The Jeffersonian Democrat. [volume] (Chardon, Ohio) 1854-1865, 1865-07-14
Estates and Stats Rights"

leader with the atove title, which ex.
presses our own views so much more clear.
Iy and forcibly than we could express them
in our own language, that we can co our
readers no better service than to reproduce
it in this place.
The question of State rights, says the
writer, is very unimportant compared with
the question of national security. The
people of the United States have exactly
the same right to determine upon what
conditions tho rebel States shall be reor-
ganized that they had to prevent tho &C.
cession of those States from the Union
1t 10 simple folly to speak of any part of
the country or any body of citizens who
are lying under the disabilities consequent
upon rebellion haviog any right whatever
to any share in the government of the
county except upon the conditions which
in tho opinion of the country, guarantee its
safety.
In tho dispassionate and patriotic, but, as
It seems to us, illogical reasoning of many
OF our friends upon reorganization, they
say that tho duty of the Government. un-
der existing circum stances is, first to adopt
suro measures to secure the obedience of
al! citizens to tho national Constitution.
aod, second, TO preserve inviolate the
rights guaranteed to the States BY the na-
tional Constitution. But how if the meas.
ures which the country deems essential to
the national security should require a vic.
lation of such rights? Is the nation to go
constitutionally to destruction? Are the
national rights Of existence, or the State
rights of internal regulation, to yeld?-
Or, with tho experience of tho las. four
years, are wo to assume that there can be
no real collision between differing views of
tho limitations of State rights?
According to the view we arc consid derine
the State may have such ConstTtution as
It chooses, subject only to the condition
that Il be republican in form. II then, 10
tho absolute sense claimed, State always
exists, this Constitution is the Fundamental
law, and an election held under it is valid.
In that case Mr.. Clark and not Judge
Sharkey is the Governor of the State of
Mississippi By what constitutional au.
thorlty, then. according to this reasoning, is
Judge Sharkoy sent to Mississippi as Gov.
ernor. Mr.. Clark was elected by the 70.
ters under the State Constitution, which, By
long sufferance, the United Statos had al
lowed to be republican. Mr.. Clark is not
nhaA. ho In .r
but no s sum mariIy set aside by the na-
tional authority. Grant that he is accused
OF high TREASON. Has a warrant been is.
sued: And If be has been lawfully arrest
cd to answer the charge, does not the gov.
ernmeut OF tho State devolve upon tho
Lieutenant Governor? If that officer be
similarly charged and arrested tho coustitu.
tional provision mus, be mado for the oxi-
gency. But ail the late voters of the State
are held to be incompetent. By what au.
thority: The United States. Then the
State has gone into abeyanco or paralysis
Who decides .ha,' The people Of the
State, the voters, the Constitution? No; it
is decided in despite of them all by the Uni.
ted States. By what right? Solely that OF
superior force. On what ground: The ma
tional safety.
Now docs any sober man seriously con-
tend that the people of the United States,
in their government, are constitutioually
required to relinquish the exercise of that
superior force except upon such conditions
as seem to II necessary to secure tho pubic
safety? If they may require that the State
Constitution shall be revised, may they not
require that certain reg ulations shall be in.
serted In i,3 If they have authority to in.
terfere in any degree with the local gov.
ernment of q State upon the ground of the
public safety, have they not authority to
interfere just so far as they think essential
to secure the object of the interference?---
Granting that q State always exists, and
and that its political powers 20 into abey.
ance by rebellion--an expression evidently '
invented to conceal want of precise per.
ception--can those powers come out OF
abeyance except upon terms satisfactory &C
the authority that holds them there? /
they can, upon what authority do tho,
come: And If there be such an authorit
is it not palpably superior to that whic
holds the powers in allegiance? If it be dee
perately urged that the Constitution of tb
United States is the authority, that is merel
to say that the Constitution requires tbu
the State political powers, which have bee