The weekly North-Carolina standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 186?-1869, 1868-10-21

llglous theories OF so large a portion of the
people OF the South. The nation and the
flag of the Union was always first in the
heart OF the Federalist and the State and
its banner second. Devotion to the first
would have protected the South In every
right she ever possessed; devotion to the
last took away from her property, indepen-
dence, character, and, losing character, self.
respect. Rebellion, originating with the
wings of the South would have been impos-.
sible Nations are moved to and fro, are
reused to war and subdued to peace, are
made powerful or weak, by the kind and
amount OF ideas disseminated among the
people who constitute their units. Ideas
are to mental life what oxygen is to physi-
cal life-both stimulate to action and keep
the mental or physical heart throbbing with
energy. The ideas at the foundation of the
Wing party were Matchmaking and although
but little talked about, went into the war
and conquered the feeble ones that were at
the bottom of the Democratic party Under
other names the Wing and Democratic
parties fought fearful war of four years,
and what the former lost under the leader
ship of Clay and Webster, she gained under
the leadership of a Democrat, Grant; and
with the surrender of Lee the State sover-
eighty theory surrendered to the national
sovereignty theory, and the old banner of
the Wing party once more became the Stars
and Stripes
To us it seems that one moments rehec-
ton, by the old Wings of North Carolina,
will lead them to see that they are as dis
tinctly called upon to battle against ideas of
the Calhoun Democracy, as they were when
they rallied against them under the leader
ship of Clay and Webster States have
rights, but States are not sovereign-indi-
uals have rights, but individuals are not
sovereign. The banner of the State is SYM
bolical of something, but it is not symbol
cal of the nation. 1t means a smaller organ
ism within and subordinate to a greater one,
and nothing else. And away behind all
these minor questions, to which the atten-
ton Of the masses is being called, is the
great one of National Sovereignty, advanc-
ing, protecting and developing State and in
dividual rights. 1t is true that it assumes
different shape and adapts itself with wonder
full facility to the exigencies of the times,
but it is still the same question, so elaborate
ly and philosophically expounded by Hamil
ton, and so eloquently and practically APP
piled by the leaders of the old Wing party.
To the doctrine of National as opposed to
State sovereignty we owe the perpetuity of
the Nation itself The States lost none of
their rights while the Nation was being
saved. They could not lose their sovereign
ty, for they never had it to lose, and the
moment they were so bold and presumptu-
Gus as to maintain it, they were trodden up
on by million armed men, carrying the
banner known all around the circle of the
globe as the flag of the NATION of the
United States
The confounding of State rights with Sow
ereignty has caused all this trouble. The
highest idea of a sovereign, of course, is that
of God, the moral Governor of the Universe.
Below that idea comes the nation, and issues
its laws, which, if righteous, are to be obey
ed as implicitly as the laws of God Until
human nature has attained to perfection, it
cannot pass beyond the realm of Law, and
when it is ready to take its flight from that
realm, it Immediately enters the higher re-
gion OF Love. For long time to come,
from the character of our law makers, we i'm
agine that we shall remain within the realm
ofLaw. Who, then, is to be the supreme
law-maker, the Nation or the State9
Old Wings of North Carolina in the cleo
ton on the 3rd of November you are as
clearly called upon to answer this question
as when you were wont to answer it by
majority of many thousands in the days of
Clay and Webster. At the polls the repre-
sentatives of the nation are to maintain their
right to make laws for the nation, and to say
upon what terms people who rebelled
against its authority are to be again admit
ted to its probation and support. If you
were sincere in your attachment to the old
Wing party, you must, to be strictly logical
and just, give in your adherence to the Re-
publican party of to-day. Its theory of our
government is the same as yours. 1t is the
theory that has proved itself sound by the
severests of all tests, that of being put in
practice through the most gigantic war of
modern times. Your political principles TIL
umphed at the close of the war, and you, as
honorable men, ought to-day to support the
party by which that triumph was achieved.
Go to. the polls, therefore, on the 3rd of next
November and vote for Grant and Colfax,
and prove that as old Wings you are alive,
and give utterance through your ballots to
the ideas that must always rule this country,
or this country as nation must pass away
forever.
Henderson Fair.
The people of Granville, and especially of
IIo,1I n.-r u