The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1869-03-13
State Sovereignty.


der fourteen different heads. From the
array of intellect with which he en-
bellishes his query, he evidently thinks
it "big thing" Before Columbus
discovered America, there were many
learned theories about the geography
of this planet, advanced by the sages
of the time. Since then, however, any
school-boy can answer readily the ques-
tion which puzzled those wise men
Now, their wisdom is not to be des-
pissed, because true knowledge of the
earth was hidden from them. Neither
are the wise men of our own time
whose opinions Brutus quotes, to be
classed as unmitigated donkeys," be-
cause they, trying to comprehend the
exact relation existing between the
States and the Federal Government,
saw as through glass darkly. There
has been great deal of "big talk" as
the Indian expresses it, about State
Rights and State Sovereignty, by our
ablest men. Talk" however, did not
settle the disputed question which no
one of the many learned disputants
could make his neighbor comprehend
because he did not comprehend it him.
self The case was taken into the high
court Of nations in 81, and after a
trial, lasting four years, the question
was settled, and the decision OF the
judges rendered so clearly, that we think
any school-boy should be able to an
swer: and although we are MOTTO class
those learned and able statesmen, whose
names are paradcd by Brutus," as
"unmitigated donkeys," as he infers,
because their ideas were confused on
the subject of State Sovereignty, can
men like Brutus," with all the light o.
the present day, escape this ordeal?-
The fourteen propositions, advanced by
"Brutus, /" for consideration, would hav,
been rendered more Ineligible, had he
put the simple question: (Which pos
sesses aud exercises sovereign power
the Federal Government, or each ind
vidual State?" In this form, much o.
the eclat with which the question is in
vested, by the array of illustrious names
made use of by Brutus," would have
been lost. But of what use are the
speculations of learned or unlearned
men, in regard to fact, when you art
in possession of that fact ? Much better
state it at once.
The question at issue, then, is one o.
Sovereignty. Webster defines the word
as, " Supreme power supremacy ; the
possession of the highest power, or OF
uncomfortable power" This definition
suggests the inquiry, What acts of a
nation constitute this uncomfortable pow
or? We answer: To create armies and
navies; to coin money; to regulate
commerce ; to tax imports; to establish
mail route; to have exclusive contro!
over mails; to send ministers to foreign
governments to declare war and make
treaties with foreign powers. The Fed
cral Government exercises power to do
all these things. No State has author
ity to do any one Of them.
Again, it is plain that Sovereign
power can be exercised by one head
only, within realm or nation. The
Federal Government is that head, in
our Republic, and the individual States
are mere secondaries. Their POWER or
SOVEREIGNTY does not rise above simple
police regulation, as we before stated
In order the more firmly to establish
slavery, part of the States attempted
to exercise Sovereign power, in 'Gl.-
That act will be classed in history as a
rebellion it can be termed nothing else
Even in that rebellion, State Sover-
eighty proved TO be a myth No State
attempted to exercise Sovereign power
but Central Government was speedily
formed, which exercised complete Sow
ereign power over those States during
the rebellion.
There has been an unlimited amount
of ingenious talk about State Sovcr
eighty and State Rights, by our politi
clans, since the foundation of the Gov
eminent; hut no State has ever cyer
cised Sovereign power, and from its
very relation to the other States ant
the Federal Government, it never can
Sovereign power is lodged in the Fed
eral Head, and has ALWAYS been exer
cised by it. How it got there we neec
not discuss. We find it Is there, an6
We can find it nowhere else in our sys
TEN of government. No citations from
the speeches of wise men of the past
no texts from the Constitution. interpre
them as you may, can stand agains
this one fact All must yield to it.
We state the case thus: The Sover
eign power of this nation is lodged il
the. Federal Government, which cxer
cises it exclusively to that every cit
zen owes paramount allegiance TIL,
powers exercised by the States are mere
police functions, as compared with Sow
ereign power, in the true acceptation o
the term. Can you deny these truths
"Brutus2" If not, what do all YOU
learned citations classed under fourteen
distinct heads, amount to? We ar,
more interested in what Ben Wade anf
Horace Greeley say NOW, on this qucs
ton, than in what they may have sale
years ago. And the 18th, 18th and
I,th t,ti cIas ne Il