Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1866-04-26

of State Rights. 1t is a bill to establish a
great consolidated Federal Government
1t is a step, let me say a stride rather, to-
ward despOtism. = y The Fugi-
tive Slave act was a gross impeachment
of the honor of the, Legislatures and the
good faith Of the people Of the States. '''
! This bill Is founded on the same distrust
and suspicion of State legisation aud the
same desire to control it by Federal author
! ity. - 1t is the monstrOps birth of a
bad time. Sir. the clearest and widest sep
aratiOn possible under the Constitution, OF
the sphere of the National from that of, the
State judiciary, is the true means of peace
and harmony, But this bill expresses the
very wantonhess OF contempt for this prin-
ciple. 1t Is framed as If its express design
was to bring on desperate conf lot between
the courts of the States and those of the
United States. = Sir, the end of this
road Is ruin. y ' Amendments would
not divest this bill OF its evil principle, or
avert its fatal effect as precedent for Con-
solidation and despotism." .r.r.. ., si., .
This bill under discussion by. Senators
Wade and Chase bears no comparison in its
encrOachments on the rights OF the States
to the Civil Rights bill 1t will be seen
that these Senators I'M IS55 regarded the
least AnOyatiOn upon their notions of State
rightSas a step, a stride rather, toward des-
pOtism, ''miserable despotism." The'samc
Constitution exists now that did then. f0
The Republican party of Ohio is also
committed against any such eDcrOachments
as is proposed by this Civil Rights bill. In
their first convention held in Columbus, on
the 18th of July, 1886, they a.,l.. r..I.-
"ReSoIued, That the people, who constitute
the supreme power in the United States,
- NI, -. ..
of the several States, as INDEPENDENT Gov
ERNMENTs. No encroachment upon their
legislative or judicial prerOgatives should
be permitted from any quarter"
Mr.. Chase in speech in response to his
nomination for Governor, said: .r ar1lT
The independence and sovereignty of
the State, in her legislative and judiciary,
mnst be asserted and MAINTAINED"
The policy of Stevens, Sumner and their
supporters, in their efforts to break
down State Governments. destroy the in
dependence of the judiciary, and build up
a strong central power, is more dangerous
TO the existence of our Republican form OF
Government than was ever the attempt of
the rebels to withdraw from the Union
Revolutions are not always necessarily
bloody. They may be bloodless, as well.
The revolution attempted by the rebels,
had it been successful, would have destroy
ed our territorial Union: 1t would have
humbled our pride as nation: it would
have rendered us second or third class
power among the nations, and probably in
vited the derisiOn of the worlds it would
have ruined our prosperity as a people and
would have been a precedent destructive
of all our future hopes. These things our
people would not submit to- they testified
with their blood their devotion to the Union
of our fathers. Had the rebels been sue
cesstul, and established their COnfederacy,
they could not have destroyed our Re-
publican form of Government. We would
have had the same old Constitution, the
same laws, the same relations between the
General and State Governments that existed
before the war, the same in everything eX-
cept in size and pr0sperity. Let our General
Government be destroyed or wlthdraWn
entirely, and each State resolved into
its original separate Independent con-
dition, and yet there Is no reason why
the people of each State might
not enjoy a Republican Govern
ment, if they were true TO themselves
Divide your States into counties; your
counties into townships; your townships
into districts or families, and each one OF
| your families, districts, townships and
counties may be an independent Republic,
| though the difficulty of enjoying that in
dependence would be increased. This
theory was recognized in the formation of
our Government. Each community (and
none less shan a State was recognized) was
asked to concede certain portions of its
Orginalrights to form General or Federal
Government for the benefit of all. All
| powers or rights not conceded by the State
to the General Government, was retained to
| II. . tF,,o.., All -
this plan adopted by the fathers OF the
Revolution, the more communities or States
that should be added to the general ar
rangement, the greater the security, happi-
ness and prosperity of the people, for such
community or State, would be strengthened
| in its power to protect its oWn citizens. By
a strict adherence to the theory of our Gov
ernment, our country can neverbecone too
large. ". t- H1srfa
On the other hand, If the policy of the
Radicals, led by Sumner and Stevens, is to
be followed and adopted, then our Govern
ment or territorial limits can never be
too small. Mr.. Bingham says the Civil
| Rights bill ''strikes down by Congressional
enactment, every State Constitution" i'm
prisons the Governor OF Ohio in 0the Peni-
tentiary for obeying the requirements of
the Constitution of the State, and violates
|
Radicals propose to usurp the rights of the
States to protect and control their own
citizens in reference to purely local queS.
tiOns. They propose to determine that col.
ored children shall go into the schools anC
sit in tue same seat with yours; to go into
yoqp church and rent theneXt pew to yours
or 1.-THE pews are not rented, to sit in tht
seat with you. In the language of ,tht
Commercial, they pro lOse to make "al
distinction against color anywhere accord.
ing to the established g Customs 7of oul
society, a crime, punished with severe
| penalties" To acquesce in their Radi.
cal destructive measures, in the language
af Senator Wade, sis to yield up all tho
rights of the States to protect their owl
citizens, and to consolidate this Government
into miserable despotism.n s1Y lo .a5
! President johnson truly said on the 22(
of February, that Stevens, Sumner -anC
their followers "still stand opposed ito the
restoration OF the union, of these States
He said: IL look upon them asomuoh Op.
! posed to the fundamental principles of the
4 Government, and believe they are as much
laboring to prevent or destroy Ihem,8 as
were the men who fought Against us" > r.
When Jefferson Davis and his followers
proposed to dtssever the Union, they pro-
claimed their intentiOnstO the world, The
Government was notified of their intentions
and knew what to do.-When Stevens
Sumner and their followers propose to con.
vert our republican Government into 4
despotism, they assail it with the masked
face of friendship, but with the treacheron'
4, sword of Joab. "a disseyered Republic Il
preferable to consolidated despotism
The reception de law Of the doctrines Ol
Stevens, Sumner Il Co., would be 'morU ca.
lop,itotic M hhat int fpofa f,f fhn t,pf,,Ia n