The Jeffersonian Democrat. [volume] (Chardon, Ohio) 1854-1865, 1864-04-29
APRIL 80, 1864.
State Sovereignty,

State Sovereignty.
. Geu, Garfield, in recent speech com. q.
men,ing upon the message Of Governor
Pager, Of New Jersey. exploded the 40
surd doctrine of State Sovereignty in as
Gle and forcible style as We have ever
heard: ial .t. '..H
y, Mr.. Speaker. this lifts our subject above
corporations and monopolies To the iul.
height OF national question might al.
most call it question Of loyalty or dis.
disloyaliy. have only to say, in regard
TO the language OF this proclamation. that,
IL His Excellency had consulted Calhoun
and his resolutions Of 1888, he would
have found its doctrines stated much
more ably and elegantly. lie calls upon
the Legislature OF New Jersey to inq lire
whether this bill will take away any OF
revenue OF the State and no il will
affect the sovereign rights OF New Jersey.
lie says NeW Jersey is a sovereign State.
pause there for moment.
Mr.. Coleridge some where says tha. alb.
stract definitions have done more harm
in the world than the plague, and famine,
and war. l believe it. | believe that no
man will ever be able to chronicle the evils
that have resulted TO This ma ion from the
abuse OF the words "sovereipn" and
"sovereignty." What is this thing called
Estate sovereignty 2"
Consult the elementary text books of
law, aud refresh your recollection OF the
deiniion Of sovereignty" Speaking of
the sovereignty Of nations, Blackstone
says.
However they began, by what right
sosver they subsist, there Is and must be
In all of them, supreme, irresistible, ab.
solute, uncontrolled authority, in which
the Jura SUNNI imperii or rights Of sos.
ereign,y reside"
DO these elements belong TO any State
OF this Republic q? Sovereignty has the
right 10 declare war. Can. New Jersey
declare war? 1t has The right to con.
clude peace. Can New Jersey conclude
peace ? Sovereignty has the right to
coin money. II the Legislature OF New
Jersey should authorize and command one
OF Its citizens to coin half dollar, that
man, il he made it, though it tshould be Of
solid silver, would be locked up in
felon's cell for tie crime of counterieiting
the coin OF the real sovereign. sover-
elgn has the right to make treaties with
foreign nations. Has New Jersey the
right to make treaties? Sovereignty is
clothed with the right to regulate com.
merce with foreign States. New Jersey
has no such right. Sovereignty has the
right TO put ships in commission upon the
high seas. Should a ship set sail under
the authority of New Jersey, it would be
seized as smuggler, forfeited and sold.
Sovereignty has flag. But, thank God,
New Jersey has no flag; Oaio has no flag
No loyal State fights under the "lone
star" the "ratllesnake," or the "pal-
metto tree" No loyal Safe of this
Union has any flag but "the banner of
beauty and glory" the flag of the Union.
These are the Indispensable elements OF
Boveignty. New Jersey has not ono OF
them. The term cannot be applied TO
the separate States, except u very lin
tied sense, referring mainly to municipal
aud police regulations. The rights of The
States should be jealousy guarded and
defended. But TO claim that sovereignty
ir its full sense and meaning belongs TO
The Staes,is nothing better than the rank
est treason.
Look again at this document Of the
Governor of New Jersey. He tells you
that tho States entered into the "natlonal
National compact! bad
supposed that no Governor of loyal
State would parade :hs dogma of MULTI
cation and secession, which was killed and r. =
buried by Webster on the 10Th Of Feb,
1888. There was no such thing as soy. !
'reign States making comp act called /
he Constitution. The very language Of
he Constitution is decisive. 1--WE, the peo- I,
Pile of The United States, do ordain and Ii
establish this Constitution" The States p
did not make compact TO be broken i
when any one pleased, but the people or.
dained and established the Constitution
OF sovereign republic; and woe be to
any corporation or State that raises its
hand against the majesty and power OF
this great nation.