The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1864-12-19

inquire as 10 the meaning Of the word cove
reign. 1t is often infer sd that if sovereignty
is conceded to a State that there is no mental
reservation. Yet, what is the fact? Simply
tliis, that there is no unqualified sovereignty
in the world, except that Of the Supreme
Iemg. The most absolute despot Is not sove-
reign in the most comprehensive signiacadon
of the word There are bounds to his power.
There are limits which it is not possible for
him to transcend.
But the condition of sovereignty as It exists
upon earth is much more limited than that of
absolute monarchy. It is a truism to say that
with a condition of limited monarchy, limited
sovereignty Is necessarily couloined. As
limited monarchy obtains in the case of most
nations, the condition Of limited sovereignty
is the usual position Of princes. Sovereignty
is therefore only relative term.
This, which is tue Of man in relation to his
ltllow-man in the same State, is equally true
of States in relation 20 dependent States, and
|oriiori, of dependent States. Otherwise
part is greater than the whole. Tho. word
sovereignty, we repeat, is not absolute in is
signiGcation, but relative.
Referring to the Constitution Of the United
States, where in its provisions do we nnd chat
sovereignty is the right Of a State? In the
fr,t place, the word is not used ut all in that
INSTR ment. But suppose that il was, coull
IL mean sovereignty in an unrestricted selss?
If a tate is sovereign, what use was there OF
specifications rs to some things wherein it
could act, and others wherein it was power
less? 1t may be replied that the sovereignty
of a State can be relinquished by abdicltion
and resumed at pleasure, and that it
is this indeteasible right which is termed
the right of secession. Unfortunately
for this theory, all ethics are against it. States
stand in the same relation TO States as indi-
viduals do to individuals. The largest liberty
in both cases, must preclude destructiveness
to the interests of others. The right of seces
sion is subyersion OF all government. 1t
hardly needs demonstration to prove that il
the right of secession is granted, the wishes
and interests Of the many may at any moment
be sacrificed to q caprice of the few. Besides
in the particular case under consideration, the
terms OF the preamble of the Constitution form
a complete abnegation Of the right OF secession:
Eve, the People of the United States" etc,
Under our Constitutions the amount
sovereignty possessed by States is indeed ex
tremely small 1t relates entirely to their
internal administration. The very first and
distinctive attributes of sovereignty in a State
the power to declare war, to make treaties,
and to coin monoy-are unequivocally relil-
quished Many other powers inherent in
sovereignty are renounced. Bat the right to
make war, to treat with foreign powers, and
to coin money, is the very essence of sove-
reignty in a State How men can read the
terms which form the framework of our great
governmental fabric, without realizing the
true import of those sentences, is one of the
mysteries incidental to the singular state OF
affairs in which the nation is involved.
As if to place the subject beyond the perad
venture of a doubt, amendment Y of the
Constitution says -" The powers not dele
gated to the United States by the Cons titu-
ton, nor prohibited by it to the States, are
reserved to the States respectively, or to the
people" This idea, if dsloyalists will
pardon us for suggesting change in the
mere wording of the Constitution, is more
clearly expressed thus The States aad the
people reserve to themselves all the powers
not delegated to the United States by the
Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the
States. The powers from which the States
are explicitly excluded, and which were dele
gated to the United States by the people, are
alt the attributes Of sovereignty inherent In
any State. Therefore we must conclude that
State sovereignty in the United States is a
deluson. Fatal delusion, indeed-the germ
rom which has sprung the plentiful harvest
now being reeped by DEATH