Daily union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1865-1866, 1866-10-09
Al AsrorNnrNa coNFEssIoN

eminent; there Is none 50 important in every
sense; and none about which, after ninety
years experience under two forms--frst the
Articles Of Confederation. and, for three
quarters Of a century since, the Constitution
Of the United States,-there is 50 much con-
fusion Of thought and disagreement Of
opinion. The present Confederacy was
found inadequate. The present Constitution
formed to effect "a more perfect Union, and
to delegate to the General Government sufi-
cient power, and to determine accurately
the metes and limits of that power. 1t re-
quired all the genius and statesmanship Of
the authors Of ihe 'Federalist," and Of the
clearest and most dispassionate minds Of the
time to secure its ratification, and to satisfy
two classes Of objectors one which thought
it conferred too much general authority,
and the other which held that it grant
ed too little. II was thus that the
present Government went into opera
ton. The original divergence Of opinion
still exists; and in addition, numerous con-
troversies as to the construction Of the in
strument have arisen, and the whole matter
may be said to be yet undecided It will be
marvel to the future writer upon govern
ments, that people with minds 50 active,
and Interests, in many respects, 50 cIashing,
remained so long under form Of govern
ment so inviting TO popular excitements,
and so vulnerable to the assaults Of extreme
Iatitudinarians and extreme strict construc-
tionists. The explanstion:ean only be found
in the practical good sense Of the Americas
people, which saw, intuitiyely, that the Con-
stitution was the basis Of the wisest repnbli-
can Government ever devised, and, that to
abandon It. was 70 get adrin upon shore
less sea without rudder or anchor. Hence
they have held TO it.
During, and since the close Of the civil
war, all the questions as to power have been
brought forward for discussion anew. In the
adhering States there was a party which
never failed to protest against the assump-
don Of vast power, but it was overborne by
the war clamor, and authority as broad and
absolute as was ever welded by King or
Kaizer was exercised without scruple or
limit. The safety Of the nation was assumed
to be the supreme law, and the Constitution
was put away in the pigeon holes Of a gi-
gantie bureaucracy. But the war ended, and
even those who had set it aside knew enough
Of the popular feeling to revert to it, and, at
least, pretend to order their action in accord
ance with it. Il was consulted to learn the
mode of demonstrating" the Union. It
had been searched in vain to find power to
save the Union by force Of arms, but it had
been saved by this means; and certainly,
said the peculiar Union saviors, there is
authority for completing the military work
BY civil agencies. But it seems there is
none. The Republican National Com
mittee a week or two since issued
an address, supposed to be from the
pen Of HORACE GREELEY, which, in
apology for the congressional delay in re-
storing the Union, contains this remarkable
sentence: "CoRsider how utterly silent and
blank is The Federal Constitution touching the
treatment Of inslTgent STATES Uhether during
their aagra'a hostllts.to he Union, or after their
discontinue" This is an admission that
there was no power given the Government
to war upon States as such, and that there
is no power to deal with them now, either to
admit or exclude. And this from the grand
sanhedrim Of the party which directed the
engines of war against States, and is to-day
assuming to deprive them of their just
and lawful position in the Union and pro-
scribe them into dependent provincesl Il is
5 confession that in 1861, the Government
was launched upon an extra-eonstitGtional
and revolutionary course; and that the Con-
stitution neither had the vigor to fight itself
through civil war, nor Stamina enough to
stand its consequences Is the Constitution,
which is the only true Government, safe in
the hands Of raen who deny to it both posi-
tive and negative virtues? What security
have the people for that liberty which comes
Of written and sacred laws and constitutions,
if they are condemned and triaed with in
this manner?
But the sentence we have extracted is
true nevertheless. The Constitution of the
United States operates coereiyely on indi
viduals only. 1t has power to. enforce the
general laws made under it upon persons,
but it gives no power TO any one to declare
States in. rebellion, any more than it gives
power 10 men to impose conditionsto relieve
themselves Of the consequences Of rebellion.
Il was an egregious blHnder that wrought
infinite mischief, 70 talk about coercing States.
States cannot violate laws, and are not pun
ishable. Il was a theory born Of a revolu-
tionary spirit-one that intended to use the
war to annihiliate the just rights Of the
States, and fuse all power in the central
government. The idea is now uppermost
in the minds Of Radical leaders, and they
intend 10 carry it out, and hug our federal
system Of government to death in the en-
braces Of the monster-coRsolidation