The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1865-01-16
The Experiment OF tho state Rights
Doctrine.

Tho Experiment or the state Rights
Doctrine.
Mr.. Miles, member from South Carolina, the
hot bed Of seccssiOnism and State rights, has
introduced resolution in the rebel Congress,
declaring that fall attempts 70 make peace
with the United States, by the action or inter-
vention Of the separate States comprising the
Confederacy, are unauthorized by the constitu-
ton, in contravention of the supreme law Of
the land, and therefore revolutionary"
The question Of State rights has been
bone Of contention ever since the organization
Of this government It has been the cauldron
into which all the clements Of discomfort have
been cast, like the charms of the witches in
Macbeth, until 1t has seethed and boiled over
in the present rebellion. There wero four great
experiments made in our history to establish
the permanency of popular government in
each Of which this questio ueroto-this dogma
of State rishts-played q prominent part The
first was the Revolution, out of which we
emerged in the position Of an Independent
nation. Then the States formed confedcra-
ton, which was found TO be imperfect, and the
constitution was framed after much discussion
upon the same question under which we became
not mere federation Of separate States, but q
united republic. Again. when the war Of 1872
was upon us, tho subject of State rights was
revived in the New England States, and cul-
minated in the Hartford Convention and the
bluc-light treason. 1t was at this time that
Mr.. Madison was induced to pay an impostor
named Henry $4,000 out Of the secret service
fund for revealing the alleged plans Of the New
England agitators to revolt, go over to the
enemy and unite with Canada. Thus we see
the New Englanders were the first secessionists
and 1t is very likely if treaty of peace with
Great Britain had not been made at the time II
was made, the New England States would have
seeded from the Union. In 1882 John G. CAL
renewed the idea in South Carolina, where it
was crushed for time by Jackson, but
where II has stuck with wonderful tenacity
until II has made that State the mother Of mis-
chief and plague spot upon the body polite,
to be finally and utterly repudsted by the
resolution of one Of its leading delegates to
the rebel Congress.
We know how the disease broke out again in
1861, and another experiment, wanton in its
inception, unjustifable by tho circumstances OF
the times and bloody in its fruition, was made
by the political leaders Of the Southern States.
For four years the dogma has been contended
for on many battle fields. But the mist is being
dispellcd. The very incidents Of the war are
neutralizing the pretensions Of the several
States to independent sovereignty. The ques-
ton most prominent in the rebellous States
now is the right TO further secession. The Ex-
ecutve, JEFF. Davis, is at loggcrheads with the
Governors and Legislatures Of the Southern
States, and the internal dissensions based upon
the idea Of State rights Is almost rs potent
weapon in crushing tho rebellion as our gene
rails or our armies.
Let us look at our soldiers In the field, and
what becomes OF tho individuality OF states!
Here we SEQ soldiers from Massachusetts, side
by side with those from Illinois, and men from
New York shoulder to shoulder with troops
from Kentucky and Tennessee; marching with
Sherman through Georgia; fighting with Grant
on The James; occupying captured New Or
leans. Such incidents will obliterate all po-
litcal lines between State and State an6 when
this war Is over al the theories OF vis'nnaries
and dreamcrs will. be discarded, and tic sub
stantial idea that the dogma Of State rights, in
sisted upon at the risk OF the permanency OF