The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1867-03-01
COLUMBIA.
Friday Morning, March l, 1867.
Conflicting Authority in High Places.

our readers that the Government, or
at least two departments thereof,
have had caused to be prepared a
pamphlet of seventytwo pages, to be
used at the approaching Paris Exhi-
bition by the United States Commis-
sioner, to convey authoritative infor-
nation of the statistics of the country
It is compiled by Alexander Delmar,
Director of the Bureau Of Statistics
in the Treasury Department, and,
therefore, so far as statistics are con-
cerned, it is doubtless as correct as it
is possible for it to be, while its classi-
fcation and admirable condensation
are highly commended.
The New Orleans Picayene, in no.
ticing it, submits, however, that it
contains some very heterodox doc
trines. 1T notes that, undor the head
of ''Form of Government, the pam
phlet says that ''it is political fede-
ration of thirtysix States, nine Ter
ritories and the Districtof Columbia. "
The Picayuee scouts at the idea Of a
federation, - being under the impress
sion that the cannon law had decided
this to be a nation, and that the
States are not federated, but subor-
dlnate parts, which derive their pow
ers and qualities from the sovereign
whole.
Thirtysix States. Which are they?
MIR. Delmar enumerates ten of them,
which to-day are not in the Union,
and which fact the intelligent foreign
ers who may read this pamphlet
know as well as we, the excluded
people OF these ten, know and feel it.
Again: the pamphlet says, ssperfect
loyal and political equality is granted
to all white males Itought to have
added, except in ten States, - having
eight millions of inhabitants, and in
which about million of 'swhite
males have no political rights at all.
There are other minor inaccuracies
which our cotcmporary notices, such
as that by Federal laws ''propcrty,
when not otherwise devised, descends
to the children of the decease ed,
share and share alike, aud to the
next Of kin" There are no Federal
laws, that We know of, affecting the
descent of property The whole sub
Jectls exclusively regulated by State
laws. The pamphlet states that the
French is thelanguage which prevails
in Louisiana, which the Picovu,le
dlssents from, as misleading the peo-
pie Of Paris.
But what we regard Of some sign j.
ficance is the position assumed by
the two Secretaries, which is at direct
variance with that held by Congress,
and standing upon which they are
now legislating, SO as to change the
fundamental law of the land-the
Constitution of the United States.
Both houses of Congress have lust
declared that there are really only
twenty-seven States, and consequently
nineteen Territories. AS this is an
official publication, and as neither of
the Secretaries under whose auspices
1t was prepared and issued are allies
or friends of Sumner and his party,
1t Will give that leader OF ralicalism
an opportunity, as in the McCraclzen
business, to demand an Investigation.
and inquire upon what grounds the
tunctlonaries alluded to have dared to
call this Government a federation OF
thlrty-six States, when the august
bodies, comprising the upper and
lower house, driven by Sumner in the
one and Stevens in the other. have
passed solemn .enactments to the con-
trary. Such course might eventu-
ate in impeachment, and the Presi-
dent and his Cabinet officers undergo
trial at the same time.
What commentary does even this
little pamphlet, with its magnificent
StafiStics and ucaf,l ;,fo,,.a4: -