Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1863-06-09
FEDERAL and state Rishts.

Federal and stare G~A&AAoa I
The Peace Party which met in New York
on Wednesday last, with Fernando Wood
as its head and front. proclaimed the broad
eat State Rights doctrines, and declared
the whole war unconstitutional, and its
prosecution by Congress an uncOnstitu-
tional 1surpatiOn sf power which belong
ed exclusively to the States. As there are
many Democrats in Ohio who will agree
10 the doctrine, and as the State COnven-
ton on Thursday will probably agree sub
stsntialIv with the Wood and Vallandig-
ham platform, it will not be amiss to re
view few facts connected with the adOp
ton Of the Constitution.
The Committee for drafting articles of
Confederation between the colonies was
appointed upon the l1th of June, 1776.
In November Of the following year they
we're agreed to by Congress, and submitted
to the States for ratification. Many OBJ
iections we're urged to them, and before
thev were ratified ii was found that they
were entirely inadequate to the necessities
Of a general government, because they did
not grant sufficient power to Congress
leaving too wide a margin for conflict be-
tween the States snd the General Govern
ment. The chief difficulty which was at
first found was in respect to the revenue,
but it was also discovered that the power
-
be enlarged. Active measures for secur-
ing this enlargement were commenced in
Virginia, and about the same time New
York and New Jersey took strong ground
in the same direction. The Senate and
House of Assembly of New York, under
the Governorsbip of George Clinton, adopt
ed series of resolutions, which, after re-
ferring to the financial system and needs
declare that in the opinion OF the Legisla.
ture " the radical source Of most Of our
embsrrassments, is the vant Of sufficient
pOtOer in Congress, to effect that ready and
perfect cooperation of the States, on which
their immediate safety and future hsppi-
ness depend" Does Fernando repudiate
the voice of his own State
Commissioners from the several States
met at Annapolis in September, 1876, ant
recommended g Convention at Philadel
phia, to devise such provisions as shal
make the Constitution of the Fedora
Government adequate to the ezigeHeie
Of the Union" In the Congress
Of the Confederation, the report Of thes
Commissioners was received, together will
a resolution recommending the proposed
Philadelphia Convention to consult upOI
Hthe ineficiency of the Federal Govern
ment and the necessity Of devising sucl
further provisions as shall render the sam
adequate to the ezigeHeies Of the Union
The delegation from New York moved t.
postpone this resolution in order to tax
up another which recommended a Conven
tion to report to Congress "such altera
tions and amendments of the articles Of Con
federation as the representatives met il
such Convention shall judge proper an
necessary to render them adequate to I'll
preservation and support oyfths Union" Tn
---z=l--zz IzaE .aaalu
for reporting such amendments as shoul
be adequate to the exigencies of the Gov
ernmeut and the preservation of tn
Union"
1t will be seen that in all these prelimi
nary movements to the adoption Of tn
present Constitution, there was not wor
said Of securing sovereignty to the state
but on the contrary, all the resolutions shor
that the States were considered to be pos
sessed Of too much poVsr. With this funda
mental fact in view, it is plain that tn
members Of the Convention which frame
the present Constitution acted with the ez
press purpose Of granting the largest Lib
erty to Congress in its administration @
public affairs. It is only reserved to thes
latter days for demagOgues and partizal
leaders to discover that the authors Of tn
Constitution would denounce as unconsti
tuiOnal war for " the e1igenoies ofGov
ernment and the preservation Of tn
Union"