The Plymouth weekly Democrat. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1860-1869, 1864-08-18

state Rights rs. Capitalization
Tie Gazette US. the Constitution
and Thomas jefferson.

SesEsS RSiSEt> rs. SSIkFHksLsss1On-
The Ssarette US. the Constitution
and Thomas Jefferson.
"That this is Il supreme National Gov
crnment, is laid down as plain as language
can make it in the Constitution. That it
was so made in order to deliver the country
from the evils of Federal Government,
is known to every one who has read the
history of the country. ."-Gazette.
In the first place, strictly speaking we
never had National Government Our
Government is a Federal, not National
system. 1t derives all its powers from
the States. 1t can exercise no power that
the States have not expressly given to it.
1t is a mere Agent of the States. The
States are the principals to the constitu.
tional compact The Gdzehe'S theory is a
singular one, that the creature is supreme
over the creator. Talk about the "Na-
tionaP' Government being supreme, when
it has not the authority even to authorize
the collection of a pronissory note given
by one citizen of State to another citi-
zen Of the same State. Talk about it be-
inc supreme, when it would cease to exist
merely by the States not appointing Prcsi-
Dental electors or members Of Congress-
Hear Thomas jefferson. We quote from
the seventh volume ofhis works, page 35S
He says:
with respect to our State and Federal
Governments, / do not think their rela-
tions correctly understood by foreigners.
They generally suppose the former State
subordinate TO the latter. BIT tbs Is MT
tie case. They are coordinate depart
ments of one single and integral whole
| To the State governments are reserUed all
1 legislation and administration in affairs
which concern their own citizens only, and
to the Federal Government is giyen what
ever concerns foreigners or the citizens Of
other States-thesc functions alone are
Federal. The one is the domestic, the
other the l;reign branch Of the same Gov
crnment. There are only one or two eX-
ceptions to this partition Of power But
you may ask. if the two departments
should each claim the same subject of
power, where is the common umpire to
decide ultimately between them? In
cases of little importance or urgency,
the prudence OF both parties VIII keep
chem alOot from the questionable ground;
but lit can neither be avoided nor com
promised, 4 convention Of the States must
be called to ascribe the doubtful power tc
ihat department 'eiich htey may think
best
The ignorance Of the Go=ette of the the
ory OF the Government would seem to be
a. profound as that Of the foreigners tC
whom Nr. Jefferson alludes in the above
But let rs look ut the Constitution itself
That instrument declares that s:all power:
not delegated are reserved to the State.
and to the people" We ask of the Ga
.eHe whether it, supreme National Gov
ernment" can exercise powers that ha(
not been delegated to it by the Statc', but
expressly withheld? If it can not, arc
not the State governments, in that mos
important respect, supreme over The Ma
tional! Will il answer this query? Cal
it DO 50?
Again; the Gazene says it was the in
tcnton Of the States to make a suprcm,
National Government. Hear Mr. Jefferson
again in answer to this. We copy from
letter written to Judge johnson, of Mary
land in 1923;
II have been blamed FOR saying that
the prevalence of the doctrine of consoli
dation would one day call for reformation
; or revolution | answer by asking if
| single State Of the Union would have
agreed to the Constitution had it given a
powers to The General Government?
the whole opposition did not proceed frol
the jealousy and fear Of every State bein
; subjected to the other States in matter
: merely its own? And is there any reaso
to believe the States more disposed no'
than then to acquiescc in this general SUI
render of all their rights and powers to
e consolidated Government, one and undiv
c dcd Z Jcflerson's Works, page 293.
y Mr.. jefferson states facts. The Go
!. 1euc's theory is all fancy and imagin;
, tom sn. Enquirer