The Shasta courier., 1863-03-28
The Constitution as 1t Is.

since sprung up in one portion of our coun-
try. and ripened into treason and rebellion
against our Government The dogma put
forth by the great Nulifer of South Carolina,
that whenever a State conceived herself ag-
grieved by an act of the Federal Government,
she had right, ipso .facto to adjudge and
declare such act or law null and void,
without referring the question to any depart
of the United States, consequently led the
Southern mind to entertain the sentiment that
whenever, on any occasion, State saw fit,
she could don the habiliments of State sover-
eighty and walk out of the Union without as
signing any other reason than that she pleas.
ed to do so.
If this position be correct, the corollary
follows that the General Government, or the
residue of the States remaining in the Union,
have no constitutional power to coerce' a
State, or to maintain the integrity of the
Union by the force of arms, or any other
means, and the Government becomes at once
an illusion-a n-entity.
But to to the common understanding there
is no such reading in the Constitution-and
the soundest lawyers and the t'uest statesmen
among those who created that instrument,
as well as the greatest and best men who
have lived under the government instituted
thereby, have repudiated and condemned
such IA construction, and have maintained, on
all occasions and everywhere, that our Gov
ernment has the constitutional and inherent
power to quell rebellion, to defend itself
against all assaults, foreign or domestic, to
vindicate its national rights ami honor, and
to maintain its national integrity. And the
motive and objects of all just governments
prove this. "A federative government can
be of no great permanent value, which is not SO
constructed that it may stand, in some meas
ure; as the common sovereign of its members,
and be able to protcctthem against iaternaldis-
orders, as we'll as external assaults" The con-
federation undertook but one of these great
duties. Its most important powers, as well
as its leading purpose, concerned the common
cause against foreign domination.
When the coatederatin, was formed, it was
made a federal league Estates, independent
of each other, and was entered into principally
for mutual defense against common enemy,
the British crown. And what happened in
respect to Internal disorders under the old
confederation Of States? In June, 1888, a
band of armed men, soldiers if you please,
threateningly invaded Philadelphia, intimi-
dated Congress, then in session in that city,
and compelled that body to retire to Prince
!rse,f Fer safety In thut ease Congress had ho
power to suppress this disorder and protect
itself, and tho State Of Pennsylvania, in
whose borders the insurrection took place,
either from the want of means, or some other
cause, did not quell the disorder. And again,
in A. D. 17S6, a considerable portion of the peo-
pie of the State of Mhssachu became NAL
contents and disorganizcrs, and rebellel
against the authorities of the confederation,
headed and led on by one Shays, and as before
the confederate government found itself
wanting in authority to suppress this rebe.'
lion, and were obliged to depend on the pow
er and patriotism of massachusetts to main.
tain the government and save the league.
| These serious and threatening events stern
ly suggested the necessity of having a gooern-
ment instead of confederacy-a Uaton IL
place of a league. And such circumstances
and these reasons forced the fathers Of GU,
Constitution, with the immortal Washington
at their head, to frame and submit to the
people of the United States the Constitution
of our Government, which was by them freely
and intelligently ratified and adopted il
1889.
| Under the government of the Union thus
formed and adopted, Washington, the frs
President, almost Immediately after entering
upon the duties of office, had occasion to tes
the virtue of the new Constitution, in sup
pressing the whisky Insurrection" il
Pennsylvania. lie sent against the rebels
General Lee, who squelched the rebellion an(
dispersed the rebels, by virtue of the power
of the new Government, formed witt
this declaration to all the world "We, tn,
people of the United States, IN order to form
a more perfect UNION, establish justice, IN
SURE DOMESTIC TRANQUILITY, provide for thu
common defense, promote the general vel
fare, and secure the blessings Of liberty to our
selres and rosrERIrY, do ordan and establish
this constitution for the United States o
America"
Yet in the face of all this, and against tn,
declared opinions and the out-spoken record
of the patriots and sages who made oul
"Constitution as it is,' is attempted t.
be maintained the doctrine that any and
all the States have a constitutional righ
to secede, and that there is no power
vested in the common Government of thu
Union to coerce" a State or to suppress re
b<llion. This doctrine is not promulgated b,
the lesser lights alone Of the secession party
in the loyal States, but under the name o
Z" Democracy" the Woods, the Coxes, and tn,
Nallandishams talk it and preach it in tn,
ears of the peoples and even a Democrat,
President of the United States, the ''Old Publ,
Functionary,' in his last message inculcatet
the traitorous sentiment to she people of hi:
Country