The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1864-12-22
We are one PeopIe

the only s,,. o'i &ids still insists that
-, o"'y sure way to soltot and n..r,a.
nelt peace is by tue ack .,,,,'I.. ,i',u PIN" !
u'1iiiidte aud absolute State snv.. ..s Of
. !. st'li contended hy ali ts,s. ST., 1t
Llclans to which Stephens tgh,,, 'ol " poll
State sovereignty IS au origj 'Ss' lat this
Dr. right OF each State, d1i pr erog-tIve
Constitution leaves aun - WHICH Ene Federal
I, is gross intrdct; .npalred' that to deny
nat INSTRUMENT -ion of the obligations OF
yards all tne and also large step To-
'onsoiIdS' feartu. evils aud dangers OF :
'ertej .e.i government. Ii IS further as
iv ,h.t IN. States were all free aud i'll
,.udent sooereignties when they adopted
.hs Federal Constitutions; that each State
accepted as "a sovereignty, by Its own sepa
r.,,. site action, that Constitution; aud
that III 50 doing, they only conferred upon
tine Government ef the United States GER
tain spe,ified aud limited powers. reservlng
IN themselves eutiie ami a,'sol ute sovereign
" as regards every other right or power.
I'm the other hand it is contended with
aouaI. if not superior force and reason, that
II ~ not. as a matter OF fact true that the
States were ever sovereigntles, or ever
claimed or exercised the rights OF sovereign
~. Before they were States they were, as
is well known, only colouies, dePehdehcles
of the British Crown, and acknowledges
subjects Of the British Sovereignty AS Uni
ted States, aud not as free and separate SOY
ereign States they declared aud conquered
their independence was acknowledged, and
they took their equal place among the SOW
ereIenties OF the earth, not aB separate ana
independent States, but as one people aud
nation of the United States. There IS no
single State that has ever established Tor
day any relations as a sovereign power with
any other nation /; and there Is no one State
that has ever been known or acknowledged
at home or abroad as ali independent abso-
Lutte sovereignty.
1t is further maintained that though the
Constitution was submitted to each state
separately for adoption, and any State by
refusing to accept it could remain outside
of its jurisdiction, yet this mode OF proceed
ing was chosen simply to secure perfect
freedom Of action to the people, aud that no
State might, without its fullest consent, be
compelled to submit to a new Government,
clothed with far more extensive powers than
the old one, and acting far more directly
and efficiently on the citizen. When tina
Constitution was adopted, it was done by
the whole people of all the States, who by
that act ordained and established new
Government and more perfect union for
themselves aud there posterity BY this
Constitution the people OF the United States
as one people set up a new Government aud
made It's authority sovereign and supreme
over every State III the Union Even II 1t
were admitted, as it 10 not that each State
was sovereign before the adoption OF this
Constitutions, still by that act and from that
time Tie Whole people of all the States I'm
ted, had ordained and established ii sover
eign power supreme over every State, From
that time the people OF no one State had
any right to change or alter that COnstltu-
ton save i'll the mode the Constitution IT.
self provides. and to attempt it 10y any 9th
er course can be ouly rebellion and revoIl-
tiou Sovereign States can if they choose
unite, and with the consent OF the people,
the source OF all sovereignty, give up their
separate sovereign powers and rights and
place them III a central supreme Govern
ment; and as soon as that has been done,
any attempt to reclaim such rights and
powers III any other than the mode prescrib
ell III their Constitution, is simply treason
and rebellion.
The question is not as to what the States
were once, but it is as to what they are now.
The people of sovereign States cln alter or
abolish their existing governments whel
they choose. They could unite and estab
lisii Il new government, and vest III 1t abso
lutte and ultimate authority, II they thought
it best 81 10 do. Aud whether they have
done 80 or not is determined 10y history ant
the true intent aud me tnlug Of the COIstl-
tuition. as given in its own words. The
Constitution says I'VE the people ordair
and establish the Constitution" The PEG
pie here meant, it cannot be denied, tlit
people ofthe United st ties :; and the law:
passed III pursuance of this Constitution ar,
made 'theisupreme law of the land, any
thing in the constitution or laws OF any
State to the contrary notwithstanding y
No words could be chosen more bit to vest
in the general government supreme author
ity, and at tue same time TO take it away
from the States. And the result of this &C
ton of the whole people of the country Is to
create 69supreme government, with ulti-
mate and resoiute authority over all the
people and all the States The limits OF
State rights and powers are fixed, not by
the States themselves, but by the Federal
Constitution, aud they can never be so ex
tended AS to entrench upon the sphere OF
prerogatves of the General Government
but there is no limit to the authority of the
General Government save that to be found
in its own Constitution. The people of this
country by that Constitution, are one PEG
pie, with one supreme government, whose
sovereign authority extends over each anC
every State and over the whole people
while the ultimate and absolute sovereign
ty is to be found alone in the people of tn
United States Chicago Tribune.