The Placer herald., 1864-01-02

tne tarulness Win wnlc0 tue States ratlned
the Constitution and established the more
perfect Union From 1887 to June, 1888,
all of the thirteen States were again acting
as so many separate and distinct sovereign.
ties or nations, as distinct and separate as
when acting under British charters, and as
before they adopted the Articles of Confed-
Grafton In 1888, the ninth State having
ratified the Constitution. on y nine Of the
thirteen States were bound thereby they
only were in the more perfect Union and
acknowledged a common head or agent, this
agent was authorized to act for the nine
States under certain delegated powers, de-
rived from said States, delegated to it by
each State at different periods, and not by
the people as one nation or consolidated
body.
On the 2lst of June, 1888, after the con.
slitution was ratified by the ninth State,
there yet remained four Of the thirteen
States, which once we're in the perpetual
Union," but then were not in the "more
perfect Union;" these four States continued
to act under and TO carry on their respective
governments independently of each other
and of the States comprising the "more per
the constitution and became members Of the
"more perfect Union" Until the four States
did ralfy the constitution, each conducted
its own affairs as an independent sovereign
State or nation, in amity with the Federal
Government. These four States. before rati-
flying the constitution, were not bound by
the constitution or articles of confederation,
nor did the Federal Government 80 claim,
nor did 1t assume, or attempt to assume,
any control or power over them. The re.
lations of the United States with these four
States were amicable, friendly and conclia-
tory. Rhode Island, one Of the four States
referred to, remained a sovereign State, or
distinct government, dividing Massachusetts
from Connecticut; New York was another
nation or government she divided Massachu-
sets, Connecticut and New Hampshire from
Pennsylvania, New Jersey, &c; Virginia
and North Carolina, the other two nations
or governments, divided Pennsylvania, Mary
land, DC, from South Carolina and Georgia;
yet for all this the friendly relations of these
.fee different nations or governments were
not disturbed, although these relations so
continued to the 29th of May 1890, when
the thirteenth State ratified the constitution
In those days there were no such fears as
now exists, and, as expressed by Mr.. Lincoln
and his party, as to a "natonal boundary
upon which TO divide;" there were "the sur
veyor's lines" dividing the States in the
Union, straight and crooked lines" were
drawn as "national boundaries" between the
United States and other governments.-
From the time of the secession OF Rhode
Island, Pennsylvania and New Jersey, which
dissolved the perpetual Union" Of 1878,
until the whole thirteen States were in the
"more 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 sub
Jngation, contiscation, determination, eman,
clpalion proclama;ions, &c, sovereign States
into the perpetual Union" Physically
speaking, ''the thirteen sovereign States" did
dissolve the perpetual Union" and did sep,
arate and acted under, and in pursuance Of,
their inaIienabe rights possessed by each,
and as claimed to belong to them by the
Declaration of Independence.
Rhode Island was the first of the thirteen
States to come into the "more perfect
Union;" when she, New York, Virginia and
South Carolina came in, and when they res
pectivly ratified the constitution, each dis
;iuctly and expressly claimed the right to
'resume the poper" thereby delegated "when.
ever it became necessary for their happi
ness" The constitution was ratified by the
States, and not the people,; the articles Of
confederation were also adopted by the
States; so, also was the Declaration Of Indie,
pendence. The affairs of the Federal Gov
ernment were at one time so administered
respecting State rights. Its life and existence
is dependent upon the States, as sovereign
ties; the President is elected by the States,
and not by the majority Of the people; so,
also, are Senators, &c. Many of the acts of
the President and Of Congress are in direct
opposition to the will Of a majority of the
people. The State governments are the first
born, the elder. They we're, and yet are,
endowed with the rights of ''tree and inde-
pendent States;;' they were once-untl the
constitution had been, and now is, so often
violated-in the possession of powers, privi'
eges and attributes Of sovereign States. The
Federal Government is the younger; its ex-
istence sprang from the States; its powers
are delegated and limited, derivative, not in.
herent, and the powers not delegated to it
by the States are reserved to it by the State,
or by the people, and by express reservation
by some of the States before named.
Pennsylvania as early as 1909, in the
celebrated Omstead case, definitely asserted
her State rights, in this case, she, by her
Legislature, adopted Report and Resolu-
tons; the Report says "the spirit Of the times
give birth to the jealousy Of power. n
The State Governments with their inherent
rights, must at every hazard, be preserved;
otherwise the general Government may as
sne character never contemplated by it's
trainers. RESOLVED, That should the inde-
pendence OF the States, as secured by the
Constitution, be destroyed, the liberties Of
the people cannot long survive. II y n And