Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1865-10-20

anu OF tne relallOns suDsietlng Dtt"eeh shS
States and the National Government. We
find it the leading article in the n. Y. Herald
Of Monday; but In style and thought 1t is
quite unlike what comes from the editorial
staff of that paper;
The Peculiar Strength of our Govern
ment--C Capitalization a Bugbear.
One of the windmills which the Don
Quixotes Of the South have been continually
assailIng, assisted in the fight by the San
chos OF the North, has been the idea that
there was danger that the government oil the
United States might become centralized, and
SO, despotic 1t was therefore necessary to
assume and maintain that the real sover-
eighty lay in the individual States, and
should be insisted upon. To this end all
sorts of statements have been made, and have
found favor in the South, until the doctrine
began to be believed in, and men were even
ready to shed blood in maintaining 1t Even
in the North there are come who have gone
go far as to assert that the first traty OF
peace made between England and the United
States was 4" made with every one of the
United States as sovereign, independent ma
tions, having exclusive control and jurisdic-
ton over their affairs This is what po-
litical orator said. few nights since, at a
public meeting in New Jersey. Such per
version of history and fact surpasses anything
in impudence that has yet been uttered from
the stump. But let US examine the pretence
that we are in danger from Capitalization, If
such absurd statements are really anywhere
credited and acted upon.
There is not word of truth in the asser
ton. Capitalization cannot possibly take
place at Washington, for one plain and pal
pable reason. There is not and cannot be,
and never was, any permanent succession OF
centralized power at the seat OF government.
The administration of power and the dlspen-
sation of patronage are too ephemeral to
make any such policy permanent and sue
cessful if even 1t were attempted. Party
changes its ground too often leaders ~ come
like shadows, so depart continual changes
are occurring; popular support Is uncertain,
and legislation too varying TO allow the pos
slbility of such policy as Capitalization, If
attempted by any set of rulers temporarily
at the head OF affairs. On the contrary, the
States are far more stable in their career and
their policy. Thus VIC find these different
members Of the Union going on for years af-
ter their own peculiar notions. Not to speak
of such States as those In the North, who &C.
cupy politically the same ideas and continue
to select the same sort OF representative men,
we might allude TO NirainIa, the Carollnas,
Alabama, and even New jersey, where We
see an entire repetition OF traditional views,
from year TO year-indeed, from generation
to eeneration-and an ever ready DISPOSE
ton to oppose the general government when
it Is not of their choice. So important is the
support of States to political asplrants, TO
secure their success, that it is understood no
one can rise to national honors until he can
first carry his own State. Now, 1t is very
evident that if there was any power In CEN
trslization-any supreme control in the ma
tional admInistration--th leading politicians
would abandon their States to bask IN the
sunshine of Executive favor. Far from this,
it Is the invarIable custom Of our Presidents
to form their cabinets almost entirely with
reference to the political Importance OF these
States, and select the men who Tor the time
being have the most influence over them. If
there were really anything IN centralizatlon
1t would not be compelled to 90 hunting over
the Union Tor Cabinet ministers or other
great officers of State We have seen Presi-
dents succeed each other with entirely diff
ferent views, with entire changes of officials
under them, and then go into obscuritY, neg
lect, and even poverty, almost forgotten.-
No families are perpetuated by them IN ease
or honor they have no political heirs or
succession. They melt away INTO the masses
from which they emerged. No one can even
name their secretaries with accuracy for
twenty years back.
IL there were any such thing as centrallza-
tion, if 1t really had any force or influence,
we might not only look for despotism, but a
perpetuity of it, in the hands OF those who
might seek to establish it. This we have
never seen, and never shall see for 1t is i'm
possible. On the contrary, there is not
thing weaker in some respects than ma
tlonal administration. 1t is pulled and
hauled to pieces by its friends it never can
fully gratify or compensate its followers in
is attacked, assaulted and oyerthrown by Its
enemies 1t has as much as it can do to go
through its four years of Office with even
common comfort. There never has been
Chief Magistrate who thought much of any
thing else than how to retire with some |
show Of public favor, some mark OF public
confidence. And not all of them have been |
'-oic W buAc, uQOu lCoo W
permanently In power, to govern unlawfully, |
to destroy the States or lessen their Just,
conceded and constitutional powers.
The original thirteen States were at the
start proprietary and charter governments-
never sovereigns at any time. There were
in the first or Continental
Congress not chosen by the States at all, and
while in Congress they admitted, by public
Ind official communications with the govern
nent of England. that they were still colo
lies, and willing to return to their ale
,iance. They never exertcd any separate ma
ional power, or claimed any. From this
condition of colonies merely they passed into
/ confederated and finally into more per-
ect union, providing for the exercise of ma
ional authority in new and original form.
they conceded to each other certain rights
.ecessary for their local governments
which no one seeks to deprive them Of
othing more, and provided that as States
hey should not assert or assume any nation
! character. 1t is true that mary patriots
t that day feared too much power was
iven to the general government, and
hey too feared Capitalization. But we
ever have had it-never can have it
here are no elements in our nationality to
roduce such result; experience proves it,
nd it is sheer folly at this day to pretend to
ar it. DE Tocqueville. for a wonder, I'M
erstood this subject when he declared that
i our Presidents necessarily became much
like from the very character of our institu-
ons. We have had no Cesars-we never
IN have any. Until We cease to have States
e can have no Capitalization, and when the
tates cease to exist only shall we have Gen. |
and not till then. Our real dan
er has been in their pretensions for some
them had almost proved able, as we see
? the late rebellion, to overthrow and des-
oy the Union. The danger always lay in
lie States, never in the national government.
Te hope that too is now passed.
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