Charles City intelligencer., 1865-12-14

y
it. Were it otherwise, the Executiv,
would sink beneath the burden the
channels Of Justice would be choked
Legislation would be obstructed by ex
cess ; 30 that there is . greater temp
tation to exercise some of the functions
of the General Government through
the States than to tt1spass on thei,
trightful sphere. "Thc absolute acqui
Eescence in the decision Of the majority
was. at the beginning ~ the century
enforced by Jefferson "as the Vita
fprinciple OF republics" and the events
of the last four years have established
we will hope forever, that there liei
no appeal to force. .....-
The maintenance of the Uniol
brings with it "thc support Of the
State Governments in all their rights :
but it is not one Of the rights of any
State Government to renounce its
own place in the Union, or to nullify
the laws of the Union. The larges,
liberty is to be maintained in the dis.
cussion of the acts of the Federal Gov.
ernment but there is no appeal from
it's laws, except to the various branch
es of that Government itself, or to the
people, who grant to the members oi
the Legislative and Of the Executive
Departments no tenure but q limited
one, and in that manner always retain
the powers of redress. .
I" The sovereignty of the States,r is
the language Of the Confcderacy, and
not the language of the Constitution
The latter contains the emphatic words
THE Constitution, and the laws of the
United States which shall be made in
pursuance thereof, and all treaties
made or which shall be made under
the authority Of the United States,
shall be the supreme law Of the land
and the Judges in every State shall
be bound thereby, anything in the
Constitution OF laws of any State to
the contrary Notwithstanding.
Certainly the Government Of the
United States is a limited Government
and so is every State Government a
limited Government. With us, this
idea of Limitation spreads through eve,
fry form of administration, general,
State and municipal, and rests on the
great distinguishing principle of the
recognition of the rights of man. The
ancient republics absorbed the individ
ual in the State, prescribed his relig
ion, and controlled his activity. The
American system rests on the asscr,
ton of the equal right Of every man
to life, liberty, and the pursuit of hap
piness to freedom of conscience, t.
the culture and exercise of all his fac
ulties. AS a consequence, the State
Government is limited, as to the Gen
eral Government in the interest of Tn
ion, as to the individual citizen in the
interest of freedom.
States, with proper limitations oi
power, are essential to the existence
of the Constitution of the United
States. At the very commencement,
when we assumed a place among the
powers of the earth, the Declaration Of
Independence was adopted by States
so also were the Articles of Confedera.
ton and when ii,e people Of the
United States" ordained and estab
lished the Constitution, it was the as
sent Of the States, one by one, which
gave it vitality. In the event, too, ot
any amendment to the Constitution
the proposition of Congress needs the
confirmation of States. Withou,
States, one great branch Of the legis
lative government would be wanting
And, if we look beyond the letter ot
the Constitution to the character o
our country, its capacity for compre
hending within it's jurisdiction vasi
continental empire is due to the system
of States. The best security for the per
petual existence Of the States is ths
"supreme authority" of the Constitu
tion of the United States. The perpe
tuity of the Constitution brings with j,
the perpetuity Of the States their mu
tual relation makes US what We are
and in our political system their con
nection is indissoluble. The Who'll,
cannot exist without the parts, mol
the parts without the whole. So long
as the Constitution of the UniteG
States endurcs, the States will endure
the destruction Of the one is the de
struction of the other the preserva
tion of the enc is the preservation o
the other. rs
! have thus explained my views o
the mutual relations of the Constitu
tion and the States, because they un
fold the principles on which ! have
sought to solve the momcntous ques
tions and overcome the appalling dii
ficulties that met me al the very com
mencement Of my administration. 1
has been my steadfast object to escape
from the sway of momentary passions
and to derive healing policy from
the fundamental and unchanging prin
ciples of the Constitution.
| / found the States suffering from
the effects of civil war. Resistance
to the General Government appeared
to have exhausted itself. The unitet
States had recovered possession o
their forts and arsenals !; and their an
mics were in the occupation OF ever.
State which had attempted to secede
Whether the territory within the linn
it's of those States should be held a
conquered territory, under milltar,
, authority emanating from the Presl
, dent as the head of the army, was tin
first question that presented itself 10
. decision. o H.ar
Now, military governments, estat
lishcd for an indefinite period, woul'
have offered no security for the earl.
: suppression of discomfort +; would hav
divided the people into the vanqulsh
ers and the yanquished /; and woul'
: have eliVUhomcd hatred, rather tha
: have restored affection. Once estat
, lished, no precise limit to their contlI
J uance was conceivable They woul'
have occasioned an incalculable an
7 exhausting expense. Peaceful emigrs
Z ton to and from that portion Of tn
! country is one Of the best means tina
: can be thought of for the restoratlo
! of harmony and that emigratio
would have been prevented /; for whs
'n ~ a