The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1866-06-28
The Ola Heresy sim Lives.
from the Baltimore Anie'7

State SeceSSlOnS DuG we nnu tnose oPlu-
ions shared by the Southern press,
with few exceptions, and by Northern
Democrats who unite with them in the
hue and cry against "consOLiddtioH."
We have as much faith in the Federal
Republic, and us earnest hope for its
continuance, as any Northern Demo-
crat can have. We are no revolution
lists, either, of the Southern school, to
reyolutionize the Government out of
existence, or to change its form, as is
to be the purpose of men who have
been true TO il. We are for the Consti-
tuition and the Union-for the Federal
Republic, with all it's delegated powers,
and the local governments with their
reserved powers-fnr the people as n
nation and for the people as citizens OF
States. This dual nature of our Gov
ernment is its hAppiest feature, and yet
demugogues are constantly endeavor-
ing to make it itincomprehensible. There
are ultraists who cannot conceive OF the
existence of any Government between
anarchy and absOlutism. Bolivar, learn
ing his ideas of confederation from
the Ancient Republics, and possibly
from some crude notions of our
State sovereignty men, declared against
a Confederacy in South America, be-
cause, as he said, n "Confederhcy is an
archy." Such the Secession leaders
desired to make it here. In 1882, under
the pretended reserved right of State
TO nullifya law of the United States,
measures were taken to torcibly resist
IT'S execution. The South Carolinians
mounted State cockade as n badge of
independence, and stuck up the name
of John G. Calhoun as first President
of the Southern Confederacy. Cover
nor Hayne issued his proclamation
openly defying the Executive of the
TI-;oo aua iSSIIaH fyanaral orders from
tie headquarters of the State, announ-
cling his determination to accept the
services of volunteers, "to hold them
tEselVes in readiness to take the field at
ga moments warming" This was the
legitimate offspring of the doctrine OF
State sovereignty, and made of the
Federal Government a mere treaty
created partnership, dissolvable at
pleasure. 1t placed the happiness of
thirty millions of people in the power
of single small State, and enabled a
small political clique, by managing the
State ring, to threaten with destruction
the glorious fabric of what the world
has already begun to regard as pow
erful nation. Such Confederation as
this would indeed have realized Boli-
vars idea of "anarchy."
The superstitiOns regarding our Ma
tional Constitution which have grown
out of this generic notion of State SOW
ereignty are and they have found
their way into public laws, legal decl-
sions, congressional utterances, and
political hurrangues. The class OF pol
iticians who have been educated in this
school can see no departure from their
extreme doctrines without protesting to
fear Capitalization and consolidation.
According to their theory we must have
Government at the will of the States
which is anarchy, or an empire. In re-
ality their pretended fears of a consoli.
dated empire spring from their hatred
of democracy. They fear the voice OF
the majority of the people. and that is
why they wish TO offset the expression
of it with an unconstitutional reserva-
ton of stated powers. The people are
not to be so easily led astray, we appre-
hend, Jas these gentlemen think for. They
have learned in n very practical school
the necessity of 'cOerciOn," which was
n direct breach of the constitutional
compact according to the Calhoun
school, but 1t VIII be more dificnlt to
unlearn than il was to learn il. Pend
ing the South G CIrolina notification
movement, President Jackson, in his
message to Congress-, said: IF these
s.measures cannot be defeated and over
come by the power conferred by the
..Constitution on the Federal Govern
''ment, the Constitution must be con-
''sidered as incompetent to its own de-
"feEce; the supremacy of the law is at
"un end, and the rights and liberties OF
"the citizen can no longer receive pro-
| "tection from the Government of the
''Union." "In my opinion both
"purposes are to be regarded as revo-
"iutionary in their character and ten
'dencY, and subverSive of the supre-
'macv of the laws and of the integrity
"Of the Union"
These views were denounced at the
time as those of a cOnsOlidntionist, and
it has become the fashion of late for
some who were earnest in their support
of the Union cause during the rebellion
to Join their voices with the Rebels,
who are still crying out against consoli-
dation. Weshould not hesitate to warn
our readers OF impending danger If we
could perceivein The acts of the Union
party any tendency towards changing
the form of the Government, and we
think that those who have hitherto CO
operated with us, but have been SO
frightened at this bug-bear of consoli-
dalton, have taken counsel of their
fears rather than of facts. Let us look
at the proposed amendments to the
Constitution and see if we can see any
single article which tends towards CON
solidating or changing the form of the
Government. The first simply declares
who are citizens of The United States,
declaration which ought not to be
needed, and which, but for the auoma-
lous legislation and construction OF
law growing out of Slavery, would not
have been needed. 1fthe few decisions
bearing upon the subject had not tend
ed to involve the matter in the publlc
mind, we have no doubt that it might
and would have been left to
the Supreme Court, which could
have no difficulty in deciding it, as at
present constituted, and with the dis
turbing element of Slavery out OF the
way. But, as conflict of opinion has
existed, it is important to the people of
the United States that the declaration
should be made as to who are citizens.
This is conceded by everybody, we be-
lieve, and Senator johnson, of Mary
land, made an earnest argument in It's
favor, There is no consolidation in
that. We have constitutionally natu-
rallied foreigners into citizens-we see
no harm in declaring natives TO be citi-
zens.
The second propositionis to make the
voting population the basis of repre-
sentation. The present Constitution
does the same thing, adding thereto ar
bitrarily "three-ffths OF all other per-
sons" The proposed amendment
practically does away with the "three-
''tifths of all other persons" only, and
simply says that those who do not vote
shall not be represented. Is there any
consolidation in this9 or any change OF
the form of Government?
The third proposition provides that
no rebel or traitor shall hold office un-
der the United States government
| wholesome and wise provision, we
think. There are many good and true
patriots who never hold Office, and they
do not appear to suffer greatly, but to
regard it as a privilege to be exempt
from the duty. If rebels and traitors
receive no worse treatment than that
we think they are getting of very easy
MT hur 10 t1.a CONGRATULATIONS