The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1865-09-08
THE WEEKLY PIONEER AND DEMOCRAT.

another question What ourht to be. not
| what is, the Oonstitution2 And to this
question We are being brought. Men high
| in authority PROFOUND tito Ms. Isee that
citizen Of our own State, now on the
stump, an aspiring man, announces that
he will never consent to the admission To
Congress of Representatives and Senators
from Southern States, until they shall, by
their votes, have adopted the pending
amendment to the Constitution, and an
other, changing the rule of representation;
until they shall have shown their aptitude
| for free government, as he mockingly
| terms it, by the facility with which they
can put their hands on their mouths, and
their mouths in the dust, and, like fawn-
ing sycophants, degrade themselves by
base servility.
l am in favor o. no change in the Con-
stitution. would leave the question of
suffrage to the States, because the Consti-
tuition leaves it there. | would recognize
the right of the Southern States in their
old position in the Federal system, in
stantly, without delay, without expert
ment, without condition, save only that
they acknowledge the supremacy Of the
| Constitution, and admit its provisions to
be the binding rule of the State and Fed
eral action; and this because the Consti-
tuition creates a confederation of equal
| States.
Two theories have alone prevailed in
this government since its beginning One
party denies the right ofsecession; the other
party maintained it. Both agreed that if
the ordinance of secession were invalid,
| it was utterly void, operative for all pur-
poses, ineffective upon either the people or
| the territory, either in their relations to
| the Federal or the State Government.
! They also agreed that if it were valid, it
severed the tie which bound the State to
the Union. The State resumed the dele
| gated powers and became again wholly in
dependent, as it had been wholly sovereign.
They both agreed that the States were
| sOvereign-were independent except in
so far as they had consented to be bound
by the Constitution and that whenever
they recognized the power of the Federal
Government as defined by the Constitu-
| ton, they had performed their whole fed
| eral obligation, and that in no event were
| they subject to control or interference
with the organization of their local govern
ment or the management of their domes-
tic policy One party, however, claimed
that when they denied the federal power,
and obstructed its operation, armed coer-
cion might be used to compel obedience to
| its lawful re4uir ements. This was the ex-
IRENE doctrine of the federalists-this was
the theory of those who called themselves
the friends of the Government. This was
the theory on which the war was COM
menced. This was the theory of coercion
This was the theory of Mr. Lincoln, when
he said that after war the same dues-
tons would exist as before This was the
theory of the Crittenden resolution, and
the republican party in Congress
This was the theory of Gen. Sherman
when he entered into his truce with Gen.
Johnston. And he said rightly, that its
observance would bring peace from the
Potomac to the Rio Grande-a veritable
peace, a pacifcation. Resistance to fed
eral authority would have ceased, armed
forces would have been dispersed, arms
and forts would have been given up, the
federal laws would have been executed.
On the other hand, the State governments
would have been left intact, the functions
OF civil society would have been unim-
peded, the civil law would have been adj
ministered by ordinary tribunals, the ordi-
nance OF secession would have been re-
pealed or treated as utilities, the Federal
Government and State governments would,
by this time, have revOlved harmoniously
in their respective orbits, and then to the
States would be left, as they properly be-
long. the questions of negro suffrage and
new constitutions, and the relations of la
Dor. think Gen. Sherman proved him.
self even more wise in negotiation than
formidable in war, and that his statesmau-
chip, more than his arms. would have
maintained the Union.
But in these latter days new theory
has sprung into being It is the offspring
OF more than Yankee ingenuity, stimu-
lated by more than Yankee fanaticism 1t
holds that acts of secession are both valid
and invalid-valid to destroy the State.
invalid to destroy the Union. The State
OF Virginia adopted and ratified the Con.
stltutlon, not as part OF the people of
the United States, not as majority of the
people OF Virginia, but in her capacity as
q sovereign State, regulating her relation
to other sovereigns. The old confedera-
ton had been practically dissolved, the
new one had not been formed Virgins
was absolutely sovereign, and as such,
gave her assent to the Federal Constitu-
ton. By that act she became member
of the Union. By this act alone-by Eer
command alone-her citizens owe "be-
dance to the Federal Government Vir-
ginia repeats this act of ratification. and
thereby endeavOrs to secede from the
Union, and to release herself from Fed
| eral obligations, and her citizens from
obedience To Federal law.
These gentlemen aver that the act Of
repeal does not dissolve the tie which
binds the territory to the Union, but does
destroy its State Government does dis
solve it as political community; does
abselve the Federal Government from all
4 dufies and 1oos ro,,fap ,1pon II oil ,,o,srora