The mountain Democrat., 1863-10-17

I NOT III b0p VtNPN'T > - 3HyN = lSNDSSe
four States continued to act under and to
carry on their respective governments in.
dependently Of sseh other and of the
States comprising the "morO perfect
union," until one after another ratified
the Constitution and became members ol
the "more perfect Union" Until the
four States did ratify the Constitution,
each conducted its own affairs as an inde.
pendent sovereign State or nation, in am
ity with the Federal Government. Those
four States, before ratifying the CoHstitu-
ton, were not bound by the Constitution
or Articles of Confederation, DOr did ths
Federal Government so claim, nor did il
assume any control or power over them.
The relations of the United States with
these four States were amicAble, friendly
and conciIiatory. Rhode Island, one Of
the four States referred to, remained q
sovereign State, or distinct government,
dividing Massachusetts from Connecticut;
New York was another nation or govern
ment, she divided Massachusetts,, Con-
necticut and New Hampshire from Penn
Sylvania, New Jersey, &c. Virginia and
North Carolina, the other two nations or
governments, divided Pennsylvania, Ma
ryland, &C., from South Carolina and
Georgia; yet for all this the friendly re-
lationS Of these Eve different nations or
governments were not disturbed, ultho'
these relations continued to the goth OF
May, 1890, when the thirteenth State ra-
titled the Constitution. In those DAYS
there were no such fears as now exist,
and as arc expressed by Mr.. Lincoln and
his party, as to a national boundary up.
on which to divide" there were the
surveyors lines" dividing the States in
the Union; straight and crooked lines
were drawn as national boundaries" be
tEeen the United States and other gov
erEments. From the time of the secession
Of Pennsylvania. Rhode Island and New
Jersey, which dissolved the perpetual
Union" Of 1878, until the whole thirteen
States we're in the "Inore perfect Union"
all were on friendly relations; then there
was no waging war by one or more
States or nations against the other, to
compel or coerce by force, by con6sca-
tion, snbjugation, determination, eman-
cipation, proclamations, &C., sovereign
States into the perpetual Union," nor
yet into the more perfect Union."-
Physically speaking the "thirteen sover-
eign States" did dissolve the perpetual
Union," and did separate, and act under
and in pursuance Of the inalienable rights
possessed by each, and as claimed to be.
long to them by the Declaration Of Inde.
pendence.
When Rhode Island, New York, Vir-
ginia and North Carolina came into the
more perfect Union," and when they
respectively ratified the Constitution.
each distinctly and expressly claimed the
right to "resume the power" thereby
delegated "whenever it became necessary
for their happiness" The Constitution
was ratified by the States, and not by the
people; the Articles of Confederation
were also adopted by the States; so, also,
was the Declaration Of Independence. -
The affairs Of the Federal Government
were at one time administered with due
respect for State rights. Its life and ex-
istence is dependent upon the States as
sovereignties; the President is elected by
the States and not by the majority Of the
people; so, also. are Senator's, &c. Many
Of the acts Of the President and Of Con.
gress are in direct opposition to the will
Of the majority Of the people. The State
governments are the first. born, the elder.
They we're, and yet are, endowed with
the rights of "free and independent
States" they were once-until the Con.
stitution had been, and now is, so often
violated-in the possession of powers,
privileges and attributes of sovereign
States. The Federal Government is the
younger; its existence sprang from the
States; its powers are delegated and lin.
tied, derivative, not inherent, and the
powers not delegated to it by the States
are reserved to the States, or the people,
and by express reservation by some OF
the States before named.
Pennsylvania, as early as 1906, in the
celebrated Olnstend case, dcfiantly as
serted her State rights; in this case, she,
by her legislature, adopted 4 report and
resolutions; the report says. "Thc spirit
of the times gives birth to the jealousy OF
power. y The State Governments,
with their inherent rights, must, at every
hazard, be preserved; otherwise the Gen.
eral Government may assume q character
never contemplated by its trainers.
Resolved, That, should the indepen.
dence of the States, as secured by the
Constitution, be destroyed, the liberties of
the people cannot long survive. y
And whenever the Government Of the
United States becomes consolidated, we
may learn from the history of nations
what will be the event"
New York. New Jersey, Pennsylvania
and other States are beginning to see
that 1.-THE spirit Of the times gives birth
to the jealousy Of power, that States
rights must, at every hazard, be preserv-
ed" &c.
The forefathers admitted and respected
States rights. They did not suffer States
in the Union to wage war, &C., against
States which were once in. but alterward
were out of the Union. They knew they
had the might, but not the right" They
knew that. had they done so, "after much
loss on both Sides" there would be mo
gain on either" They continued on
friendly relations with States not in the
Union, and at the same time respected
their rights, when, after time, these
States were by kindness won over, and
they Voluntarily all became members of
one Union again.
Who doubts that this was a just and
wise policy, and that it would have been
otherwise had force and coercive meas
ures been rcsorted to. Alas! alas that
Mr.. Lincoln did not practice what he
preached in his Inaugural. Had he done
so, and taken example from our forefath.
ers, there would have been no war, no
loss of life, Of treasure. of property, no
distress, nor walls of widows and orphans.
Instead Of curses upon his head, he would
have had blessings. "Cursed be he that