The Fairfield herald. [volume] (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1849-1876, 1867-09-11
[ Written for tie Fairfield Herald.
On tho Situation-A True Bill.

On tho Situation True Bill.
G. What is State?
A. The State is community of people
who have the power and tho right Of self
government.
O. What is q Confeleracy?
A. A Confcdcrncy is union of States.
Q. Arc the States composing our Confcdc-
racy sovereign
a. Yes. Tho thirteen States, which first
formed tho Confcdcracy of The United States,
wcrc acknowledged to be sovereign and
independent States, by Great Britain when
tho colonies gained their Independence.
Ard all the States which have subsequent.
roign and independent.
Q. Whoro then in our political oreaniaa.
tion does the sovereign power rest?
A. In the States. They arc the supreme
power III our system.
@. !Aow Gun this be when tho Constitution
of the union and the laws passed in pursu-
ance thereof, arc called tho supreme laws of
tho land I?
A. Because the States created the Federal
Government, and give it all.
@. What therefore, arc tho nature Of
these powcrs and how aro they to DO con-
strucd and for whose benefit used?
~. They arc to be used solely for the
benefit of tho States. they arc to bo constru.
ed strictly, and arc not sovereign, but
strictly dclcgratcd powers.
n Is tLo r., oval H. 49,.
crcisn sa.s
a. No. 1t only represents sovereignty
and is simply tho agent Of the States and
nothing moro.
@. Has tho Federal Government the Con.
stitutionnl power TO coerce State, that is,
to forcc State to submit to unconstitulion-
al laws?
A. BY no means, because all unconstilu.
tional laws arc null and void--and such
powor would ignore State sovereignty and
destroy the Union.
@. What is the difference between State
powcrs and Federal powers
a. There aro no limitations to TITO powers
Of the States, except 80 far as they havo
granted certain subjects to the legislation
of Congress and few prohibitions imposed
in the State and Federal Constitution.
@. Why and on what principle arc tho
FsdSsa powers limited
A. They arc limited, because they are
only entrusted to lcgislatc on few objects
ofgcncral interest and arc 10 be constrl,-
cd strictly, because they wcro all granted
by tho Slacslo the Federal Government,
upon tho plain principle that when VIC give
ono thing, we hold back all other things,
not giycn--enua,eratio unius, etclusio dltci.
aS.
Q. What political agents constitute The
Federal Government?
a. Tue President the Congress and tho
Judiciary.
Q. Who make tho Federal laws /?
A. Congress and tho President, but Tie
Judiciary ION case coming up) hayo tho
power 10 pass upon their constitutionality,
txpound and apply them. t
@. Are each of those funotionarios, inde
pcndcnt Of tho others
A. They aro coordinate and Independent
Of each other.
Q, How now Do you understand tho
constitution md the rights of war?
~. l think do, / certainly understood
them at ono time. forI am old and have
forgotten more than know, at present.
O. Did you ever know The Congress TO
muzzle tho Judiciary?
A. No, unless they havc done so in ono
Of the supplementary military hills
Q. Arc tho late military laws, so-called,
and tho aots supplementary thereto, consti.
tutional 1
A. Mo President says they arc not, but
Congress carried them over his veto.
O. Does the Judiciary have any jurisdic.