The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-04-28
"FEDERALAo


We have received the following communca-
ton from venerable scholar and divine which
we cheerfully give place to in our columns:-
To Ne Editor of ae EUening TeLegrdph,--
THIS word is defined by Webster I'll. Pertaining
70 league contract; derived from agreement
or covenant between parties, particu arly between
q CONSISTING in compact between parties, par
ucuiar,y aud chiefly between states OF nationsj
founded alliance by contract or mutual agree
ment; as Federal Government, such as that OF the
United states"
Now Mr. Editor with all due Difference to the
great exlcographer-and admit the measure due Is
verv great-yet, will you allow me to say II this
deinillon with the exemplIhcatlon, be correct ana
true then is ne arch Rebel and his associate spces
BonlsIS right, ami Abraham Lncoin and al OF US
arc wrong. 1t ours IS a Jederdt Gooetnn.enL % .oe-
ties, potteuary between nalOns," ana II tne3e
parties IN our case are the State viewed as nations,
alIiance by contract or mUtua agreement and thus
given existence TO "a tederdt Government" ten is
ours a confederation Of states, and not a RdtioBH
GoUelmn,eat Now this last 10 precisely tine
grand taken by Mr. Patterson IN the erand
plan" Of which he was the parent and the
most able supporter. He express and explicitly
denied that we, the people o. the States were
nation and hat tle Convention had any uRht ana
pow er TO form National Constitution and Govern
ment tSee Madison Papers, p. 83l to S3i He
affirmed it was ana should be pure,g Federat Up
36l) Wilson did the same, calling it 'g eat con.
tedeTai ed republic" (p. 764), and confederation"
~ SOO) Andl sworth moved a modlfca ION of
RandOphs tnlrd resolution, so as to leave out tho
In opposinon TO this stood Randoph's fifteen
TesouhOns all tending to nationality. These were
calico "the Virginia Plan ms later wa, adVo.
GATED by all the ,romnenJ men of the South except
Lowndes and Martin Toe Jersey scheme or state
NV Engand members, and some from New Jersey
and Pennsylvania
But may not discuss the general subject The
object Of this paper to ask the attention of your
numerous and intel igent readers TO fact which
really constitutes powerful proof against This WeO.
sterlan doctrine that gives so much encouragement
to the denaionaz'ng doctrine of secession right
OF every State Ihe tact is this, VIZ the almost
tota reputation OF the word FsderdL from The prac-
tIcal Vocabu airy OF the National Convention In
the Old Articles he word Confederation eight
times; in the Constitution twice onlY;-Artlcle T.,
Section TO- IN ~ ate sha enter INTO any COntederl
ton" Article vi "All debts etc, shall be as va i'd
under the Confederation" Never is the word
applied 10 the Constitution or Government
But Tue main point, and remarkable one, is, that
in al the discussions, noted IN the Madison
papers similar repuc jatiOn occurs. / have had
curiosity, reading these invaluable documents to
marx down all the instances, paging them IN regu-
lar prUgIes-, ereln occur the phrases, National
GoUer nment National Legislature. National Repre-
SeltGtOeS, General Government National COBStitU-
HOH, and finu, a count with the record now be-
fore me, that, from pare 73l to page 1901 inc udng
NaGisOn's &C cunt of the ent re discussions the
Convention, VIZ, $40 pages the above phrases occur
three hundred and eigRt times. The phrase Federal
GOUernnert occurs but once. 1t Is used by sherman
on paPe 7S2.
1t is used sixteen times in o her connections; ana
once IN the letter to Congress have the phrase,
FegerdL Government, but in reference to the actual
system hen in operation, which was, protessedy, a
confederation If errors occur in my enumeration,
they will be those OF omission. Cases may have
escaped notice and record, but If so, they would
strengthen the congeries, a basis of argume nta-
ton. Now submit, that this most remarkable ac-
cumulatlon OF epthets, Implying nationality, and
this equally remarkable reputation Of the word
federal, combined together, prove that the men OF
The Convention considered themselves as laboring
for the establishment, not of a Confederation OF
States not OF Federal Government, but OF a Ma.
H0nGt Government IHEoPHILUs