New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1863-05-02
.r.Tx SOVEREIGNTY AGAIN.

defense of the position taken In the Demo-
cratic Legislative Address that it is the duty
of the Democracy TO maintain the sorutignfy
and independence Of our State. To this end, II
quotes Gov. Seward and Senator Sumner ms
having used the terms sovereign States,
" State sovereignty" &c, and Gov. Seward
i, further quoted as asserting that The save-
catching clause Of the Federal Constitution sis
in the nature Of a compact between sovereign
and Independent States;' but he nowhere
maintains that they remained independent after
they had bound themselves BY this compact.
But we do not propose any formal refasa'ion
Of this Secession logic. Mr.. Webster, 10 bic
great debate with Hayne, and Gen. jackson,
in bis Proclamation against South Carolina
exhausted the argument long ago. lie who
does not feel the force Of their sledgehammer
logic "would not be persuaded though one
rose from the dead"
The Borld quotes from the old ARTICLES Of
Confederation" superseded by the Federal
Constitution, as follows:
Arr. II. FAcH STATE KxT.is, IT, sovxRsiarr rHE..
lSDKPEsDhkCE, power Jefsuctlon, ana
right that IL lot by t Consderston expressly desAted TO
the United stasss In Congre" assembled"
The fact that this provision was netier in
terms nor in substance Incorporated iut' the
Federal Constitution, nor any equyalet for
il, iorms a negative pregnant OF irresstible
force. Our fathers had had quite enough of
" State sovereignty and Independence" prpr to
1857. Ii 1as their sore experience vi the
inevitable nischiels thence arising that indlced
them to form a more perfect Union'-to
form il not as "a compact between sovereign
States" but as the direct action OF " We The
People OF the United States" That each
State retains, operative within its own terri
iorial boundaries, certain attributes OF " sover'
eighty and independence" is true; but that
any State, IA such, is in fact "sovereign ana
independent" is the very heresy which has
whemed the South in calamity aud desolatl0n
Let all true mon beware oil At.
Our concern is with ideas, not words. In
| times when Slavery is identified with Dtmoc-
racy we might let any perversion OF language
pass if it did not lead directly to papable and
fearful mischief. But this heresy Of Estate
sovereignty and independence" has whemed
this fair land in blood and ruin, and II must
be extirpsted. JEFF. Davis officially declares
Secession "the dissolution of league" and
his fellow traitors everywhere make Estate
sovereignty" their Shibboetb. Those who
would see our country once more united and
at peace, with proper guarantees for both Lib
erty and Order, must reprobate the antagonist
beresies which on the ono side annlhilate the
Just powers of the States, on the other reduce
the Union to o rope Of sand. Each 10 con-
demned alike by experience and the Constltu.
ton. And the disasters Of the times admonish
us that errors long tolerated a. mere
rhetorical e1aggerations eliminate at last in
the gravest practical evils.
We have already cited the standard dcfni-
lions Of sovereignty" and independence" to
show bow utterly incompatible they are with
the constitutional and actual powers of the
several States composing our Federal Union.
Happily, We have q practical definition Of the
powers of sovereign and Independent States of
OF the highest American authority. and directly
to the point. The Declaration Of IndePend.
ence solemny declares "these United Col.
onies free and Independent States" and
affirms that "as free and Independent States,
they have full power to tery ~ar, conclude
peace, contract alliances, establish commerce,
and to do all other acts and things whieh INDIE.
PENDENT STATES moy Of right DO" Here y
an authoritative and accurate declaration Of
the inherent and necessary powers Of sOyer-
eigu and independent State. such as Nsw.York,
out of the Union could be, but New.York in
tho Union is not and cannot be. Al sOver-
eign and independent State, she might form an
alliance with JEFF. Davis tomorrow and en-
bark with him In bic War against tho Amsri'