North Branch democrat. [volume] (Tunkhannock, Pa.) 1854-1867, 1865-12-13

States, shall be the supreme law of the
land and the judges in every State shall
be bound thereby, anything in the Con-
stitution or Laws of any State to the, con-
trary notwithstanding.
Certainly the government of the United
States is limited Government /; and so is
every State Government a limited Govern
ment. With us, this idea of limitation
spreads through every form of administra-
ton General, State, and municipal, and
rests on the great distinguishing principle
of the recognition of the right of man
The ancient republics absorbed the lndl-
yidual in the State prescribed his religion
and controlled his activity. The American
system rests on the assertion on the equal
right of every man to life, liberty and the
pursuit of ofhappiness to freedom of con-
science. to the culture and exercise OF all
his faculties. As a consequence, the State
Government is limited, as to the General
Government in the interest of Union, as to
the individual citizen in the interest of
! freedom,
States with proper limitations of power
are essential to the existence of the Con-
stitution ofthe United States. AT the very
commencement, when we assumed a place
among the Powers of the earth, the Decla-
ration of Independence was adopted by
by States so also were the Articles of
Confederation and when "the people OF
the United States" ordained and establish
ed the Constitution, it was the assnet of the
States, one by which gave it vitality. In
the event, too, of any amendment to the
Constitution, the proposition of Congress
needs the confirmation of States. With
out States, one branch of the Legislative
government would be wanting. And, if
we look beyond the letter of the Constitu-
ton to the character of our country, its ca
pacitv for comprehending within its capac-
ity for rcomprehending within its jurisdiction
vast continental. empire is due to the
system of the States. The best security
for the perpetual existence of the States is
the supreme Authority" ofthe Constitution
of the United States.-The perpetuity of
the Constitution brings with it the perpet-
uitv the States; their mutual relations
makes us what we are, and in our political
system their connection is indissoluable.
The whole cannot exist without the parts,
nor the parts without the whole. So long
IS the Constitution of the q. States endures,
the States will endure; the destruction
of the one is the destruction of the other !;
the preservation of the one is the preserva-
tion of the other.
Ihave thus explained my view of the mu-
tual relations of the Constitution and the
States, because they unfold the principles
on which have sought to solve the hume
rons questions and overcome appalling diff
culties that met me at the very commence
mcnt of my administration. 1t has been
my steadfast object to escape from the
sway of momentary passions and to derive
healing policy from the fundamental and
interchangeable principles of the Consti-
tuition.
found the States suffering from the ef-
fects of a civil war. Resistance to the Cen
eral Government appeared to have exhaus-
ted itself The United States had recover
edP possession of their forts and arsenals
! and their armies were in occupation of eve
! - State that attempted to seccde. Wheth-
er the territory within the limits of those
States should be held as conquered territory,
under military authority eminatlnS from
the President as the head of the army was
the first question that presented itself for
I doosinn
Now, Military governments, established
for an indefinite period, would have offer
ed no security for the early suppression of
| discomfort; would have divided the people
vasquishers and vanquished, and would
have envenomed hatred rather than re
! stored affection. Once established, no pre-
else limits to their was conceivable. They
would have occasioned an incalcuable and
exhausting expense. Peaceful emigration
to and from that portion of the country is
one of the best means that can be thought
| of for the restoration of harmony, and that
emigration woGld have been prevented; for
what emigrant abroad, what industrious
citizen at home, would place himself under
military rule? The chef persons who
would have followed in the train of the ar
my would have been dependents OH the
General Governments, or men who expect
ed profit from the miseries of their erring
felloT-citizens. The powers of patronage
and rule which have been exercised, under
the President, over vast, aud populous,
and naturally wealthy region, are greater
than,. unless under extreme necessity,
should be willing to entrust to any one man;
they are such as, for myself, / could never,
unless on any occasions of great emergency
consent to exercise. The willful use of
such powers, if continued through period
of years, would have endangered the puri
ty of the general administration and the
liberties of the States which remained 10y
al
Besides, the policy of military rule
over conquered territory would have i'm
piled that the sta es whose inhabitants may
have taken partin the rebellion had,by the
act of those inhabitants ceased to exist.
But the true theories that all pretended acts
of secession were from the beginning, null