Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1865-12-14

She United States Is a limited gov
ernment; and SO is every State
government a limited government.
With us, This idea OF a limitation
spreads through every form of adj
Iministration, general, State, and
municipal, and rests on the great
distinguishing principle of the rec
ignition of the rights OF man.
The ancient republics absorbed the
individual In the State, prescribed
his religion, and controlled his ac-
tiyity. The American system
rests on the assertion of the equal
: right of every man to life, liberty,
and the pursuit of happiness; to
freedom of conscience, to the cul-
ture and exercise of all his facui-
: ties. AS consequence, the State
Government is limited, as to the
: General Government in the inter-
est of the Union, as to the individ-
: ual citizen in the interest of free
dom.
States, with proper limitations
: of power, are essential to the ex-
istence of the Constitution of the
! United States. At the very COM
! mencement, when we assumed a
/. place amoug the Powers of the
: earth, the Declaration of Independ-
: ence was adopted by States; so al
7 so were the Articles of Confedera-
: ton; and when "the People of the
/, United States ordained and es-
/ tablished the Constitution, it was
{ the assent Of the States, one by
one, which gave it vitality. In
e the event, too, of any amendment
t to the Constitution, the proposition
S of Congress needs the confrma
e ton of States. Without States
! one great branch of the Legislative
: government would be wanting
f And, if we look beyond the letter
$ of the Constitution to the character
t of our country, its capacity fol
q comprehending within its jurisdic
n ton a vast continental empire is
e due to the system of States. The
S best security for the perpetual eN
istence Of the States is the 'su
preme authority of the Constitu
J. ton of the United States. The
b perpetuity of the Constitution
d brings with it the perpetuity of
e the State; their mutual relation
= makes us what we are, and in oul
r political system their connection
{. is indissoluble. The whole can
n not exist without the parts, no
l. the parts without the whole. S.
J. long as the Constitution of thu
d United States cndures, the State
v will endure; the destruction of on'
Y is the destruction Of the other
d the preservation Of one is tn,
T. preservation of the other.
y | have thus explained my views
e of the mutual relations of tn,
? Constitution and the States. be
It cause they unfold the principle,
r on which | have sought to solv,
d the mcmentous questions ant
: overcome the appalling difficultie
r that met me at the very com
d mencement Of my administration
re 1t has been my steadfast object t
e escape from the sway of moment
e airy passions, and to derive heal
l. ing policy from the fundamental
e and unchanging principles of thu
If Constitution.
G. | found the States suffering
e from the effects of civil war
f Resistance to the General Govern
n ment appeared to have exhausted
D itself. The United States had re
st covered possession Of their fort
e and arsenals; and their armie.
IS were in the occupation of every
State which had ATTEMPTED to Sc
, cede. Whether the TERRITORY
n within the limits of those State,
q should be held as conquered terri
If tory, under military authority en-
q anating from the President as thu
# head of the army, was the frs
@ question that presented itself fol
G decision.
r MILITARY GOVERNMENTS NOT EXPE
s. DENT.
Il Now, military governments, es
) tablished for an indefinite period
e would have offered no security fol
L the early suppression of discon
o tent; would have divided the PEG
s pie into the vanquishers and the
+ vanquished; would have envenom.