The tri-weekly news. [volume] (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1865-1876, 1866-04-24

to this, except in Rhode Island and
Connecticut. The Congress Of the Con.
federation united feebly and imperfect.
ly in itself all the three departments of
the present Government.
When it is known that four months
were taken mp in the framing Of the
Constitution before us, it cannot be
doubted that not only every phrase, but
even every word of that instrument was
carefully, exactly and definitely weigh.
ed This was inevitable from the great
cantlousncss and peculiar sensitiveness
of each State, whenever any measure
was proposed by the Congress of the
Confederation, lest some flaw might be
produced in the band Of States Rights
that held them isolated. Nothing then
but solemn conviction Of failure in the
already tested method Of the Union,
could have induced those wise and con-
scentous delegates Of States punctiious
in principle to surrender so many attri-
bu,es Of State Sovereignty that the
Sovereignty they were about to create
should be clothed in exactly the same
habilamcnts that gave character to each
State, and should be above the Sover.
cignly Of States in the powers grant.
ed therein.
"All legislative powers herein grant.
cd" powers" here means "au;hori.
ties. " Do not forget that words were
weighed III the framing of this Constitu
ton. "Granted." If ''lent" had been
meant, no doubt it would have been so
expressed, But the word grant" was
we'll known. It's impossible that in a le.
gal document those wise men should use
the word in any sense than as is IL in
transfer Of property by sale, grant or
conveyance, which is its legal definition.
Just as property is transferred, just so
were all the "legislative powers" grant
ed to Congress; and just as such proper.
ty cannot be reclaimed except by the
consent of the grantee, so too those spe.
cited legislative powers Tor attributes of
sovereignty given bestowed upon and
yielded to Congress by this grant, the
Constitution, cannot be taken back
without the consent Of Congress This
position may seem ultra to those who
have "gone it blind" in adopting the
sublimatei theories Of State Rights, but
it is ,mpregnable.
"Shall be vested" That is, Con.
gress shall be put in possession of those
"grantel powers" Hero is another ir.
revocable grant. Not irrevocable, ab.
solu'ely but relatively. In so far as
the sovereignty Of any one State is con
cerned, irrcvocable. But in so far as
the sovcrcignties of Constitutional
majority is concerned, not irrevocable.
(Which (Congress) shall consist of a
Senate and House Of Representatives" {"
The parallel in the two schemes of gov.
crnment, that of the States, and that of
the United States, is very remarkable.
Without losing their indentity as sepa.
rate sovereigns, the States bear exact
" the same relation to the United Sow.
creignty, that the several Districts and
Counties do to the separate State sover
eighty. The Senate in States Legisla
lures is the representation of Districts or
Counties. The House of Representa-
tives in the same Legislature, is the
representation Of the people Of Districts
and Counties. The Senate Of the Uni
ted States Legislature is the representa-.
ton of States. The House of Repre.