The Lancaster gazette. [volume] (Lancaster, Ohio) 1863-1886, 1865-12-07

under, the authority of the United
States, shall be tho supreme law Of
the hnd; aud the judges in every State
shall be bound thereby, anything in
the constitution or laws of any State to
the contrary Notwithstanding"
Certainly tho Government of the
United States isa limited government
and so is every State government q
limited government. With us, this
idea Of limitation spreads through
every form Of administration, general
State, and municipal, and rests on the
great distinguishing principle of the
recognition Of the rights of man. Tho
ancient republics absorbed the indi.
vidual in the State, prescribed his re.
ligion, and controlled his activity. The
American system rests on tho asser
tion of the equal right of every man
to life, liberty, and the pursuit of hap
pincss; to freedom of conscience, tc
the culture and exercise of all his fa
culties. As consequence, the State
Government is limited, as to the Gen,
eral Government in the interest oI
Union, as to the individual citizen in
the interest of freedom.
States, with proper limitations oi
power, are essential to the existence
ofthe Constitution of the UnitedStates
AT the very commencement. when we
assumed place among the Powers ol
earth, the Declaration of lndepen-
dence was adopted by States as also
were the Articles of Confederation
and when "the People Of the United
States" ordained aud established the
Constitution, it was tho assent of the
States, one by one, which gave it vi
tality. In the event, too, of any
amendment to the Constitution. the
proposition Of Congress needs the con.
firmation of States. Without States,
one great branch of the legislative 60
vernment would be wanting. And, if
we look beyond the letter Of tho Con.
stitution to the character of our coun.
try, its capacity for comprehending
within its jurisdiction a vast continen.
tai empire is due to the system of
States. The best security for the per-
petual existence of the States is the
supreme authority" of the Constitu-
tion of the United States. The per-
petuity of the Constitution brings with
it the perpetuity Of the States their
mutual relation make us what we
are, and in our political system their
connection is indissolublc. The whole
cannot exist without the parts, nor tho
parts without the whole. So long as
the Constitution of the United States
endures, the States will endure; the
destruction of the one is the destruc.
ton Of the other; the preservation of
the one is the preservation OF the other.
l have thus explained my views of
the mutual relations of the Constitu-
ton and the States, because they un-
fold the principles on which l have
sought to solve the momentous ques-
tions and overcome the appalling diff
culties that met me at the very COM
mencement Of my administration. 1t
has been my steadfast object to escape
from the sway of momentsry passions,
and to derive q healing policy from the
fundamental and unchanging princi-
pies Of the Constitution.
l found the States suffering from the
effects of civil war. Resistance to
tho General Government appeared 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
conquered territory, under military
authority cmanating from the Presi.
dent as tho head Of the army, was the
first question that presented itself for
decision.
Now, military governments, estab.
lished for an indefinite period, would
have offered no security for the early
suppression of discomfort; would have
divided the people into the. vanquish-
ers and the vanquished, and would
have cnvenomed hatred, rather than
have restored affection. Once estab
lished, no precise limit to their con-
tinuance was conceivable. They would
have occasioned an incalculable and
exhausting expense, Peaceful emigra-
ton to and from that portion of the
country is one of the best means that
can be thought of for the restoration
ofharmony; and that emigration would
bave been prevented, for what emf.
grant from abroad, what Industrious
citizen at homo, would place himself
willingly under military ruler The
chief persons who would have followed
in tho train of tho Army would
have bcen dependents on the Gen.
oral Government, or men who OK.
pected profit from the miseries lof
heir cring fellow, citizens. Tho pow.
,rs of patronage and rule which would |
nave been exercised, under the Presi.
iont, over a vast, and populous, and
naturally wealthy region, arc greater
han, unless under extreme necessity,
should be willing to ontrust to any
'ne man; they are such as, for myself, l |
,ould never, unless on occasions of
,reat emergency, consent to exercise.
The wilful use Of such powers, If con-
inued through a period Of years,
would have endangered the purity of
he general administration and tho lib.
'rties of the States which remained
oyal.
Besides, the policy of military rule
'vcr q conquered territory would