The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1868-01-29
O1r system Of Governmcnt-What
isitY

clearly what was the plan or theory in
tended by the great Founders, to the
end that we may be better prepared to
act ugderstandingly in any emergency
that may arise.
The System of Civil Polity the IA
theirs established, consists of distinct
governments, the several State and Ma
tional Government, peculiarly and in
absolutely (save by accomplished Rev
olution) united. These are all Consti-
tutional representative Republics, or
DemocracieS, as all power emanates
from the People. r..n
In all political and civil associations
worthy the name of Government, there
have been three great departments-the
Legislature, which makes the laws; the
Executive, which carries them INTO OPP
Grafton; and the Judicial, which ex-
pounds and applies them to cases as they
arise, in Il manner to advance and pro-
tect right, and repress and punish
wrong. The powers of these three De-
partments united, constitute the SOW
ereign power of a State, which is the
source of all legitimate authority, the
head TO which such authority is account
able, and by which it can be revoked
or resumed. For many centuries before
our fathers experiment, the sovereign
power had been lodged in one person,
with none, or varying limitations,
styled King or Emperor. Being only
man, and subject to the selfish passion
of the race, he too often used the i'm
mense powers for selfish ends, to the
great detriment and oppression of his
subjects. This experience prompt
ed our fathers when they undertook
| to erect governments in the woods, as il
were, where the way was clear, after
displacing the British authority, to
adopt a new mode of structure, and our
present system of civil policy is the re-
suit Their plan was to reverse the To-
cation of this sovereign power, which
had to rest somewhere, and instead of
yesting it in one man, to retain it in
the body of the people, of whom the
trainers were to be a part, and execute
Its powers and functions through
agents, with written constitutions for
their guidance and thus avoid
the great expense and oppression
attendant on Kings and Emperors with
their thrones and courts. 1t was bold
experiment to be attempted in the
woods even, and required men that
feared God, that had subdued wilder
ness in part, u savage race, and dared
then aAd ever after to defy the strongest
nation on earth to do it. The theory,
plan or ideal of our fathers has now
stood tho practical test of nearly a CEN
tury, with no other change than the
plan itself provided for, and with re-
suits that astonish the world.
We live iu a world, where everything
is subject to unvarying laws, which
we call the divine will. These laws in
themselves are not subjects of sense,
but are manifested to us only from their
physical expression in natural phenOm-
ena and divine revelation. These divine
laws are self-exiStent and in DO sense
dependent upon physical expression,
which is only their effect. Every hui
man enterprise, whether Of government
or other thing must conform to those
divine laws, in order to be successful.
Hence correct theory, plan or ideal,
mast prccedc successful practice, other
wise the practice must be blind, labor in
the dark, and efforts made at sundowu.
Hence good government prcSupposeS the
prior existence of correct theory, plan or
ideal, which is self-eXistent, ,and indepen-
dent of physical embodiment, and mani
festation. The christian theology is such
~ ,,h,,einullI- q nj foe ta1 hu tho
New Testament and its good effects on
those who practice it. The system of
Civil POlity of Ancient Rome still eN-
lists, and is manifested to us by its rec
ords, laws, &c, though the Roman peo-
pie that practiced and gaze it physical
expression disappeared centuries ago,
and their system was displaced or more
or less modified by their conquerOrs,
through accomplished revolution. So
the Fcudal system OF the middle ages,
| though aearly obsolete in practice,
! still exists and is evidenced to to us by
the writings OF LittletOn, Coke, Black
stone, &c; and so the system of Civil
Polity inaugurated by our Fathers still
exists, except so far as it has been mod
flied by legitimate amendments, (fer no
I -
in any part) and is evidenced to us by our
written Constitutions and laws made in
pursuance thereof. People arc necessary
! TO give the system, or any department,
rs State, physical expression and
practical results, but not necessary to
its existence. This can only be dis
placed by legitimate amendments of the
! system or by accomplished revolutions
An unsuccessful attempt at revoMtton
in whole or in part cannot dIspface 1t
to any extent. 1t may chanyethe prac-
tical working of the systenffor a time,
until the disturbing element is removed, 4,
but not the system itself, which remains
the same. The People that are required
to give physical expression are all the
time changing. Three generations have
come and gone already since onr system
was inaugurated.
| If all the people now living in Rhode
! Island should leave that State to-mor-
row, or should make an unsuccessful at
tempt, as Dorr and his party did some
years since, to change by force that de-
partment of our national polity, it could
not affect it. The system would none
the less consist Of thirty-seren States,
though in one, its practical working was
temporarily suspended, or inharmoni-
ously worked. Any other theory would
necessarily Subject the whole to the alb
solute control of its constituent parts
the Nation, to its thirty-seven constit-
ent departments-to be destroyed by
piece-meal; which would be far more
disastrous than to let erring and
discontented sisters depart in peace,
without first obliging them to
commit voluntary suicide. Our system
of civil polity makes the very existence
of the national government depend on
the continued existence and perpetuity
of the State governments. Destroy the
latter, and how can national Senate
be chosen, where there are no State Leg
islaturesi How can q national House
of Representatives be elected, or Presi-
dent or Vice President, without the CO.
operation of State governmentsi How
can Judges of the national courts be
appointed, where there is no President