The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1867-04-17

a IN dava Of Louis XIV, had less 81 shxps
mo and unity than the identities of race and
lanpuape. that made us one
great republican, state" The italics are Mr..
Lewis.
Again he says 8: "Some would be startled
at the idea that our republican nation
is as absolute power and as absolute a. ov-s
ereignty as that Of France or Russia A lit
tie thought, however, enables us to go be-
yond the form into the substance of the mat
ter. The sovereignty in every state = the
national mind acting through the national
will, and aided by the national force. But
this mind and viii are very different in diff
ferent states"
I have, in the last quotations, italicised
the words "nation," estate" and Estates" to
impress the reader with the fact that Mr.
Lewis uses "nation" and estate" as CONVEX
tible terms. He uses them thus indiscrimin-
ately throughout his photograph" and cor
rectly, too. tA fsAa a.
Now let us examine the Conclusion fol-
lowing irresistably from" the fact, that ma
ton and state are convertible terms. Mr..
Lewis says: "The argument may be summed
up in two propositions. The first is q SIM
pie statement of fact, the second conclu-
sion following irresistably from it.
proposition LIST. The United States is
a nation
If Professor Lewis ''frst proposition is a
| fact then not only "the second, a conclu-
sion following irresistably from it," is true
but other conclusions are.equally irresistible
in fact, inevitable. If"the United States
is nation" then the conclusion follows ir.
resistably" that the United States is state,
for nation and state are, as Mr.. Lewis, by
using them indiscriminately, admits, CONVEX
tible terms. Again if ''the United States is,
as Mr.. Lewis asserts, "one great republican
state, then there is absolutely, as the Chica
go Tribune asserts, ''no such thing as state
sovereignty in this country" save the sover
eighty of this zone great republican state,
conceived, as some neurological prodigy Of
Greece, in the very imaginative and prolific
brain of Professor Lewis. But, again, i
"the United States is state" then "the con
clu.ion follows irresistably'' that there is NJ
other state within its geographical limits
much less thirtyseven states, minus those
now governed by the military despotism a
| Washington. And the reason is Obvious
1t is an absolute impossibility for one sover
eighty to exist in the limits of another sover
eignty-however plausible, though fsllacious
the theory of divided sovereignty and
double allegiance may be.
4 On this question Mr.. Lewis agrees with
the Philadelphia convention and Senator
Cowan. He says:
"The writer has been charged with max
ing the government at Washington the soy
ereign This is not his idea. 1t is the nation
that is sovereign, one and indivisible, o
which the general government is but crea
ton"
In order to prove the existence of his "on'
great republican state" Mr.. Lewis ignore
FIVE historical andAoffcial facts.
| First, the assertion of the Declaration O
Independence, "that these united colonies
are and of right ought to be free and indie
pendent states Second, that "his Britan
Majesty acknowledges New Hampshire
Massachusetts,, Rhode Island, Connecticut
New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Del
aware, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina
South Carolina and Georgia, to be free, soy
ereign and independent states" Third
that the articles of confederation declar
that leach state retains its sovereignty, free
dom and independence" Fourth, that tn
journal of the federal convention proves tina
the effort of the monarchists to establish
national government was voted down by
decided majority of the states represented IL
the convention. And fifth, that Rhode Is
land, New York and Virginia reserved, il
their several ordinances ratifying the fedora
constitution, the right to ''resume the power
delegated to the common agent of the con
federated states" Mr.. Lewis says: again
nation never creates itself. 1t is
the work of God and history, or rather @
God working in history"
Now if God working in history create
nations states, it seems to me that -th
above historical and official facts go t,
prove that He created confederacy of soy
erign states on this continent, which, if th'
government were administered on the democra
tic theory of "strict construction, would have
all the advantage of the empire system
without trenching on local self-government
| BE this as it may, one thing is certain, name
| ly, that the above historical and official fact
prove that New Hampshire, Massachusetts
Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New
| jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, MARYLAND
Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolins
and Georgia were once, at least, sovereign
states, and / call Professor Lewis to the wit
ness stand to testify to the indestructibilit,
of each and every one of them. The new
| states admitted under the constitution ar
admitted ON an equality with the origin
al states and are entitled to the same rights
| MrLewis says: "The social compact theory
once such a favorite with a certain class o
political writers, requires, III some way, tn
assent of each party to the formation Of
state. Withouthere accepting or controvertln:
any such theory, it is sufficient to say tina
there is far more power, as well as truth, IL
the argument, that is a state once formed
and however formed, the protest of even on
part should avail against its wanton dissolu
ton
Now there is not one reader of the ARGUS
if there is one man in Illinois, but will ad
NIT that Virginia was State. And Nh
Lewis says: "a state once formed and hou
ecer formed, the protest even of one pal
} should avail against its wanton dissolution,
and yet he unblushingly and inconsistent
advocates the despotic humiliation of til
state of Virginia, while prating about th
characterization of the 4th of July an
Washington's birth day"
STATE SOVEREIGNTY.