The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1866-02-17
WHAT rs THE UNION :

make. We copy his fourth letter, which
our readers will End instruetive and in
teresting. He says:
In the last number we saw how odiou
the idea Of coercion was esteemed by th,
Federal Convention, and how frequent an,
/ emphatic was their refusal to Incorporate
1.-THE right into the system Of government
they were forming Let us now see wha
the opinion of the States was upon thi
point at the time that they adopted III,
Constitution. It may we'll be eonceivet
/ that they did not imagine any such righ
TO be. granted.
Thus, in the Massachusetts, Convention
Mr.. Symmes, fearing that the Govern
ment might in time uEnrp powers not del
Iegated, and wishing strict restraints pu
upon it TO prevent such nsGrpatiOn, espe
cially with regard to the point we are nov
considering, expressed himself as follows
q In short, we know that all government.
have degenerated, and consequently havs
abused the powers reposed in them, and
why we should imagine better of the pro
posed Congress than of the myriads oi
public bodies who have gone before them
Il eannot at present conceive. Sir, We
lonoht (T sneak it with submissionA {,
consider that what we now grant, from
certain motives. we'll grounded at present
will be exacted of posterity as preroga-
tive when we are not alive TO testify the
taeit eonditSans of the grant-ihat the
wisdom of this age wiil then be pleaded
| by those in power, and that the cessiou
we are now about to make wiltbe actually
clothed with the venerable habit Of anees
trail sanction" How would he have
started, If at this moment glimpse oi
the future had been granted him and he
had seen public men of his own section
and Of his own State, stigmatizing the
work they were then engaged in perfect
ing. as league with Death" cove
nant with hell p Heeontinues: There
fore. SIR, humbly presume we ought moi
20 take advantage of our situation In
point of time, SO as to bind posterity tc
laws they may very possibly disapprove
nor expose them 70 > rebellion, which al
that period viii very probably end only
IN their farther subjugation. !" The Rev
Mr.. Stillman, an ardent supporter of the
Constitution, also expressed himself, In
one Of the most forcible speeches made
before the Convention. very plainly on
this point. Said he: :. Should the Gen
eral Government become so lest To all
sense of honor and the freedom of the
people. as to attempt TO enslave them.
they who are the descendants of race of
men who have de,hroned kings. would
make an American Congress tremble.
strip them of their honors. and reduce
them to the lowest state of degradation. y
These are bat two. out of numerous SINH
lar examples Of the estimation in which
the idea of coercion of State by the
General Government was held by Massa-
chusetls. but they ere enough TO prove
that twas not at all admitted or favored
by her.
In New York the idea met with still
stronger repfobation. In her Convention,
Alexander Hamilton, whose tes imony on
points of this nature is of the greatest
value. since heWas SO strong an opponent
Of everything like State Rights, and so
strong an advoeate for strong Govern
ment, that wherever Re iscbIiged to admit
them, the Law and the testimony naust be
positive indeed. Yet even he Is CON-
PEELED to deny that the Government has
any such power ia the following strong
language: 1t has been well observed, -
SAYS he, that to coerce a State is one Of
the maddest projects that was ever de-
vised. A failure of compliance will never
Be confined to single State. This being
the case, can We suppose il wise to hazard
3 civil Ear2 Suppose Massachusetts,, or
any ether large State, should refuse, aud
Congress should attempt to compel them.
would they not hare influence to procure
assistance, especially from those States
who are IN the same situation as them
selves What picture does this idea
present to our view Accompanying State
at war with uon-complyihg State Con-
gress marching the troops Of one State
into the. bosom, of another-this State
collecting auxiliafies and forming perhaps
a majority against its Federal head. Here
IS = patioB ct gwaT With itself Can any
reasonable man be well disposed towards
. Government which makes war and earn
age the only means Of supporting itself
! Goyernnlent that can exist only. By the
sword Z Egexyss war must involve
the innocent With the guilty. This single
consideration should be sufficient to dis
pose every peaceabie eitizcn against such
a9oeernmenf : Bat can We. believe that
/ 5.445 1.4s4 So