Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1867-02-14


their names and pledged their lives
thcir fortunes aud their sacred honor
to the maintenance Of that assertion
Two years after this, articles of con.
federation and perpetual union were
entered into between the States and
the second article thereof expressly
provided that each State should Gre.
tain its sovereignty, freedom and in.
dependence" Under tho State Gov
ernments united by those articles OF
confederation, the thirteen colonies
fought tho war OF the Revolution, and
conquered their independence. Be
fore the war they were vassals Of the
British Parliament atteri they were
free and independent States From
the declaration Of peace until the form
alton of the Federal Constitution in
1888, there was no power on earth
that was the superior Of Pennsylvania.
It's people were the source of all pow
or over themselves It's Legislature,
of which VIC are tho lineal descend
ants, possessed the right TO make laws
for their government, and to perform
all acts that free and independent
State might do. The enactment OF
our State Constitution placed q limi-
tation upon the power Of the Legisla-
tnre, and served tooontrol and restrain
the officers Of the State for the protec-
tion Of the people. Each of the States
occupied the same position, possessed
of their own machinery OF govern
ment; the people supreme in all; the
law-making power only restrained by
the terms Of their fundamental law
they were absolute masters Of their
own destinies Time and experience
demonstrated the necessity for a more
perfect system, and the constitutional
convention OF 1889 formed and sub
mitted the Constitution of the United
States.
In its formation the thirteen origi-
nal States acted each rs a unit, and
free and independent Pennsylvania,
Rhode Island, Virginia, and their sis
ters, granted and conceded to the Fed
eral Government certain rights and
privileges, and agreed that they would
not claim certain other rights and
privileges before enjoyed by them.
The powers granted by the States to
the Federal Government were gifts BY
the creator TO the creature they were
distinct and precise the powers grant
ed and denied were clearly defined,
and, those not granted nor denied,
were expressly reserved to the States
and the people.
Tho Constitution Of the Siate is n
Limitation Of power. All things not
forbidden may be performed by the
/ Legislature The Constitution of the
United States is a grant Of power, and
the government created by it is pow
erless outside of the things granted
and those things necessary for their
due execution.
A government, great, perpetual and
supreme within its own sphere of pow
crs, was thus created Within the
scope Of the express purposes Of its
creation, IL was TO know neither supe-
rior nor equal, whilst beyond these,
the States and the people were su-
preme. BY it, the State and Federal
governments became essential parts OF
a harmonious whole. To the Federal
/ Government was grantedabsolutc con
troll over foreign affairs and relations
between States To the State govern
ments was reserved the supervision Of
their domestic affairs and ofthc rights
Of theircitizens 70 the ono was com
mittcd the power of peace or war-to
the other the interests Of communities
and the rights Of individuals.
We have thus seen what the State
is, whence its power comeih, what it
hath granted and what reserved We
find that the powers of the State are
inherent, that those Of the Federal
Government are delegated, that the
States are the parents, the Federal
Government is the offspring. The
control Of the right OF suffrage is, and
always has been State right and it
is incorporated into our system so fun
damentally that it cannot be taken
from them, if we would preserve the
government Of the Union as it now
exists. 1t is q question betwoon our
Republican institutions, with liberty
on the one hand, and some other form
of government on the other There
can be but one set of electors in the
State; there cannot be one for federal
officers; the right must be a single
right, united in the same person, reg
7 ulated and controlled by one power
the people Of the State. No power
over this great fundamental right was
granted by the Constitution, and hence
no power of amendment exists in re.
gard TO it. If il be taken away as a
separate State right and vested in
threc-fouiths Of the States, the very
foundation Of our system is sapped.
1t gives TO local maioritics that may
} exist in Oregon, the right to say who
J shall or who shall not be voters in
Pennsylvania. If this right exists it
. may be exercised to dsiranchise any
class OF our citizens, and the people OF
the State have lost entire control of
their own institutions Tho right OF
each State to determine who shall be
- its voters is the very essence OF our
= liberties. Universal suffrage is an cx-
pcrimentand may be a disastrous one
the existing rule has proven safe.
! have already attempted TO domon-
strate thu equality of the several
States, and in regard thereto can but
repeat that for political privileges un-
der the Constitution, they are and al
ways have been equal, and that this