Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1864-04-12
CLEVELAND. TUESDAY

-sszntly. He calls upon the Legislature
Of New Jersey to inquire whether thil
bill will take away any Of the revenue Of
the State, and how it will affect the SOW
ereign rights Of New Jersey. He says
Nes0 Jersey is a sovereign State. pause
there for q moment.
Mr.. Coleridge somewhere says that sb.
strsct definitions have done more harm in
the world than plague and famine and
war. believe it believe that no man
will ever be able to chronicle all the evils
that have resulted to this nation from the
abuse Of the words " sovereign" and t'sove-
reignty." What is this thing called Estate
sovereignty ?"
Consult the elementary textbooks Of
law and refresh your recollection Of the
definition Of sovereignty" Speaking Of
the sovereignty Of nations, Blackstone
says:
"However they began, BY what right
soever they subsist, there is and must be
in all of them supreme, irresistible, alb
solute, uncontrolled authority in which
the jtITG SUNNI imperij or rights Of sove-
reignty reside"
Do these elements belong to any State
Of this Republic2 Sovereignty has the
right to declare war. Can New Jersey
ddolsre wsr2 1t has the right to conclude
peace. Can New Jersey conclude peace 2
Sovereignty has the right to coin money.
II the Legislature Of New Jersey should
authorize and command one Of its citizen
to coin half dollar, that man il he made
it, though it should be of solid silver,
would be locked mp in q felon's cell for
the crime Of oounterfeiting the coin Of the
real sovereign. A sovereign has the right
TO make treaties with foreign nations.
Has New Jersey the right to make treat
ies2 Sovereignty is clothed with the
right to regulate commerce with foreign
States. New Jersey hss no such right
Sovereignty has the right to put ships in
commission upon the high seas. Should 8
ship set sail under the authority Of New
Jersey it would be seized ss g smuggler,
forfeited, and sold. Sovereignty has flag.
But thank God, New Jersey hiss no flag
Ohio has no flag. No loyal State fight un-
der the "l lone star" The rattlesnske,"
or the "palmettO tree" No loyal State
of this Union has any flag but "the ban
ner Of beauty and glory" the flag Of the
Union. These are the indispensable ele-
ments Of sovereignty. New Jersey has not
one Of them. The term cannot be applied
TO the separate States except in a very
limited sense, referring mainly to muni-
Opal and police regulations. The rights
Of the States should be jealously guarded
and defended. But to claim that sovereign
ty in its full sense and meaning belongs
to the States, is nothing better than the
rankest treason.
Look again at this document of the Gov.
ernor Of New Jersey. He tells you that
the States entered into the "nstional com.
pact" National compact had sup
posed that no Governor Of loyal State
would parade this dogma Of notification
and secession which was killed and buried
by Webster on the 18th Of February, 1888.
There was no such thing as sovereign
States making a compact called the Con-
stitution. The very language Of the Con.
stitution is decisive: awe, the people of
the United States, do ordain and establish
this Constitution The States did not
make compact to be broken when any
one pleased, but the people ordained and
established the Constitution Of q sovereign
republic; and woe be to any corporation
or State that raises it hand against the
majesty and power of this great nation.