The Lansing state Republican. [volume] (Lansing, Mich.) 1855-1874, 1864-10-19
The Convention Of all the States.

PLATFORM declares, - as the sense OF the
american people" that Justice, liberty
humanity and the public welfare demand
hat immediate efforts be made for cessa-
ion of hostilittes with view TO an ultimate
onrs5sfion or all the States, or other peace
.ble means, to the end that at the earliest
Practicable moment peace may be restored
IN the basis of the Federal Union OF the
states"
AS no other, peaceable means have
been proposed, the CONVENTION Of states Is
he caly plan OF the Democracy Tor OBTAIN
NO peace. The cessation OF hosuhues u
% he immediate. The Convention 10 be
ultimate. Ii one State, either North or
South. should refuse 10 be represented tne
could do nothing. There wouio
be no convention of - al the States" Inc
is to be ultimate. 80 Is tne
judgement day, and so viii be the ihus-
pendence Of the Southern ConIederacy "
this plan Ia attempted. But what rlght
have the States TO enter into such con-
vention for the purpose OF restoring peace
They clearly have not the right unless state
sovereignty means simply sovereignty ana
what is sovereignty Webster defines II,
supreme power. THE possession Oh
uncomfortable power" Have the states
such power!" Not under the Constitution
The Constitution prohibits each state
from entering into any treaty. alliance OF
confederation, from entering Into any
agreement or compact with another state,
or With foreign power, or engagein war;
unless actually invaded" Sc These pow
err. and many others prohibited to the
States are the very essentials Of sovereign
~. Without them sovereignty cannot ex'
ist. But further, under the Constitution
the power to declare peace rests solely IL
the President and Senate.
Surprising the States assembled Ia con
vention. VIII they make peace Thel
cannot without trampling the Constitution
under foot, without usurping power. The.
can enter into no agreement without dss
troying the Constitution, strangiing the na
tionsl government, and installing Stat
sovereignty on its ruins. When we c0nsio
er that eleven OF the States that Will CON
nose this convention have already discard
ed the Constitution, and bid defiance I
q the national government, and that ever
:, State in that convention TO restore peaC
, has violated the Constitution by being thei
. for that purpose, is il not fair TO suppo'
= that the Constitution will be abandone
entirely, and some new bond OF Union a.
opted. If any thing Is dones This eonve
ton can do nothing towards an amendmel
of the Constitution. Congress Is the on
mower that can eonstitutionally propo
. amendments, aud Congress can propo
- amendments only 'when deemed neee
"a sary by twc-thirds Of the members OF DO
= houses" or on the application OF the lie
a islatures of two thirds Of the several state
. shall call a convention for proposing amen
. ments." The Republican States ofthis I'M
will never take part in this unconstltulloL
and impracticable scheme OF northern sy
- pathisers with southern traitors. res
il TO be restored on the basis Of the "F'
- eral Union" The States are the basis
Federal Union, therefore the States are
make peace. Secession is no worse tn
this. The one witndraws from the Unl'
the other usurps the powers Of the COVE
1g ment.
o. The South have always construed
II Constitution as forming a simple COME
ri ration of States, instead OF consolIda
Union. And principa! among the denuI
1T ft'Rgaefs The GaNyeFEApaeeJptt by the pemoel
he garded, and that the Government has
he solved itself into strong centralized p
,ce er. There seems 10 be strong sympa
sv between northern Democracy and south
in. traitors In this respect. Each sets up
a a States rights doctrine in opposition to
,a National Government, and they would
IN disagree on that point in the proposed
vention. Bat we have strong Cow
md ment in spite OF Democrats and trait
nv, The trainers OF our Constitution inten
nv TO create strong Government. After
,di- convention had agreed to the Constitut
Ito a letter 10 Congress was reported
lin agreed to by paragraphs. This letter st
., that lin all our deliberations on this
rh, iect We kept steadily in our view
or which appeared to us the greatest int
,Jr of every true Ameriean-the consollda
on Of the Union-in which is involved
Ia prosperity, felicity, safety, perhaps ouI
%, tional existence" This paper was dep
,wn ed by President Washington at the Del
.n,- ment of State. ID There must be
The tralized power of government in con
heir dated Union, ~ and nothing more
NV. nothing less Is claimed or executed by
all Government. President Jefferson sal
ton his first inaugural message, "WOuld
axt honest patriot abandon a Governmei
lias the theoretle and visionary fear that
no Government may want ENERGY to pres
,srd itself. | trust not. believe this, on
,,,,, contrary. is the strongest Government
"a earth" And vet when this Government
,orn stongest on earth-is attacked, the De
tinr racy Of to-day denounce every measuI
: - the Government to defend itself az
ona constitutional and illegal, and prop,
-. convention Of all the States. Neig
r;od Jones, your house is on tire aud your fa
.oJ are in it, Well well, declare it as
Ioso sense, that meeting OF all my neigt
soU be ultimately called to the end that th
ba;r may be extinguished.
The o, Democracy Democracy, how art
the, fallen
a,5 N See vol. l, Elli0tts Debates, page. sos.
"N l2) See Kent's Com page Isl l
Lansing Oct. II, 1884
top
,rcb ~ We have always believed that
a,r the rebels came TO the last dltc
The which they have so often spoken, hey