Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1868-01-30

for the States. Instead Of being con.
ferred by the Constitution, it is palpa-
bly, inconsistent with il. The duty.an
the whole duty Of the United States
with respect to the State Governments
IS clearly defined in the Constitution.
That duty is to guarantee to every
State republican form of govern.
ment ; to guarantee it. not 10 create it,
to preserve, not destroy aud then re.
construct it. Can you guarantee what
does not exist The very idea of
guaranteeing government implies
necessarily, the pre-existence Of the
government. And thia,is precisely
the duty which the United States owe
to each State started IN the Union,
whether that start was made at the
beginning or at the latter period of
our history Whenever the start was
made, each State startedin the Un-
with a republican foaa of govern.
ment. This is certainly true OF Georgia
and all the original thirteen; and the
admission of other States, at subse.
quent periods, was confession by the
Government, which it is estopped from
denying, that they, too, were republi-
can. The government, therefore, with
which State started in the Union is
the government which the United
States is obliged TO uphold. Ii may be
modified in the legitimate way--that
is, by the people of the State, but al
ways under the limitation that il must
remain republican, in form. And since
tho failure Of secession and the decs-
ion by the sword, that secession was
a nullity, as question of practice, it
would seem that each State is bound
TO preserve its original relation to the
Union, as well as to have republican
form Of government When there is
q breach of either of these limitations,
the thread oflegality or constitution.
ality is dropped. All that may como
alterward is on an Illegal basis and
void. Such is the inevitable conclusion,
viewing the subject from the North.
ern standpoint. What, then, is the
remedy Is it for Congress to step in
md construct anew government We
have already shown that they have
no such power. But the remedy is to
90 back and pick up the thread of
legality right where it was dropped ;
or, in other words, restore the govern
ment which was wrongfully displaced.
II was not destroyed by secession to
be void its functions were suspended
only; its offices were vacated, but not
extinguished. Hence, il follows, that
as soon as the disturbing cause (Which
was secession and its results) was re-
moved, the legitimate Constitution OF
the States, which were in force at the
time of secession, stood in their origi-
nal vigor, and the offices Of their gov.
ernments should have been immedi.
ate filed by the proper constituency.
rhie lantrina of maiu4aininu the suo.
cession of legality,in the State govern.
ments is precisely what was decided
by the Supreme Gonit of the United
States, in the case of DORIS rebellion,
in Rhode Island. The duty belongs
not to Congress alone, nor to the
President alone, nor TO the Federal
Judiciary alone, but to all of them,
each acting in its appropriate sphere
lit belongs to the United States. All
of these powers of the United States
stand pledged.to its perlormanco-thc
duty ofmaintaining the State Govern.
ment with which each State entered
the Union, with such notifications as
il may have received by the free and
voluntary action of its people, oonsis-
tently with the Constitution OF the
United States. Whenever there is
a breach of the limitation imposed by
the Constitution OF the United States,
everything thereafter too becomes il,
legal and void. The remedy there.
fore is remission back to the inter.
rupted legal status. Now the late wal
has decided, as question of fact, that
secession broke the thread of constitu,
tional relation het,rcou tbo eooodiro
Stafes and IIr;teS S,a,os S and ,bs
Sat- ,,orornn,ar,s " c,nnIeJ - "''s a.aao sn'
go s;on go ;Iln .,J ,oHuuyJ & on s'Ve1 s
with tbe contsderofo oorso 9' ''T Tbesc asr
f,hr;os h,..;,, NM ssl,o" Dsi 3Lo ,,aa',I nvIs
Of the States, as a logical necessity
"nd Gnvornan, Oon h;oh ~y1o,'V' ;ssod ,ha
t;noo IN oc sanoasinn AM 'vI ~. ,,. ~ wy
sa,r [ - ali ~, H. % Irn;,"S t'"I So, S", n0Ves
- a., A. rsd@'.i sI Wy %..,,'s.. oa,'se '.'".os ~
r;a'bt 90 do fonJ N9Iaa''V ahet ,hbs ""u many s"o
hennd ~ 70 do,w"s "' ,o ros,oyo 10y ,%oso %oso
covernmonts and cons,itntion bact
20 - ,ha naonio Th;s ,ros ,be;,. soio'n~ yon :
oons,;,l,dnoi W. si ptHpi oijis.,;a 90 % Is G'I ~ nV
hoan nromm,l,, oSsas,y ,,assaoniaoa anS "A 40. u"O