The Elk advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Elk Co., Pa.) 186?-1868, 1866-08-30

Crnment, as uGnnCd ana nmltcu Dy Ine
Constitution of the United States and
the permanent integrity and indissolu-
biity of the Federal Union as a neces-
sary consequence; and second, it has
put an end finally and forever to the
existence of slavery upon the soil or
within the jurisdiction of the United
States. Both these points became di-
rectly involved in the contest, and con-
troversy upon both was ended absolutely
and finally by the result.
In the third place, we deem it of the
utmost importance that the real charac-
ter of the war and the victory by which
it was closed should be accurately un-
derstood. The war was carried on by
the government of the United States in
maintenance of its own authority and
in defense of its own existence, both of
which were menaced by the insurrec.
tion which it sought to suppress. The
suppression of that insurrection accom-
plished that result. The government of
the United States maintained by force
of arms the supreme authority over all
the territory, and over all the States
and people within its jurisdi ,tion which
the Constitution confers upon it but it
acquired thereby no new power, no en-
larged jurisdiction, no rights either of
territorial possession or of civil authority
which it did not possess before the re
bellion broke out. All the rinhtful
power it can ever possess is that which
is conferred upon it, either in express
terms or by fair and necessary implica-
ton, by the Constitution OF the United
States. 1t was that power and that au.
thority which the rebellion sought to
overthrow, and the victory of the Fed
eral arms was simply the defeat of that
attempt. The government of the Uni.
ted States acted throughout the war on
the defensive. 1t sought only to hold
possession of what was already its own.
Neither the war, nor the victory by
which it was closed, changed in any
way the Constitution of the United
States. The war was carried on by
virtue of its provisions, and under the
limitations which they prescribe, and
the result of the war did not either en-
large, abridge, or in any way change or
effect the powers it confers upon the
Federal government, or release that gov
ernment from the restrictions which it
has imposed.
The Constitution of the United States
is to-day precisely as it was before the
war, the "supreme law of the land,
anything in the constitution or laws of
any State to the contrary notwithstand-
ing" and to-day, also, precisely as be-
fore the war, all the powers not confer
red by the Constitution upon the gen.
eral government, nor prohibited by it to
the States, are reserved to the several
States, or to the people thereof"
This position is vindicated not only
by the essential nature of or govern
ment, and the language and spirit OF the
Constitution, but by all the acts and the
language of our government, in all its
departments, and at all times from the
outbreak OF the rebellion to its final
overthrow. In every message and pro
clamation of the Executive it was ex-
plicitly declared, that tie sole object
and purpose of the war was to maintain
the authority Of the Constitution and to
preserve the integrity of the Union /;
and Congress more than once reiterated
this solemn declaration, ana added the
assurance that whenever this object
should be attained, the warshould cease,
and all the States should retain their
equal rights and dignity unimpaired,
1t is only since the war was closed that
other rights have beon asserted on be-
half Of one department of the general
government. 1t has been proclaimed
by Congress that, in addition to the
powers conferred upon it by the Con-
stitution, the Federal government may
now claim over the States, the territory,
and the people involved in the insur-
rection, the rights of war, the right of
conquest and confscaticn, the right to
abrogate all existing governments, in
stitutions and laws, and to ubject the
territory conquered and its inhabitants
to such laws, regulations and depriva.
tions as the legislative departments of
the government may see fit to impose.
Under this broad and sweeping claim,
that clause of the Constitution which
provides that " no State shall without
its consent be deprived of its equal suf-
frage in the Senate of the United
States" has been annulled, and ten
States have been refused, and are still
refused, representation altogether in
both branches ef the Federal Congress.
And the Congress in which only part
Of the States and of the people of the
Union are represented, has asserted the
right thus to exclude the rest from rep.
resentation, and from all share in ma
king their own laws or chosing their
own rulers until they shall comply with
such conditions aud perform such acts
as this Congress thus composed may
itself prescribe. That right has not
only been asserted, but it has been ex-