The Cleveland leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1865-1865, 1865-08-31

states 10 Judge, eacn IOr lseiII Wneh hnQ
in what manner the Federal Government
has exceeded the limits of the Constitu-
ton. They are evil in spirit and tendency,
as calculated to place the States in a posi-
ton of sntagonism 10 the General Govern
ment. They ignore the Supreme Court of
the United States, formed for the express
purpose of deciding such questions. The
Constitution provides Article g, Section l
that "the judicial power of the United
States shall be vested in one Supreme
Court" The ensuing section provides that
'the judicial power shall extend 70 all
cases in law and equity arising under this
Constitution, or the laws of the United
States;'' and ITO controversies to which
the United States shall be s party" The
odious and dangerous character of the
Theory of State Rights, as contained in the
Virginia and Kentucky Resolutions, con-
sists, not in the doctrine that the States
have rights which the Federal Govern
ment is bound by the Constitution to re-
spect, but in the claim that the States
themselves are the proper judges of their
grievances and "Lhe mode and measure Of
redress; !" a doctrine plainly at variance
with the Constitution, and productive only
of discord and anarchy. We cannot bet
ter illustrate the consequences which would
naturally follow It's practical application
than by referring to the acts of the States
lately engaged in rebellion. They assumed
to decide for themselves questions which
ought of right to have been decided by the
Supreme Court of the United States, and
attempted 70 carry out the doctrine thst
they we're the proper judges of the Hmode
and measure of obtaining redress for GER
tain alleged grievances. They merely
made q practical application ofthe doctrines
e%nunciAted in the Virginia and Kentucky
Resolutions. In 80 doing, they placed
themselves in an attitude of hostility to the
Federal Government. ADemocratic Presi.
dent decided they had q right TODD this, and
that the Government had nc power under
the Constitution 70 eoerce q State. Thus
matters stood at the close of Mr.. Buchsn-
ans administration. When Abraham Lin
coin was inaugurated as President of the
United States, and swore to "preserve, pro.
tect and defend the Constitution" he DEEM
ed that nothing less than the enforcement
Of the laws and the restoration of the Fed.
ersl authority in ali the States and Terri
tories would be in keeping with that SOL
emn oath. The State Rights theorists, in
stead of appealing to the only national tri-
bunal known to the Constitution, appealed
to arms, and the Government was com.
PEELED to resist armed rebellion by force of
arms. A bloody war of four years dura.
ton ensued, resulting in the v~indication of
law and the restoration of Federal author
ity throughout the land. But scarce has
the clAngor of arms ceased to be heard in
the land, when a political party in States
not implicated in the rebellion-the citizens
Of which, with q few melancholy excep-
tons, were true and loyal throughout that
s0nsJ shuSSN-0uOPs % she chle1
plank in their political platform the iden-
teal doctrines which brought so much of
war and wars desolation" upon the coun-
try. They have even the ~effrontery to TO-
fer to the Virginia and Kentucky Resolu-
of 1898 as the basis OF their political
creed, whilst theyutter no word of condem-
nation against the miscreants who, in their
attempt to destroy tho Govern
ment, bathed the land in blood.