Holmes County farmer. [volume] (Millersburg, Ohio) 1857-1926, 1864-06-16

same language.
j submit that these gentlemen do not see
with their usual clearness Of vision. II by
plague or other visitation Of God every
officer of State government should at the
same moment die, 20 that not a single pcr.
son clothed with official power should re-
main, would the State government be dcs-
troyed? Not at all. For the moment it
would not be administered, but as soon as
officers were elected and assumed their res
pcctiye duties it would be instantly in full
force and vigor. If these States are out of
the tniDn, their State governments arc still
III force unless otherwise changed And
their citizens are TO the Federal Govern
inent as foreigners, and it has in relation to
them the same rights. aud none other, as it
had in relation to British sub ects in the
war Of 1872, or the Mcxicans in ls4G.-l
! Whatever may be the true relation of the
1 seeded States, the Federal Government
derives no power in relation TO them or their
citizens from the provision of the Constitu-
ton now under consideration, but in the one
case derives all its power from the duty Of
enforcing the supreme law Of the land "
and IN the other from the power "to de-
clare war"
! The second proposition Of the gentleman
from Maryland is this. L use his language:
/ tcd states plenary, supreme, unlimited politi-
cal Jurisdiction, paramount over courts subject
only TO the judgment of the people of the Uni
ted states, embracing within its scope every
legislative measure necessary ana proper to
/ make IL cfiectual; and what is necessary and
proper the Constitution refers in the first place
u our Judgment, subject TO noreyision but that
OF the people,
The gentleman states ha case too strongly.
The duty imposed on Congress is doubtless
important, but Congress has no right to use
u 90 ,,.rf,-,,,t,.,. -. Il
| Constitution, no matter how necessary or
proper it might Jo thought to be- But,
sir, this doctrine is mou:trous 1t has no
foundation in the Con stitution. 1t SUI jects
all the States to the viii Of Congress it
( places their Institutions at the feet of Con-
gress. 1t creates in Congress an absolute
\ unqualified despotism. 1t assert. the pow
er Of Congress in changing the State gov
crnments to DC 'plenary, supreme, unlimit-
eds subject only to revision by the peo-
pie of the whole Unitel States. The
rights Of the people Of the State are moth
ing. Congress first decides the people of
the whole Union revise. Ny own State Of
Ohio is liable at any moment to be called in
question for her constitution. She does
not permit negroes to vote. Itthis doctrine
be true, Congress may decide this exclusion
Is antl-rcpublican, and by force Of arms ab-
! permitting negroes to vote From that de-
ci,ion Of the Congress there is no appeal to
the people Of Ohio, but only to the people
of Massachusetts, and New York, and Wis
con,in, at the election Of Representative,
and il Il majority cannot be elected to re-
verse the decision the people of Ohio must
submit. Woe be to the day when the doc
trine shall be established, for from its CEN
tralized despotism we viii appeal to the
sword
Sir, the rights of the States were the foun-
dation corner Of the Confederation. The
Constitution recognized them, maintained
them, provided for their perpetuation. Our
, fathers thought them the safeguard of our
: liberties. They have proved so. They have
!. reconcled liberty with empiro they have
reconcled the freedom Of the individual
, with the increase OF our magnificent domain
!, They are the test, the touchstone the secu.
, rity of our liberties This bill, the avowed
doctrine OF It's supporters, sweep them all
instantly away. 1t substitutes despotism
for self government dcspotsm the more
severe because vested in numerous Com
grcss elected by "a people who may not feel
Government, destroys the Confederation,
and erects a tyranny on the ruins of republi-
can governments. Its creates unity-it de-
stroys liberty--it maintains integrity of ter
il'"iy' 9ut ecI'IoHs 'hH rIgh.s Oh the citizen
Iir, y .his DC Tue ALTERNATIVE o, seGe'sioh'
onouiI l'c.Gl .nat secesSion sioulI sue
ecu 1 Sh1ui4 prefer 10 nave the Chioh
ulSSoiveu' l'ie OoIllGuera5e states fecoghi-
Neu nay, more shceiu prefer tiat seceS
State resumes its complete independence -
| should prefer thirty-four republics to one
deSpotism. From such republics, while l
nliEn: leat uIscoru uh9 wurs, would ENJOY
m iiui,luuui ilpcI'Y' anu hccpe LOT reunion on
Tue true prlhclplG, OF Gohlederatioh' from
ohesttohS cei.raIlzeu uespotsih, overriding
me rights OF the people, overriding the
rights oI thG states, can see no escape ex-
cept III apathetlc cohtenthent with slavery,
or the olt-repeateu' OFTEN lalilhg, always
bloody struggles OF despalrng hope. l
would rather i've iree eltlzen OF repubiic
no larger than my native county OF Hamil,
ton, than be the subject OF a more splendid
empire than a C9sar II his proudest tn
umphs ever ruled, or Napoleon IN his loi-
test nights ever conceived.
Sir cllng to the hope that these evils
may yet be averted. hile would prefer
separation TO the unity winch tins biii
would create, would IAN nope that we may
not be competed to accept either alterna,
i've. Ii before 1t Is 100 late the people Will
VIII replace 'henl win men VINO DO not
Wi re'otuliohi net 90 Heartiy WIN a res
.olatioh o, the ohlon; h!eh-who VIII seek
W 'eacd '!io ieiui's WHICH war n naa rendered