Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1867-10-23

toS-The impression seems to Obtain
with some that the present seli's'yled
Republican" party is founded on the
principles Of the old Fedoralist organi'
cation prior to and co-existent with the
Constitution. On the contrary, this new
party is the production. of minds who dc
not recognize any of the doctrines of the
founders Of this Government, and pro-
mulges tenets in regard to the relative
power of the Union and Of the individu :
al States totally variant from those held
by the statesmen of the original parties
who advocated or opposed the formation
of the Union.
The Federalists were the party OF cen
tralieation, as it was called They ad'
vocated Union, but it was Union OF
States" assemblage Of societies"
1t was urged against the oonstilu-
ton they proposed, and under
which the Government has ever
since been administered (omitting
the strange provisions engrafted on it Of
late years) that it was destructive of
State rights, and scourged the State into
federal authority but Mr.. Hamilton, the
very Ajax lebanon Of the Federal party,
emphatically denied any such object or
intent, and says 4" The proposed con-
stitution so far from implying an aboli
ton of State governments, makes them
constituent parts Of the national sove'
reignty by allowing them direct repre-
sentation in the Senate, and leaves in
their possession certain exclusive and
very Important portions of the sovereign
power" And adds: "This fully cor
responds in every rational import of the
terms with the idea of Federal Govern
meat"
Now, it will be borne in mind that this
principle was enumerated by the projec-
tors of the Union, as the basis Of its for
nation. 1t is, then, a part of the Con-
stitution, according to the declared ex-
position of its trainers; that the States
are integral portions of the Federal Gov
eminent; that they are er necessitdte,
entitled to representation in the Senate;
that they are co-equal in their political
rights; that no combination of States
can legally exclude others from those
rights, and it follows as a corollary to
this, that all the acts of combination of
States excluding the rest are usurpations
of power never conferred that that is
not Senate of the United States, where
Senators from number of States exclude
from participation in the national legis-
lation any other State; that the acts of
such body, for purposes of taxing or
otherwise controlling the unrepresented
States, are, in legal contemplation, ut,
terly void.
And so sensible of this as the true view
Of the Constitution are the more can
did among the Radical party, that they
are of late embroidered by their numeri-
cal power to avow that they ignore the
that all their late acts Of
Reconstruction are outside and
of its provisions. Have
hey considered too,tbe paradox of call
ng their object Reconstruction ? Do
hey not mean Destruction ? For their
lcts destroy States-and the States
we're recognized and declared by the
ounders of the Republic to be essential
PARTS of the Federal Union-or Assem-. I
llage of societies" They exclude the
Senators of ten States from their seats
n the national council when the Consti-
ution and its founders and opponents say I
hat each State shall have such
representation, and evidently intend that
Without such representation, or the
privilege thereof, the Federal Union
annot exist. Have these reconstrue-
ionists," so called, any claim to the
ppellation ? Are they not rather en-
tiled to that of destructionists? We
uggest the propriety of this as their
more appropriate title.