White Cloud Kansas chief. [volume] (White Cloud, Kan.) 1857-1872, 1865-12-14

be bound thereby, any thing IN the Con-
stitution or laws Of any State to the con-
trary notwithstanding. Certainly the
Government of the United States is q
limited Government. and so is every State
Government limited Government. With
Us this idea of limitation sprssds through
every form of ADMINISTRATION. general,
State and municipal. and rests on the
great distinguished principle Of the re-
cognition of The rights of man. The an
cient republics absolved the individual in
the State. prescribed his religion and con
trolled his activity. The American sys-
tenn rests on the assertion of the equal
rights of every man to life. liberty and
the pursuit of happiness. to freedom Of
conscience. to the culture and exercise OF
all his faculties: as consequences the
State Government is limited as to the
general Government in the interests Of
Union. as to the individual citizen in the
interests of freedom. J-s -
States with proper limitations of power
are essential to the existence Of tie Con-
stitution of the United States. At the
very commencement, when we assumed
a place among the powers Of the earth.
the Declaration of Independence was ad-
opted by States. So also were the ar
ticles of Confederation; and when the
people of the United States ordained and
established the Constitution. it was the
assent of the States. one by one. which
gave it vitality. In the event. too. Of
any amendment to the Constitution, the
proposition of Congress needs the con-
6rmstion Of States. Without States
one great branch of ths Legislative Gov
srnment would be wanting. and If we
look beyond the letter ofthe Constitution.
to the character Of our country, its ca
pacity for comprehending within its
Jurisdiction vast continental empire, is
due to the system OF States.
The last security for the perpetual ex-
istence of the States is the supreme an
thority of the Constitution of the United
States. The perpeuity Of the Constitu-
tion brings with it the perpetuity of the
States. Their mutual relations make us
what we are. aud in our political system
their connection is inaissoluble. The
whole cannot exist without the parts. nor
the parts without the whole. So long as
the Constitution of the United States en-
dures. the States will endure. The des-
truction of the one is the destruction of
the other. The preservation of the one
&c ho Of lao othar
l have ;has explained nv views of
the mutual relations of the Constitution
and the States. because these un-
fold the principles on which l have
sought to solve the momen'ous question.
and overcome the appalling difficulties
that met me at the very commencement,
of my administration It has been my
steadfss. object to escape from the sway
of momentary passions. and derive a
healing policy from the principles of the
Constitution. found the States suffer
ing from the effects of'a civil war. Re-
sistsnce to the General Government ap
peared to have exhausted itself. The
United States had recovered possession
of their forts and arsenals, and their
armies were in the occupation OF every
State which had attempted to secede.
Whether tho territory within the lin
its of those States should he held as con
qnered territory. under military authority
emanating from the President as the head
Of the army, WINS the first question that
presented itself for decision. Now, mill
tary governments, established for an in.
definite period, would have offered no Sc
curity for the early suppression of discon-
tent; would have divided the people into
the vsnquishers and the vsnquishnd; and
wculd have envenomed hatred, rather
than have restored affection. Once estab-
iished, no precise limit to their contiuu,
ance was conceivable. They would have
occasioned an incalculable aud exhaust
ing expense. Peaceful emigration to and
from that portion of The country is one Of
the best means that can be though. of for
the restoration of harmony; and that en-
igratioa wouid have been prevented; for
what emigrant from abroad. what indus
trious citizen at home, would place him
self willingly under military rule? The
chief persons who would have followed
in the train of the army would have been
dependents on the Geueral Government,
or men who expected profit from the mis-
cries of their erring fellow citizens. The
powers of patronage and rule which
would have been exercised, under the
President, over vast. and 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 new
er, unless on occasions of great emergeu-
cy, consent TO exercise The w,llful use
of such powers. if continued through
period of years. would have endangered
the purity of the general adminis,r alton.
and the liberty of the States which re-
mained loyal.
Besides. the policy of military rule
over conquered territory. would have i'm
piled that the States whose inhabitants
may have taken part in the rebellion had.
BY the act Of those inhabitants, ceased to
exist. But the true theory is, that oil
pretended acts of secession were, from the
null and void. The States
cannot commit treason, nor screen tie in.
iividusl citizens who may have commit
ed treason. any more than they can make
valid treaties or engage in lawful COM
nerce with any foreign power. The
States attempting to secede placed them
eives in condition where their vitality
vas impaired, bat not extinguished- /!
heir functions suspended, but not de-