Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1867-11-19

81 not found suitable for publication.
STATE SOVEREIGNTY.
Governor BRowNLOw, in his message
If 1853. thus let fly at the doctrine which
many very respectable gentlemen had
been in the habit, all their lives, oi
regarding Is sound and salutsry, indis-
pensible, indeed, to the continuance Of
the Republic:
We understand now, the full meaning
- tb,t aknminsble doctrine Of "Stats
Govereiguty,n the Southern tnterpreta-
ZION Of which has involved us in all our
troubles. For thirty years past the
-iniouitous phrase of Estate Sovereignty"
rs worked its way into public docu-
mants. political speeches and platforms
into every reasonable daily and weekly
Journal Of the country, and finally into
the common language OF the honest
pe0pIe. until it was understood to mean
That there was no other Sovereignty J"
in America, but State SOUereignty-that
The grestest amount Of this was lodged
in the Cotton States, and that whatever
thew resolved to do, it was marvelously
uroper to perfOrml Even in the pulplts
Of the South, the changes were rung
unon the mischievOus doctrine OF state
Sovereigutv," bs-Eed up by the IN
bounded influence Of the worst class OF
men that have made racks upon South
ern soil-secessiOn preachers. And thus
fIa reasonable doctrine Of Estate SCv-
ereiguty,1 hiss gradually been under
mining the Union for more than thirty
vesrs. and in my humble way l have OP-
posed il that long.
When applied simply to the authority
Of q State over her domestic Affairs,
and her local institutions, the doctrine is
sound, though even then, the word sot-
eraon signifies too much. how Tidicu-
Ious the idea is, Of q sovereign member
OF the Federal Union, existing, without
authority TO declare war, or eoncluds q
treaty Of peace-tO contract alliances, 70
levy duties and imports, or even to coin
money! This is sovereignty with 3 ven
geance, and 3 degree Of sovereignty that
is not likely 10 hold the nations OF the
earth in awe, while these several pcUeT-
las sovereigns confederate to overthrow
8 truly sovereign Power and achieve
their boosted independence!
hold that, under the Constitution Of
the United states, there can be but one
SOVEREIGN AUTHORITY, and to that all
state S0vereiguties are subordinate.
Hence. I am not one OF those mea who
are alarmed a. the powers assumed by
the Federal Government al this time,
regarding them as 8 departure from for
mer presidents. A state Of war forced
upon the country, by 8 set Of bad men
10 rebellion, calls for the exercise OF the
whole Of the National Gov
eminent. So far from finding fault with
the National Administration, for the eX-
srcise Of these alleged startling powers
I have felt inclined 20 gTumbls that we
have not had more Of the same sort
The real people have not made any fac
tioug compIsints as to the liberties OF the
country being endangered by these en-
croacbments on the part Of the General
Government, but have sustained the
Administration with great unanimity.
The argument Of these passages is
contained in the second paragraph, and
II "a that kind Of argument which Is
respectable no where, not even on the
stump. A small State parts neither with
her sovereignty or independence, by
uniting herself under the protection Of q
strong one: and certainly two or more
sovereign States do not do 90, when they
form q league or Confederation, and
agree TO exercise part Of their sovereign
powers jointly and not separately. They
do not abdicate or cede away their SOW
eighty by that. Hungary is a sovereign
State, although the Emperor Of Austria
il her King, and she forms part Of the
Empire. The whole question at issue
prior TO 1851 was, whether the UniOnwas
one OF the States, as States and sover-
eigns. II 90, they had not parted with
any portion Of their sovereignty but
they exercised part Of its powers by
means OF an agency established by them
selves.
The Governor has an ally 10 that
vretched Statesman, CHARLES SUMNER.
This man, who, without s 1.-THE OF the
genius Of LAMARTINE, Is even q greater
political failure, lately delivered q lecture
10 Chicago, Of which the Tines says:
Among these r~esurrected relics OF Fed
eraIism stands prominent Mr.. Charles
sumner. This person was recently
delivered OF a "lectuTen in this city,
the text. " Are we a nation?" In
the opinion Of Mr.. Sumner, we are not
a nation, and viii not be until our form
government shall he thoroughly and
radically r~smOdelledi on the basis Of
a. o sovereignty" The proposition,
stated in bis Own language, Is, that
a. State rights, 10 al their denational pie
must be tFtmpled out forever"
To what "denatiOnsl pretensions" 10
State rights does Mr.. Sumner allude?
Fortunately. be does not leave bis mean
70 be inferred. He leaves il amidst
no ambiguity Of words. He asserts,
Almost 10 the next sentence, that Local
sovereignty Is incongruous with any gov
eminent truly national"
In his recent Lecture In this city, I
Mr. Charles Sumner announced as among
he essential prerequisites OF an Amen-
nationality that " the Declaration OF
Independence must become the fUnda-
mental law Of the land, and that State
rights must be trampled out forever
Now, the language Of the Declaration OF
Tndepsndence, as Mr.. Sumner ought TO
EnoT. Is. that these united colonies
are. and Of right ought to be- free and
.sdeDendenf States and that, as free ana
uQeD6MuefL DLutcet NV F"
n levy war; etc
fhe doctrine Of State rights, In what
Mr. Sumner calls its T" deDAtionai preten-
IONS Is thus clearly and emphatically
.,nuneiated ia the document which Mr..
invokes ia airport OF the de-
that State rights shall be tram
1led out forever"
The people Of 3 State are the State
nd II the negroes are to be the Govern
,rs and the people Of ten States, we are
eady to admit that the doctrine Of State
sovereignty il nonsense. A Sovereign
tate OF negroes would certainly be 3
rslN aGtur0.
The Governor frankly said:
III am anything in politics, ! come
nder the hsted Appellation Of Federal
y name glyea 10 the friends Of the
.anstimoop Of fhs United States, at its
'rnsfIon nud adoption, and 70 the pO-
1iesi party that favored the admins
,sfIon OF President Wsshtngtop-the'