Daily union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1865-1866, 1866-05-25
WHAT CONSTITUTES A STATE.

A State in the Federal Union is corn-
munity of native-born and naturalized cit
liens under the laws Of the United States,
numbering not Jess than one hundred and
forty thousand souls, inbabiting a certain
designated and defined territory, having Ger
tain rights inherent as such a community,
and owing certain obligations as such, under
authority delegated to the Government of
the United States.
The rights Of State are these two Sen
ators in the Congress Of the United States
one Representative for each one hundred
and forty thousand inhabitants, excluding
Indians not taxed, and including those
bound 10 service for term Of years, the
Constitution also excludes from the enume-
ration Of representative population, 'three-
ffths of all other persons" but as this term
was applicable to slaves, and there are now
no slaves, it, of course, has no application j
that direct taxes shall be apportioned equal
ly among the States on the representative
basis; that its public acts, records and judi
cial proceedings shall have fail faith and
credit in every other State of the Union;
TO participate through electors Of its own
choice, in the election of President and
Vice President Of the United States that
its citizens shall be entitled to all the privi-
leges and immunities of the citizens of every
other State; that it may demand from the
authorities Of any other State the restora-
ton of fugitive from justice under its laws;
that its territory shall not be divided with
out its own consent; that after having es-
tablished for itself republican form Of gov
ernmant it shall be guaranteed in its main
tenance; that these rights are reserved to it
and its people, and all other rights and pow
ers not delegated to the General Govern
ment
The obligations and duties of State are:
to respect and obey in its judicial, legisla-
tive and executive functions, the Gonstitu-
ton and laws of the land as the supreme
law; to elect Senators and Representatives
and Presidential electors; to forbear from
treaties, alliances and considerations, grant
ing letters Of marque, coming money, or
making anything but gold and silver legal
tender in the payment of debts or emitting
bills of credit, or laying imposts or tonnage
duties, or passing laws er post tacto, or in
impairment of contracts and to adhere TO
a republican form of government.
This is a summary of the leading charac-
teristics ofa State of the American Union. By
name, described boundaries, population, and
requisite qualifications as above described,
there are THIRTY-sIX States composing the
United States. Every one of them are in
the performance of their obligations and
duties in form, in substance, and in good
faith under the instrument which styles and
recognizes them as States.
ELEVEN of them are excluded from the
enjoyment of all the essential rights which
belong TO them as States, by portion Of one
Of he departments Of the General Govern
ment, and are thus, to all intents and pur-
poses contemplated by the Constitution, not
States.
This is statement of facts which cannot
be denied, and which it is, perhaps, profit
less for one living in an excluded State to
further discuss The cotemporary observer,
or the student of history who has not mas
tered the construction of the Government,
may wonder that such state of things is
possible; bat the matter for his wonder will
be greater, if ere many years, the faction
which produces it is not completely over
thrown, or this forced exclusion made to
terminate in a permanent disruption of the
Government, and an indefinite scene of an
archy and bIoodshed among warning fac
tiOns