Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1864-08-12
Prom HE-Psr's weekly.

Prom HErper's Weekly.
The Nation Not = COnTedegaey.
The attentive observer Of the times viii
not fail 70 remark that the phrases and ~.
guueuts OF the opponents Of the war plainly
indicates their position. They plant them
selves upon State Rights, upon State Sow
| reiguty. They reproduce Calhoua's elabo-
rate sophisn az to the trae theory Of our
government, and assert that con dition stu
to exist which Alexander Hamilton Eud
James Madison, IN the FederaList, declared
| that the Union vas expressly formed TO
! destroy. In a late speech of Governor
Seyuour's he described the Union as 8
! Confederscy. That has been often done By
the most faithful citizens bfore the var
! But since the war began the word Cosfsd-
! erseJ has had so peculiar q signifs fsauce
| that It Is not carelessly used by any speak
er of authority. So in the passage else
where quoted the Union is called Con
! fsderacy, the Constitution Of the United
States-that bond OF intimate fusion in
| whose fsrTent heat All State sovereignty
WAS ueltsd-is called i'tbe bond of fsde-
ration" and its obligations are conPar-
ed 10 those Of commercial treaty with
Brazil.
nuIlifcatiol was formerly, that the Consti-
tuition Is q treaty or compact between
| States, not an instrument establishing 8
| Government adopted BY the people. The
powers not delegated 70 the c United States
| oy the Constitution, nor prohibited 6y it to
/ the States, are reserved to the States res
/ psctFely, or 10 the people. Bat auoog
| the powers which the people have con
| tsrred upon the national government are
all the great attribates of Sovereignty
! That Is exactly what the rebels deny. The
! coPPerheads virtually support them IL
their denial When Governor Seymour
! said that the United States had 10 power
/ to coerce s State he showed exactly II
| that moment il was clear that he could
never heartily support the war.
/ Bat even if the Constitution were solely
! the compact OF treaty that the rebels and
| Copperhesds claim II to be, it Is plain
that every party TO s compact or treaty re-
| pudiAtes 1t at his peril South CarolIus 3
| has no right 70 destroy the interests And
safety of Iowa or Michigan in seeking her
own. The argument Is as old as the
sophism. Webster comprised it in his re-
ply TO Hsyne. Bat Webster wrought his
! statue in marble quarried from the FED
| s-GEiEt- The people Of this country will
| never forget that they are as primarily cit
i1ens Of the Union or nation IS Of a5y
State In one sense, indeed, they are
more SO. For in almost every ons OF the
large, active, controlling States q multi
tude OF the citizens were born elsewhere.
! In the great Northwestern States this is
true of much OF the adult population II a
conflicting inter State question should
arise they would be distracted between the
State Of birth aud that of residence But
4 national question fa6s them everyvhsre
equally 81 hsms- The States are the
fields, from one to another Of which they
pass at VII. Bat II every hsld they are
still upou the old family estate
No man 90 early saw the necessity ot
this National Union and State subordins-
ton az Alexander hamilton; and no one
more trenchanily exposed the subterfuge
of State Sovereignty and the true nature
of the Uaion- In the twenty y-sec0ad nun.
lber Of the Es6eTsEiSf he says: SIT has not 6
little contributed 20 the infrmities OF the
existing federal system the old Confeder.
ation1 that it never had s ratification by
the peopla- Resting On no bettsr fou1da
ltiou than the consent OF the several Lsgis
lstures, il hAs been exposed 70 frequent gnd
intricate questions concerning the validity
of its powers, and has in some Instances
given birth to the enoruoRs doctrine of 8
right OF legislative appeal Owing III
ratification 70 the law of a State, It hzl
been contsaded that the came authority
might repeal the Law By which il was rat
ihed- However gross 3 heresT It nay b'
to mRintsin that parry 10 3 eolPses has {
right TO revoke that compact, the dDctrinG
itself las had respectable advocates The
possibility Of question Of this. nature
proves the necessity Of laying the toanda-
tious OF our NationEl GoEernmsnt dsepel
than in the mere sanction of delegated
j authority. The fabric of American en-
piTe ought to rest on the solid basis Of the
coHSest Of the people. The streams OF ns'
tionaI power ought to How Immediately
from that pure original fountain OF Al
legitimate authority.7
} Where that empire ought to rest 1t doe
rest; and the jealousy OF national pows
which could not prsveat the foruation q
the Onion Is not likely to destroy il nov
that in indispensabiliry for individual vel
. fare ana the general prosperity has bess
!. revealed 70 every citizen. What Hear!
OIsy said in the Senate il 1850 Is the sim
pie sxpression Of the thought of every lOyA
American "If Kentucky TO- morrow IN
] furls the banner of resistance 1 never vii
: EEht under that banner. I owe 9 para
{ mount Allegiance 20 the whole Union
n IN bordiuata one TO nv own State.n