the
fuiluwIng:
"Wnal SORT ri government shall we have ?
Or what departments snail II CONSIST: How
can We ni.'St etircIudlly hinder one department
from encT"Lching upon aud exercising The
functions uf annlIer? liN what Officers shall
tie affairs ut Guvrrnmen' be carried unr-
" hat powers sh III be c"uhded tu Ihrmy-
What safeguards will most eltecIuaiIy rre:ent
them from abusing lh"Se pnwer$! What Is
The beat plan tor the proposed future UuIon
betWven the States' How shall We prevent
Controversies between the National Govern.
ment and tile several Stale GuvernmvniSy-
How eau We most efecIualy prevent c"n ru'
verSirs between State and State, secli"n aud
section! What stall De the du,IrH aud "GllKH-
IInhS Of riie Static To anuthrr: What hnIta-
lions shall be InIi"Srd uIr'n State I"'wer! -
What privileges shall be accorded IL the
St,ieS. aS members at Il conn"n CnInn -
~ hat shall Ue the rights If IL ciIILen 1T the
United States? by what safeguards shall his
tights, aS s'iCh, Oc protected!
Un qIeSthnnS Sucn uS the foregoing, the Con
vcnIln III .lurrly dtlIGetated i"r the period "i
Iuur months AMI three days. The re>ul, ol nN
inng. ,'r"tr"rItL, careful und patient dehCrra'
IioIi VAS emb,'dIrd IN the Constitution Ut tile
UnIled States.
On tue l1th If September, l1S7, the Cunvrn.
Iion closed It's laUnrS W Pr"p"Slny the CuhNii'
tuIiun. tot raiiIicatiun ar rejection, In Cuhven'
IIunS If Delegates 10 DC chusen by the pcupld
III each one at the States.
AT lrngih, in each one Of the States. Il Con-
Hehtton ut Delegates met. pursuant To The pro-
pOsa. ut the iFs'1erS at tie CONSTITUTION. W
eurh Cnnvenii"n, the qUrSIiun was, III sub
stance, submitted" Shall the States Or united
upua the exact terms and c"ndIIIuns specified
Ia The C,InslItuIi 'n:" and 10 eacn. by the ratI.
tcattdu at the Constitution, !!:al question VA
decided III Tue affirmative. The ratification ui
| the CuuSIIinII1n bv those successive Cunven-
Iiull>. formed the Union and created the Gov
! ernnleIIt 0t tile United SIdIeS. Ar CuI"l
I formed has numerous terms aud ctnditI nS, all
at which uIe specified III the Constitution. il Is
exactly " hat tile Constitution has made II.
| Not something distinct tr'mm the Constitution,
! II Cannot. properly, be cnnSIdrTed separate and
/ apart ipuIn that instrument. To the Uuh,n
exactly aS the Constitution has made II, every
1 State aud ry cillZeu Is u parry. To thai
Cnlun, II is the duty "t every State 10 WELD al
!
Ihe duty of every cIIzen IL give IL c,inStaui, uc
. tive. ze,,liuS aud efficient support.
! Created by HE adoption ui the Constitution
! the UuvernnenI If the United States Is ''ne al
! limited powers. 1t can righItully exercise H.
| PnMer not dr-2aled /" II BY the C"nsIIIa'i"n
/ Tnat Ihv affairs at the National Government
! may be properly carried I'm, the Constitution
! and lIws Ut the United States have pruvldeC
! for the election and appointment Of numerous
officers.
No officer can rise superior to the laws. The
/ Constitution declares itself To be part IF ''Iht
supreme law of the land" Il is the SwurI
! duty nf every United States officer To suppur
it, und he should be true To his oath.
As law. there are some things in which The
Constitution is peculiar II cannot be repealed
! Amendments uI II cannot be prupnSed without
| the concurrence Of iwn-thlrdS nf bOih Ilnusri
| "f Congress, "r the applications Of the LeEiS
laureS "f lw"-Ihirds of the States. Amend
menIS, Ihuugh prap+rlv proposed, cd"nTt be
come parts II tie Cuns IiiuInn ~ iihouI the con
currence 1T three E'urths ri the States
The President nt the United States is nnl,
an "IIicer "t the law, and 1t is idle in the ex
! trenIe I" SAY that he can set aside the nuihnri
~ Of that very Law Of which he is AN officer =
II he NAV rise above the law, - may every
other officer. In his OdIh If office, he saws
81 do snIemnly swear thai will, IN the beS
0t my ability. preserve, pT"iecI and defend Ihl
Constitution of the United States" That natl
Is binding IN him every m"ment he remains
in office. Gan he set aside the CuIlsiituInl
without violating his 0uIh TO ''preserve, pro
trc and defend" it?
| II the Constitution is suspended, the Unirr
nf the States and the entire authority ut tn
Government If the United States are alsn StlS
pended. aud there is M rebellion. for there il
m National Government against which Il
rebel.
I" accomplish the objects for which the Ma
tiOnnl Government Was created. M law can b.
passed 0r act done in violation Of the COnsttu
tIun.
The Constitution givPs ample power tn "ex
ecute the laws of the Uninn' and "suppres
insurreciiun. -.
Every citizen is supposed I" have an interes
in the preServ ,iinn Of TIE Government undp