M'arthur Democrat. (McArthur, Vinton County, Ohio) 1853-1865, 1865-12-14

except to the various branches o& &tha
GoEernmtnt itself, Or to the people
Who grant 10 the members Of dthe
legislative aud Of the Executive
Departalen;S no tenure but limited
v6e, au,t in that manner always Ief
tain the powers o! 10 Iress,gi OBJ nsl
"The sovereignty OF the States" ID
tile language Of the Copiederacy, and
nor 1.-The lahguage of the Constitution,
The latter cJninihs tho emphatic
words !: "rhe Constitution, aud tbs
laws Of th3 Unt51' SNtas WHICH Shall
be made in phrsulhce thereof, aud
all tre$tius luaAe or which Shall be
mals dhl9r thl. aufhority Of ths
ltjnited States, shAlt be tl!o supreme
law Of 1he land; aid the jaI;9s in
eyGry stat snah be bound thyrpLy,
any thing ia The Constitution oy laws
ot any sta'e TO tie Contrary noiwtth-.
stsuding '''. '' '' D..
Certainly ii, A6ovornmont Of the
United States isa limited gjvernmtpt,
aud 81 'i5ocygry state government a
limited goYerniu9nt. With US, this
idea Of limitation sI}ead5 through
avery tDrm'ol administration general
state and rn0nicipal, ana rests 6li the
BrCat distinguishing principle Of The
recognition Of tie rights Of man,
rhe aaciehH Republics ab5orGgd the
paiyidual In the State, pry6rribcl
Ills religion, aAI controlled his
ncliyity. The American systemtests
On tho ASSERTION Of the equal right Of
every man to lie, liberty aul the pur.
suit OF ihaPplness to treedjm Of
cGnscence, To the culture and exercise
Of all his faculties. AS a cOn6e,
quence, the State Government is
limited, as to tho General Govern
'lnentin the interest OF the Uuiuu, rs
u the iniivilual ci!iz,n in the inter
,eet ol freedom. s.
States with proper lilni tations OF
power, are essential to the existence
II tue Constitution OF the United
States. AT the very commencement,
@hcu we assumed a place among the
powers OF the earth, the Declaration
Of Independence was adopted by
States 60, also, were the Articles OF
Confederation aud when " the
People .! the United States" ordained
and established the Constitution, it
vas The assent Of the States, one by
one, which gave it vitality. In the
event, too Of any amendment to tae
Constitution, the proposition of Con,
gress needs the confirmation OF States,
Without States, one great branch az
the Legislative government would be
waiting. And, if we look beyond
the letter Of the Constitution to the
character OF our country, its capacity
lor c9mprebenling within Its jiri0-
dictiun a vast continental empire is
iue to the systen OF States. The
bost security for the perpetual exist
enc3 OF the States is the ''supreme
authority" Of the Constitution Of the
United States. The perpetuity OF the
Constitution brings with it the per-
petuity OF tae States +; their mutual
relation make5 US what We Gre. aid
in our political system their connox
ion is indissoluble. The whole can
not exist without the parts, nor the
parts without the whole. So long as
the Constitution OF the United States
lndures, the states will eGddre the
destruction Of the one i5 the Iestruc.
ton Of the other; tho preservation Of
the one is the preservatiCn Of the
Other" -'.I
:. Lhavo thus explained my views Of
ths mutual relations OF tho { onsiitu>
tiOn aud tho States, because they
unfold the principles Oh which have
sought to solve the momontouS guess
tions and overcome the appalling
difficulties that. met me at the very
commencement of my administration.
1t mas been my steadfast object to
escape lrOin the sway of momentary
PASSIONS, and to derive a, healing
policy from the fundamental and
unchanging principles OF the COnsti>
tutiou. (,rE l. r.rr", .HH1s..
| found tile States suffering from
the effects of a civil war. Resistance
to tue General Government appeared
to have exhausted itself. The United
States bad recovered possession OF
their forts and ar8euals, and their
armies were in occupation oil every
State which had attempted to secede.
Whether the territory within the
Iimits OF those states should be held
as conquered territory, under military
authority emanating from the Presi.
deut as the head Of the army, was the
first question that presented itself for
decision Ia! s,.i -." w.J -. }.
Nov, the military governments,