Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1866-06-21
The Fatal Heresy of Democracy.

The most dangerous heresy that ever
infected any political party is the estate
sovereignty" theory which has been so
much a favorite among democratic
politicians from an early period in the
history of our government. In the con-
yersations had with Jefferson Davis since
his incarceration at Fortress Monroe, that
rebel chief and democratic leader bases
his secession and defends his treason on
this very theory of estate sovereignty"
which he interrogatively asserts was
tthe opinion Of the dominant democrat
lie party of the North" BY the plainest
language of our National Constitution,
however, that instrument and the laws
enacted in pursuance of it are expressly
declared to be "the supreme law of the
land" anything in the constitution or
laws of any State to the contrary, not
withstanding. Could anything be
palmer, or Of higher or better author
ity? And yet, the leaders Of the So
called democracy, including such men
at the South as the late John c. Calhoun
and John A. Quitman, and the still liv-
ing Jefferson Davis, and such men at the
North as the two Gov. Seymours, (of
New York and Connecticut), Franklin
Pierce, Ben and Fernando Wood, James
Buchanan, and all the smaller class of
politicians who in Vermont and else
where sympathized with or supported
the rebellion, on the ground of state
sovereignty, and that the Federal Gov
eminent had therefore no rightful au-
thority to coerce State-and yet, we
repeat, all such leaders claim to derive
their support Of this state sovereignty
doctrine on the very constitution whose
explicit language and authority to the
contrary we have just quoted
The history of this fatal heresy is sim
gular enough. 1t is well known to all
careful readers of our history, that the
"Articles Of Confederation" by which
the original thirteen States were gov
erned prior to the adoption Of the pres
ent Constitution, favored something like
Estate sovereignty" But the expert
ence of the government under them, es-
pecially during the war of the Revolu-
ton, was such that it was found almost
impossible to get along. There was SC
much conflict among the estate sover-
eighties" that there was no pulling to-
oether, and the wheels Of the Central
Government were continually in the
mud-dragging slowly, or not moving
at all. 1t was to remedy this very evil
that the present Constitution was
formed. It's trainers, when they intro
duced the preamble, therefore begin by
saying:
"we, the People of the United States
in order to form more perfect union,
&c.
By noting these Introductory words
of the Constitution it will be observed
that it is 1--WE the People of the United
States" not the States in their organ
lied, corporate capacity, who make the
institution. 1t is not therefore mere
compact or agreement between sover
eign States, as democratic politicians
claim, And in order to make it perfect
ly plain to all fair, honest minds, tina
sovereignty was thereafter to reside only
in the Central Government, all the NOR
essential attributes of sovereignty ar
explicitly taken away from the States
They are expressly denied the right o.
power to make treaties, declare wal
create armies or navies, lay imposts o
duties, to keep troops or ships of war
to regulate commerce, or manage thei
postal affairs. How State can be
sovereign" and yet be expressly denie
all these powers, passes our comprehen
sion, or the comprehension OF any san
man. Such an idea can only lodge /
the head of a viciously trained demo
crat.
There was estate sovereignty pal
ty in the convention that framed tn
Constitution, but it was voted down b
the Washington and Hamilton part,
called Federalist, because its member
were for granting sovereign or suprem
authority only TO the Federal govern
ment, and by the more conservative pc
ton OF the Republican or Democrat
nartu of that day When the COpst
tuition was submitted to the sever
States, the more radical of the Dem
cratic or Republican party opposed
and Patrick Henry of Virginia, WI
took the stump to oppose its ratification
had the manly honesty to assert h
ground of hostility to be the fact tn
it took away the sovereignty OF Vi
ginia..