, 1863-04-15
STATE RIGHTS AND TIFEyF, RE.
SUITS.

SGLIS.
The doctrine Of State Rights is as old as
.Nr. Calhoun, and if lie were not the oriri.
nator OF it, he was at least, tile first man
who gave it political weight and influence
and made it Tie platform Of q party,
From his time downwards, it slowly and
surely propagated itself all through the
Slave States, making numerous converts
even in the North, amongst those who
sympathized with Southern ideas and the
designs Of Southern Democratic leaders.
until it grew at last, into power Of such
gigantic proportions that it dared to rebel
against the authority Of the Federal Coy
crnment, to take up arms against it, and
threaten the very life Of the Republic,
Mr. Calhoun foresaw the time when the
Democratic party would no longer hold
the rcins Of Government; when the rush
OF Northern ideas would sweep them from
Tue high places, and take from them the
po"er OF 11pnrte legislation. and give the
Republicans their Offices and the honors of
1he executive And his State rights doc
f11ne was promulgated to meet the crisis.
So long as they were ut the head of Affairs,
tEcy had too much to lose by going out Of
The Union; the moment their time came to
Ign the functions Of Government. they
wsuld want a pretext to say good bye to
the mudsi1ls whom they had 20 long kent
Under their feet, and Calhouns doctrine
Involving the right Of secession, was ready
10 help them out Of the scrape. twas all
1o-cscen years ago, and what has come to
u S is not luck, but design and fate.
'ttook thirty years to accustom the peo.
! Ito this traitorous and suicidal doctrine,
te make them familiar With its provisions,
md tolerate discussions upon It as a new
''.:oiy Of government, But not one in a
i,:::rdred thousand who listened to the talk
:: ut it, or read the prints which advoca-
t.: it, nor eTen those who were more than
ls.frcrsuaded it was true, ever dreamed
f. moment that rebellion and revolution
were at the bottom Of it, ind must be the
inevitable upshot Of its triumph and gen.
cral adoption.
Such, however, was and is the case, and
this is precisely the cause and meaning ot
tic present war: We are not fighting fol
the freedom Of the slave, Us cunning trai-
tors have tried so hard to make the people
believe; nor for Republicanism as against
Democracy; nor, indeed, for any party,
white or black; but for the unity OF the
Federal Government, against the chaotic
and disorganizing idea Of State Rights, az
assumed by the Southern oligarchy and it's
contedcrates in the North. This is the true
issue Of the war; this and this only!
All that nonsense about Rcpublicanism
being On its trial, about the bursting Of the
American bubble, and the rest OF the trash
whereTith Europe is amusing itself just
nov, is not supported By the slightest show
Of reality in our affairs and prospects. No
body-not even Copperhead or a South.
ern arlstocrat and fire-eater, has ever GUAR
relied, 60 far as our knowledge goes. with
Republican government Us an institution
adapted to the people of the United States
It Is true that slavery tends everywhere
to anarchy and dissolution, and all the law
and order, virtue and intelligence Of tho
North, put into executive form, has
scarcely been able to keep the Southern
States from tumbling to pieces. But the
doctrine Of State Rights and State sovcr-
eighty would not help them a whit,
even suppos1ng that.thcy were finally tri-
umphant. 1t would only hasten their down.
fall, by intro ducing within their bonnd,-;es
the jealousics and ambitions, the selfish
ness and 1iyalrics which aze inscpa1ab1e
from petty States clustered together. mi,
assuming, each tor itself, a distinct soycr-
eighty.
There cen be, within the limits of the
United States, but one nation, and one
government, II the Republic is to be sus-
tanned, and to show its old, majestic front
to tho world, Us q tirst-c1ass Power. That
a government Of this sort-dclegatcd BY
all the States to exercise supreme AUTHORITY
over all for the good Of all, is not incom-
patible with the legitimate rights Of such
. states In matters Of local government,
and in all concerns which do not
affect the welfare Of the rest, or in
fringe upon the Federal Government. is q
fact proven by our own experience, end
made glorious by the sanctions and color
ing Of history. 1t was this very Union
constituted in this wisc manner, which
made America SO great aud terrible to the
nations. United, there was no power nor
combination Of powers on earth which
could crush her; and Europe and the rest
ofthe world knew this well enough. They
dreaded The mighty souls Of her millions,
condensed and consolidated into one soul,
LIS fhefact was, before the war began as it
now is, under the Constitution.
But for 3 begga1ly gang Of States, having
no head, no union of interests or action,
no terror in war, no influence in peace,
/: they would treat it with derision and con:
/. npt. Ec sure tlat wbate7cr Mr.. Calhoun