Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1865-08-25
RECONSTRUCTION.
The Present Position of the Seeded
States and the Rights
AND
DUTIES OF THE GENERAL GOVERN
MENT IN RESPECT TO THEM.

taCe mas us uutlft anu lte hangers no less
than war. And, in a crisis like the present,
when the great and peculiar problem Of ma
tional reconstruction is set before us, and
questions entirely new in human history are
presented for solution, there is an especial
demand upon educated men, men trained to
thetdiscussion of principles and methods, to
address themselves to the most earnest con-
sideration Of this problem aud its attendant
questions. There ia Sphinx in the land,
like that which, in monstrous form and Of
demoniac ingenuity, desolated old Boz otia--
She propounds enigmas, and on the same
condition as her prototype. If we can solve
her riddles Alright she perishes If we cannot,
our country is lost And these questions al Q
no such Insignificant puzzles as that proposed
of old to Q5iipus, but some Of the deepest
problems Of national light, duty and destiny
Here is one Of them -" Where has the t0ar
ieH the seeded 'tates9 Are they IN the Union
or out Of he Union?'
Let US consider Is there not here an in
stance Of what logicians call the Fpiacy Of
Equivocation Is not the word U.ion en-
ployed in two different senses, which need to
be carefully distinguished, ard the conioand-
ing of which has led to our difficulties !,
When used in political sense, the express
ion The Union is commonly employed by
us as a general or collective term for ;he
United States Of America. But the term
" The United States" is not uniformly used
in respect to extent Of application. When
we speak of the several United States, the
number Of the States, the powers Of the States,
&c, we commonly mean by the term simply
the States, strictly so called, which are unit
ed in our confederation, excluding the terri
tories. But when we speak Of the United
States as country, the area Of the United
States, the population, wealth, power, &C..
Of the United States, we usually mean the
whole country or nation subject to our gov
eminent, including the territories no less
than the States. The synony I'm Jus term The
Union " is used with like verying extent OF
application. IL denotes more frequently the
States which constitute the governing part
nership of our united country, and is so used
IN the Constitution, In this sense it does
not include the territories, which have not
been admitted as governing partners In the
confederation, aud have consequently no vote
/ in Congress The term is also used, though
/ less frequently, in a wider sense, to denote
| this whole nation united under one general
government, or, in other words, all the com
munities, whether States or territories, which
unite to form this great republic, and which
are rightfully subject to our national govern
ment There is the governing Union and the
governed Union, the first partnership con-
sisting only of States which have a share in
the general government of the country; the
second a community, consisting Of both States
and territories protected and, 50 far as nation
al interests are concerned, governed by this
partner ship. The States govern and are gov
erned the territories are governed but
have no share in the general government OF
the country, though they are allowed, for tht
most part, to manage their own internal al.
fairs.
1t is evident, therefore, that a community
may be IN The Union, in one sense of the word,
and not "a the Union, in another sense !; foi
this Is just the condition of the territories
and Of the District OF Columbia. In the one
sense, also, no community is in the Union,
except by its own voluntary action, in sccot-
dance with its own pleasure. ] he original
thirteen States freely united to form the IN
ion, and no State has been since admitted in
TO the Union except upon Its own wish and
application; and any State, at its pleasure,
may virtually withdraw from the Union, iu
one sense of this word, by emitting TO send
Participation in the governing partnership
has always been voluntary ana II IS 80 great
privilege and prerogative, that we may
doubtless always leave 1t 70. But with the
Union in tie other and more extensive APP
pllcaIion of the word, the case is quite differ
emit. Since the first formation of our govern
ment, connection with this has not been at all
optional no State or territory is at liberty
To xvit this 40
attested by the preamb Die to the Constitution,
. by the entire absence of any provision for
A Withdrawal, by the provision for the govern
ment OF territories, by the expressed opinions
and purposes of tne partiot statesmen who
divised our federal government and the very
objects of its establishment, by the usages
of other governments, and by the great ends
OF government in general. That is really no
government, from which the governed, il we
may so call them, are allowed to slip away al
pleasure.
Still further, the privilege of governing may
be and often is forfeited by misconduct; but
this misconduct does not at all exempt the
evil-doer from the authority of government
on the contrary, it commonly renders him all
the more conscious of it. Does not the prin-
ciple apply with equal force to States as to
lhulNluuhls May not STATE, by evil acts
forfeit its privileged position in the Union az
governing partnerships weiIe these acts
cam, Of course, release it from its connec.
ton with the Union as governed commnni-
ty;
1t cannot certainly be urged, as some have
attempted to do, that states, as such, are ex.
empt in our government from responsibility
l he Constitution evidently does not so regard
them it prescrbes what as States they shall
do, and what they shah not do, and makes
express provision for suits against them al
responsible persons.
May not these considerations suggest to us
an answer to the Sphinx's dilemma, which
may prove both safe and true. viz. that n,
seeded States are om of the Union, IN on,
( ssnse Of hg ,oord and IN Il in another j--ou
Of IL, as gOuerniag partnership. Bat IN 1t as a
governed community Is not this the precise
position which they now practically occupy
Have they, as States, any share whatever in
the government of the country say, " a.
SIater,' for some individuals, now or lately
resident in them, hold executive offices, and,
highest Of all, one Of whom the seraph Alb
dial WAS fVna