The Jeffersonian Democrat. [volume] (Chardon, Ohio) 1854-1865, 1865-02-24

mept they became the representatives of
| he nation. or whether they stili retained
,hoir position as Representatives of the
| States?
MIR. Garfield They were both. They
were siiIl Representatives OF the Statee; but
tho new function was added Of national rep.
resontatives. They then took upon them
that which now belongs to that gentleman.
The twofold quality of State citizenship and
national citizenship. The gentleman is
twice citizen. subject to two jurisdictions;
and so were they.
sball still further fortify my position by
reading from the 2O3d page OF the same
volume:
From the moment of the Declaration of
Independence, it not for uibst Purposes ct
an aptccedent period. the united colonies
must DO consideied as being q nation de
Jocto, having a General Government over
It CT Gated end acting by the general consent
of the people of oil the colonies. The pow.
ors Of that Government. were not, and in
deed could not be, well defined. But still
it, exclusive sovereignty in mape cases
was firmly established. and itC controlling
power over the States was ip most, If not
all. national measures universally admitted" :"
III On the first day of March, 1881, the
Sovereignty of the new nation wss lodged.
by the recple. in the Articles Of Conieder
alton The GOverDD, ut thus formed wae
q Copfederacy. Iis Constitution might
properly be styled a"Compact OF Confeder-
alton" though by it's tel ms it established a
perpetual union" aud leit small ground
for the doctrine Of secession.
Nv. On the 2lst day of June. 1888. our
national sovereignty was lodged, by the peo-
pie. in the Constitution Of the United
States. where i. still resides, and for it's
preservation our armies are to dav in the
field. In all these stages Of development.
from colonial dependence to fuil.orbed ma.
t;onaity, the people. not the States. have
been omnipotent. They have abolished. es.
tab'ished, altered and amended, as suited
their sovereign pleasure.
For the greater security of liberty, they
chose TO distribute the functions of govern.
meut They left to each State tho regula.
ton of its local and municipal affairs, and
endowed tho Federal republic with the
high functions Of national sovereignty.-
They made tho Constitution. That great
charter tells its own story hest:
I've. the people Of tho United States, in
order TO foIm a more perfect Union, cstab.
lish justice, insure domestic tranquility. pro-
vido for the common defense, promote the
general welfare. and secure the blessings of
liberty TO ourselves an6 our posterity, do
| ordsin and establish this CONSTITUTION for
the Omitted States of America"
Not "wo, the sov ereign S,aies.'' do enter
into league or form compact Of con(sd.
GRAFTON" ...
II the gentleman looks. then. for kind
OF political apostolic succession" of Amer.
ican sovereignty, he will find that neither
colonies nor States we're in the royal line;
bnt this Is the geneaIogy:-Arst. the Grown
snd Parliament of Great Britain; second.
the Revolutionary Congress; third. The Ar,i
cies OF Confederation; fourth and now. The
! Constitution ct the United States; aud all
this by the authority Of the people.
Now. il no one OF the colonies was SOY.
ereign and independent, when and how did
any of the States become so: The gentle
man must show US by what act it was done.
and where the deed was recorded. think
have shown that his position has no found.
alton in history. and the argument based
upon il falls 10 the ground. s..
In framing and establishing the Consti.
tuition. what restrictions were laid upon the
people! Absolutely TO human power be.
yond themselves. No barriers confined
them but The laws of nature. the laws OF
God, their love OF justice, and aspiration for
liberty. Over that limitless expanse they
ranged at will, and ont of such materials ms
| thor wisdom selected they built the state.
" fabric OF our Government. That Consii.
tuition, with it's amendments. is the latest and
the greatest utterance of American sover-
eighty. The hour is now ut band when that
maj, site sovereign n. for the bcnguant pu, pose
ofprOcuring still farther the BLESSINGS OF lib.
eriy, is about to put forth another oracle;
10 about 10 declare that universal freedom
shall be the supreme law Of tho land. Show
me the power that is authorized TO forbid it
The lapse of eighty yea,s has not a5ated
one jot or title from the original sovereign
ty OF the American people They made
the Constitution what it is. They could
nave made it otherwise then they can
mako it otherwise now.
But my colleague Mr.. Pendletonl has
planted himself on the intent of The CoDsti.
tuition. On that point ask him by what
means tie will OF this nation reaches the
citizen with its obligations? Only Go that
will is revealed in the logical and grsmmat.
ical meaning of the words and phrases of
the written Constitution. Beyond this
there is; there eau be-. no legal forcc or po.
tency. II the amending power granted in
the Consiit ion be in any way abridged or
restricted, such restriction must be found
in The just meaning of the instrument iiself.
Any other doctrine wo'd overthrow the whole
fabric Of jurisprudence. What arc The lin.
iiauons OF the amending power: Plainly
and only these:
THAT no amendment which may be made
prior 10 the year 1908. shall in any manner
affect the first and fourth clauses in the
ninth section of the first article and that
no State without it's consent shall be de.
prived Of its equal suffrage in the Senate
Article y.
The frat reatriction beinp hounded by