The weekly standard. (Port Gibson, Miss.) 1865-1867, 1865-11-25


those matters which belong exclusive
ly to the State government is clearl
"a usIlrpation. It is monstrously ab
sllrd to suppose that the States whiel
exhibited the highest exercise of thei
powers in forming the Union, and il
calling the General Government into
existence, by the fat of their lsouareiQl
will, intended to commit suicide Com
mon sense as well asssthe facts of histo
~ condemns such suprosition as st
premely ridiculous. mr. 1891 III .f1ga.
But we do not propose to enter up
on discussion of this yexed question
1t is sufficient that the Southern States
have accepted the issue of the war az
binding them to the Union, or Ito Il use Sc
more forcible and expressive word
borrowed from the editor of the New, New,
York Tribune ''pinning them to it with
@bayonets. :" We could show, as 1 we we
have done on more than one occasion
before, that, if the States on entering
the Union gave up the right Of Seces-
sion, as is claimed by our political op-
ponents, the General Government was
not trusted by the men who framed
the constition with thepower of coercing
recalcitrant. or. disobedient States. We
could prove that every attempt made
IN the Constitutional Convention Ito in
vest it with such power was promptly
voted down on three seperate occasions,
and the records of the Convention
clearly establish that this was to be 4 4
UNION OF FREE WILL AND NOT OF FORCE.
Mr., Secretary Seward admitted this in
a letter of Instructions written to Mr.,
Adams, United States Minister at the
Court Of St, James, q week or two, rt,
-pior to the bombardment of Fort
Sumptel. III that lettershe made us )
1
of the following very clear and express
sive language, which admitted all that
was claimed by the State Sovereignty
partyssof the South: '' sssq -
He lthe Pre- ident) could not be dis,
posed to REJECT "A CARDINAL DOGMA (the
seeding States)--namely, that the
Federal Government COULD NOT REDUCE
THE THE sEcEDING STATES TO OBEDIENCE BY CON-
QUEST, ALTHOUGH HE WAS DISPOSED TO QUEs-
TToN THE PROPOSITION, BUT u. FACT THE
PRESIDENT 81 wILLINaLY ACCEPTS IT AS TRUE.
ONLY AN IMPERIAL OR DEspoT1c GOVERN
MENT COULD HAVE THE RIGHT 10, SURROGATE
DIsAFFEcTED AND HsuRREcTIoSARY STATES.
Tins FnpERAI REpuBLIcAN SYSTEM OF OURS
IS OF ALI. FORMS OF GovERNAHNT THE VERY
ONE WHICH e IS i MOST UNFITTED, FOR SUCH a
LABOR. +. .-e I'D qe so5sFT aa5 s. aosi
Is not that as much as any seces-
sionist ever claimed ! but we do not
intend to argue q question which has
already been SO ably argued it is
enough for us to know that as yet the
Supreme Court has not decided upon
i, and we mayTadd that the last Adj
mllipnistration n never attempted to bring
It before thatstribunal for adjudication.
In the forthcoming trial. of Jefferson
Davis il will form of course lone of the
great issues, and the whole. controver-
sy will be again brought before the
public 1t appears to us. he1weyev,
that sound policy, wise discretion,
would lead the Administration to set
aside that trial, and opening the prison
doors allow the i1lustrious State pris-
oner to go. free. A Government which
owes its very existence to successful
treason, which.is based on the right
Of revolution, which is to-day a living
reality, BECAUSE OF THE SECESSION OF THE
THIRTEEN COLONIES; WHICH PLACED REBELS
AND TRAITORS IN AUTHORITY, IN FACT WHICH
WAS CONSTITUTED OF TRAITORS AND REBELS
q government which was. originally
composed Of such elements and which
was in itself a practical illustration of
successful rebellion, ought to be very
cautious about reyiving old issues, and
especially should it avoid a denial, of
the principles which have always been
regarded BY the people as constituting
the rules and dogmas Of their political
faith, 44 :
Passing from the subject Of the rela-
tive powers Of the State and General
Government, he accepts on the part of
the State Of Mississippi, the decision Of
the war, and expresses the hope 'that
the lessons taught by the rebellion will
not be lost EITHER TO THE NORTH OR TO
THE SOUTH; THAT FREEMEN, ONCE ENLIeH-
TENED, WILL NOT SUBMIT TO WRONG OR IN
JUSTICE; THAT SECTIONAL AGGRESSION WILL
MEET WITH SECTIONAL RESISTANCE, AND
THAT THE PRICE OF POLITICAL PERFIDY Isl
BLOOD AND CARNAGE We sincerely trust
that the lessons taught by the last four