The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1868-04-08
STATE Or POPULAR sovERsioH.A


STATE or POPULAR sovEREfSHfi
In one of the speeches OF hon ,-o"'''
Seymour, of New York, he saio
eve cannot, if we would escape IRON con
fronting the problem ;o.;. :. VIII sntf.r nv 70
safety, honor insetive in the dark hour Of dan
stand uu" have put down rebellion; we now
ger. ~, with revolution. The first was see-
s;ausi the last is universal The first sought TO
divide our country; the last threatens to destroy
it. "
Abiding to the jacobin purpose of depo-
sing the President in order to place in the
executive Office more plant tool of the
revolutionary party, he said
"Even the senate has pursued policy revoia-
tionary in tendency. In its blindness 1t is strki-
ing suicidal blows against its own existence.
Colorado to-day balances four mihions OF PeoPhe
in New York. II was admitted merely 70 gain
two votes in the struggle with the executives but
q holder act was in view Twenty senators are to
be admitted from the ten states lately IN rebel
lion-not as representatives OF the white people
nor of the blacks, but because they hold the views
of a majority of the senators, and are sent to
Washington by majority oil their agents.
this repotution begun 1t must 90 its fogi-
cal Just end Ii nanst not roll on the nscks of he
majority Of the American people and stop there,
but Numbers must be represented-not rotten bor-
rovghs or sham states."
Some months ago the Chicago Times, in
publishing the above extracts, made the fol.
lowing comments, which are not uninterest-
ing, at this time, in view of the revolutionary
proceedings now going on in Washington:
Let the reader give a moments atten-
ton to the construction of the senate
Thirty-seven states compose the nationality
of the United States. The constitution of
government, which combines these states in
one nation, instead of leaving them thirty
seven different nations, declares that "No
state, without its consent shall be deprived
of its equal representation in the senate. e.
Nevertheless. the senate, as now composed,
consists of fifty-four senators, representing
only twenty seven states. Ten states are, in
an arbitrary manner, and without their con-
sent, deprived of their equal representation
in the senate,
The senate is the constitutional tribunal
before which the President must be tried
upon charges of impeachment. The Pres
ident of the United States can only be tried,
and convicted, and deposed from Office by
the states. Every state has, of course, the
right to be represented upon that trial, the
right to sit in Judgment with its compeers,
state in the decision of the momentous is
sue. By the constitution, the President can
only be convicted by the concurrence of
two-thirds of the members present. Fifty
senators constitute two-thirds of the number
that might be present if no state were de-
prived of its equal representation without
its consent. 1t might happen that the Pres
ident would be lawfully convicted by less
than this number, provided any number of
senators less than quorum should absent
themselves voluntarily, but not otherwise.
Nevertheless, it is one of the processes Of
the pending revolution that the President
shall be tried and deposed from Office by
only a portion of the states. Ten states are
arbitrarily and forci bly, excluded from the
court, and forbidden to sit in Judgment upon
that trial. In this way, the revolutionists
expect to convict and depose the President
by the concurrence of only thirty-six, or
even smaller number of senators. The at
tempt to evict the President upon such con-
vietion would be such an act of open rebel
lion against the constitution as would GER
tainly warrant the states whose senators did
not vote for that conviction In resisting its
execution by every means in their power.
Let the reader also look at the present
construction of the senate in a popular sense.
uEct OuS uuHuTGu anu Thirty 1--WE
thousand inhabitants in New England are
represented in the senate by tsoeLUe senators,
while three million in Pennsylvania are rep
resented by only two senators, and four
millions in New York by only two. Thirty
four thousand people in Colorado have the
same number of votes in the senate that
have two millions of people In Illinois, two
and a half millions in Ohio, three millions in
Pennsylvania, or four millions in New
York. Thus, thirty four thousand people in
Colorado or Nevada have the game voice
and the same power to carry forward this
revolutionary work that four millions OF
people in New York have to stay it. Thus,
three million of people in New England, by
their twelve votes in the senate, can outride
and defy the voice of fourteen millions o.
people in New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio
Indiana and Illinois, with only ten votes il
the same body.
Now, the idea which Mr.. Seymour aimed
to express is this If the constitutions
rights of the states are no longer to pc res
pected,-if their perfect equality" in thu
federal compact is to be repudiated and an
nulied,-then the equal rights and equal an
thorlty OF the people ought to prevail in thei
stead. 1t Virginia Is not entitled TO al
equal representation in the senate with New
1orK, then the three millions of people IL
New England are not entitled to twelve
votes in the senate while the foor millions il
New York have only two votes. If Missis
sippi have not an equal right with Ohio t,
SIT in judgment upon the official behavior o
the President, then the thirty-four thousan
people IN Colorado have no right to an equa
voice with the two millions in Illinois.
III this revolution is begun. it must go o.
to its logical and just end" If state right
are to be obliterated, then the rights of mum
bers must prevail in their stead. Three
millions OF people In the six New England
states must not be suffered to override tn
voice of fourteen millions in five other states
The only basis they have for this unequa
power is the basis of state rights The
are employing this power to destroy tn
rights of states. 1t is thus that they a,
preparing the way for their own destru
ton.