The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1865-12-15

language OF the constitution. i he latte
contains the emphatic words: ''The con
stltution and the laws of the United State
which shall be made in pursuance thereo
and all treaties made or which shall bG
made under the authority of the UniteC
States, SHALL be the supreme law of the
land and the Judges in every state sllal
be bound thereby, anything in the consti
tuition or laws of any state to the contrary
Notwithstanding
! Certainly the government of the United
States Is a limited government and so is
every state government. With us, thi;
idea of limitation spreads through every
+ form of administration, general, state and
municipal, and rests Oh the great distin-
gushing principle Of the recognition OF
the rights OF man. The ancient republics
absorbed the individual i'll the state, pre-
scribed his religion, and controlled his ac-
tivity. The American system rests on the
assertion of the equal right of every man
to life, liberty and the pursuit of happi-
ness; to the freedom of conscience, to the
culture and exercise of all his faculties
Asa consequence, the stale government Is
limited, as to the general government in
the interest of Union. aS to the individual
citizen i'll the interest of freedom.
States, with proper limitations of pow
cr, are essential to the existence of the
constitution of the United States. AT the
very commencement, when we assumed a
place among the powers Of the earth. the
declaration Of independence was adopted
by states SO also were the articles of
Confederation and when ''the people of
the United States ordained and establish
ed the constitution, it was the assent of
the states. one by one. which gave it Vi
tallty. In the event. too, of any amend
ment to the constitution, the proposition
of congress needs the confirmation of
states. Without states one great branch
OF the legislative government would be
wanting. And. if We look hcvond the
letter of the constitution to the character
of our country. lis capacity for compre-
hcnding within its jurisdiction vast con-
tInent;,i empire is due to the system of
states. The best security for the pcrpeiu-
al existence Of the states IS The ''>upremc
authority of tie constitution of the Unit
ei States. The pe:petuity Of the cvn~ti-
;ution brings with ii the pcrpctuity OF the
states their mutual relation makes us
what We are, and in our political system
their connection is inli>Solube The
whole cannot exist without the parts. nor
the paris without tie whole. So long IL
tn, constitution of the United States en-
durcs, the states will endure the dcstruc-
ton OF the one is tue destruction OF thc
other the preservation OF the one is the
preservation OF the other.
have thus explained my views of the
mutual relations Of the constitution and
the states, because they unfold the princi
pies Oh which have sought to solve the
momentou, questions AM overcome the
appalling difficulties that met me at the
very commencement OF my administration.
1t has been my stc:t,lt;,St object to escape
from the sway OF momrntary passions, and
to derive 4 healing policy from the tilnda-
mental and unchangin. principles of the
constitution.
found the states suffering from the ct-
tects of Il civil war Resistance TO the
general government appeared to have ex-
ilau>tr'l itself. The tnited States had re-
covered possession of their forts and ar
-enalS and their armies were in the oc-
rupation otevcry state winch had attempted
10 Sccel'. Whether the territory within
the limits of those states should be held as
conquered territory, under military author
ity cmaiating from the President a> the
head OF the army, was the first question
that presented itself for decision.
Now, military governments. established
for an indefinite period, would have offered
no security ior the early suppression of dis
content would have divided the people
into the vanquishcrS and the vanqui>hcI :
and would have enyenomcd hatred. rather
than nave restored affection. Once e>tab-
liShad. no precise limit TO their coniinu-
ance was conceivable. They would have
occaSioned an incalculablc and exhauSting
expense. Peaceful emigration to and from
that portion of the country is one of the
best means that can be thought of for the
restoration Of harmony and that cmigra-
ton would have been prevented for
what cmi grant from abroad. what indus
trious citizen at home, would place HIM
self willingly under military rule! The
chief persons who would have followed in
the tram OF the army would have been de-
pendent on the general government, or
men who expected profit from the miser
les OF their erring fellow citizens. The
powers ofpatronagc ana rule which would
have been exercised, under the President.
over a vast, and populouS, and naturally
wealthy region: are greater than, unless
under extreme necessity, should be will
ing 10 entrust to any one man they are
such as, for myself, | could never, unless
on occasions OF great emergency, consent
to exercise. The willful use of such pow
ers, If continued through period of years,
would have endangered the purity Of the
general administration and the liberties of
the states which remained loyal.
Besides, the policy OF military rule over
a conquered territory would have implied
that the states whose inhabitants may
have taken part in the rebellion had, by
the act ofthose inhabitants, ceased to ex-
list. But the true theory is, that all pre-