The Lancaster gazette. [volume] (Lancaster, Ohio) 1863-1886, 1865-08-10

Half n million OF men and three
thousand million Of dollars.
Should such sacrifice be disre.
gardedP
We think not; but, according tore
cent State Rights argument, ~e are
impotent; and tho Constitution we
have been fighting for, gives us no
power over the acquired territory,
and that our brave boys in knocking
the arms out of rebel hands forced in
to them tho Ballot, and that the Fed
eral Government is g but o one-horso
concern at Washington and all real
power is in the States we have sub
dued. tr
What gave tcnacity Of life to tho
Rebellion?
Its political organization, had it
been merely an insurrectionary out
break of masses of people, it would
have been overcome as are large mobs.
Its tremendous force came from its
being a rcuoH Of States, with the ca
pacity to employ those powers Of tar
alton and conscription, which places
the persons and property of all resi-
ding in political communities at tho
: service of their Governments. And
the error of State Rights men is now
in invoking this characteristic to
shield them from Federal regulation
in defoat.
What do States Rights.mcn require
l us to do?
= To substitute techntcalitieS for facts
to consider tho Rcbelion--what il
notorously was not---a mere revolt oi
u loose aggregations of men owing allo
glance to the United States; and tC
= hold the States which endowed then
=. with such q perfect organization, ant
!" poisonous vitality, as innocent o
~ crime.
Into what verbal dilemma will thi
# lead us?
: 1t would make us say the rebC
J. States could not do what they did
and that therefore the General Gov
n ernmcnt cannot do what it must.
What most important question nov
presents itself?
10 The prescribing tho qualification
te Of voters in thcso rebel States fo
their and our future safety.
- What, if on investigation, the Rebc
u communities should be declared State
r in the scnsc of the Federal Constitl
or tion
ia If fthey are States, as defined by I'll
Constitution, no power out OF the
limits can force them TO allow negl
es suffrage can any power prcscril
IT. any qualification for white voter
es save themselves. ,..
hv In our American system what
~ the process by which Constitutions Il
"o made ? ,..
By Conventions ofthe people.
IN Did they make the State Constit
th tlons? ... ..
They and none others did.
d. Who madc tho Constitution Of d
PC United States2
30 The Constitution was mado the s
premc law of tho land by conventio
ND of people ofall the States; and the o
sh ly method by which q State can
'at released with any show of loyaIt
" from its obligations TO the Unit
w. States, would be the assent of Il
ue same power that mado the FEEDER
,nt Constitution namely, Conventions
IL all the States.
u" What course did tho Rebel staI
OF pursue? ,,y..
10 They called popular conventions
nus oach separate seeding State, or
'he some, the simple votes OF. the Sta
ora Legislatures. .. ........
ost What results follow this?
as This was an appeal to the origil
we authority from which State Cover
'at- mont and Constitutions derived tn
or powers; but violation Of soler
cut faith towards tho Government a
Constitution c .dccreod by all tho p,
or pie of all the States, and which by
'Ies assent of each State, formed u vi
0hd part of each State Constitution.
= as What further results2
ap- Official perjury in any Governor
box call u convention to separate the ST
ich from tho Union because, before
OF could serve as Governor, no must hs
IN sworn to support the Constitution
.eot' the United States as swell as the G,
ION, stitution of the State he governs,
uo' We have thon two viows from I
lno stand points
So Yes from their position il was 81
C. Independence; looked at from a view
the Federal Constitution it was 81
US, suicide. The State so acting throl
new convention Of people was no lon
Iov. a State in the meaning that W
w bears in the Federal Constitution /;
VT " whatever it may have been bel
9TH it was one of the United States, it
ting transformed into q different polit
fore society by making the Federal {
stitution q part of its own org'
law. In cutting that bond it Bile
ana death as State, as far rs the Fed
'scnt Constitution knows q State, to
aud again as Rebel community, holt
We a portion OF Federal territory by t
Of arms.
What constitutes q State in
., meaning of the Federal Constitut
'o0'S A State in the meaning of tho
oral Constitution ia n politioal