The southern aegis, and Harford County intelligencer. (Bel Air, Md.) 1862-1864, 1863-04-10


feature was, that Congress had no. power,
They could only 'reeomnsendl measures to
the States, There were butytwo States,
Pennsylvania and New York; am glad
our own State was oue-that followed all
the recommendations of the Confederacy
New seyAwho has so highly distin-
guished herself iately--on one occasion
positively refused to pay any attention to
a requisition of Congress. These were
the Articles of Confederation, by which
State rights were the highest point
After the war of the Revolution had
closed, we found ourselves with large
debt, large territory, considerable ambi-
ton to make a figure in the world, but at
the centre there was no power but Of IRE
commanding" 1t was impossible to 60
on. The object became to form some
thing in the nature of union or closer
confederacy The first attempt was made
under proposal to the States to send del.
egates to Annapolis, for the purpose OF
considering measures to draw closer 'com-
mercial relations" only. Five States only
met there. A year or two afterwards
There met in the city Of, Philadelphia the
Convention which finally made Consti.
tuition for the United States. The Con-
stitution, gentlemen, allow me to say, and
l take pleasure in saying 50, was brought
about by the State which did more to car.
ry us through the Revolution-did more
to bring on the Revolution than any other
State-did more to make this Union, and
loved this Union until she went out of it,
better than any of US did-that was the
State of Virginia. 1t would be difficult
to put your finger, in the modern world
upon more respectable community than
has been the State of Virginia. She ad-
hered most closely to principles. . The
State of Virginia never voted, from the
time she cast her FIRST ballot for Jefferson,
for any other than the Democratic ticket.
| don't say whether that was right or
wrong, but say they adhered to principles
l was about to say that the Convention was
brough hit about by Virginia. That State
first resolved to send delegates, not to es.
tablish closer commercial relations, but to
form such relations as the cxigencies OF
the case might require, and she sent there
at the head of her delegation, George
Washington. Washington presided ovel
that Convention, Madison reported it.
Randolph produced the draught of the
present Constitution. Virginia had more
to do than any other state in forming the
Constitution, but it was based distinctly
upon State rights There was only one
very difficult question before that Con
vention-it was the question of the small
and large States-and that,fwas STATE
rights that is, Rhode Island insisted
upon an equal, representation in Congress
with Virginia, then The largest State. L
was tiually settled in the compromise al
you now seetit, the smaller States obtain,
ing a full representation in the Senate
and submitting to MISREPRESENTATION onl,
equal to their population in the loweI
House. ~ a4 OF lra .'a1. si4 la5s
This left the States their sovere gnty
and thus came the. Constitution Of the
United States. Whelisthis was done, tn,
question wassto get the Constitution rati
tied; and then, lit was that State right
cropped out again Each State met il
convention, except Rhode Island, who re.
fused-they stood outside of the Union
and were FIR some time foreign country
They preferred that, rather than give ul
any portion at all of their State rights
and they stood out, and so did North Car
'|oliha, the only difference being that North
Carolina called convention, but they re
fused to- agree to the ratification. Th.
whole difficulty was the jealousy of tn,
States of their State rights In this wa,
it was, still 'hugging their State rights
that each State North orlSouth, came int,
the Union. | go on, now toipquire where
these. rights are under the Constitution a,
it assfnally thus ratified To undertak,
to explain that in detail, would be q to
dious task. . It can be more simply
given. How many Of those before mt
have known the, Federal Government.
Ehays ever felt .it--before this war be
gan, except when they mailed or received
their letters,5or when they came to yott
4 for President or members Of Congress
Very few The Governmentlwe know il
the Government of our State. The Gov
eminent of the Union is a remote 9and
distant object, which seldom bears upor
US. For instance, in the District Court Of
this county they bring, in the course d
/ three months about two thousand suits
at law. presume,K you take the same
period ana examiae the docket offtht
United States Court you will find twenty
suits. That is the relation which che