The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1869-04-21

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coull be settled as they arose. by reason,
with Justice, and without force. They
said the system they founded was. frausht
with the blessings Of peace; but while
their footsteps are yet echoing IN "the
corridors OF Time" and while we are extol-
ling their patriotic wisdom boasting of the
precious Inheritance they have left us, and
singing pnans to Freedom, the very Con-
siitution they founded on these principles
is perverted from its purpose, and employ
ed as means OF destroying million of
our, brethren, filling the land with MOURN
ing, annihllating at least one.half of the
property of the country, creating an mex
tinguishable and crushing debt, depriving
| one-third of our free and equal states ofthe
last vestige of their equality and freedom,
and establishing a precedent which, if
placed upon the generally assumed basis
and followed, subjugates all the states to
the "absotute supremacy" of dentral and
irresponsible power, and destroys constitu-
tionaI liberty. For if "the government"
has absolute supremacy" over the states
that made it, as the Philadelphia Conven-
ton of 1866 declared, it's unlimited right
oftaxation, and Of raising ornaments, ena-
bles it to control all states and sections of
states at will, and. finally, to establish an
empire. IN, truth, this has already been
done. Wherever there is 'absolute SUI
premacy'' in "the government" there is no
limit to its will or discretion. Unlimited
power in human hands may become as
gross atyranny as could be exercised by
monster with the soul of Mephistopheles
in the body of a tiger; for man has the ca
nnfifv and pnfvs 5rorui .ac tha inu,n,yoc1
training, practices and incentives, to be-
come devil. Satan was once an angel of
light. Nero and other tyrauts, and asso-.
Citations OF tyrants, possessing absolute gu
premacy, riyalled him as nearly as human
nfirmities and trammrls would permit. II
is vain to talk of civilization and Christi
anity as restraints. Bad men use these as
the most potent means to their ends 1t
is vainer to talk Of constitutional restric-
tons, when rulers by perjured usurpation
act-and glory in acting in the Infinite
field of discretion Outside of the Uonsti-
tuition" And it is yainest to suppose that
the phrase, according to the Consttn.
tion,'.-is other than a meaningless one, as
long as the phrases, absolute supremacy
in the government" and estate sovereign
ty is efectually controlled" are recognized
as constitutional ones for estate sover-
eighty" is precisely .the sovereignty of the
people" the said people having never been
organized for government, and having new
er exercised political authority exceptas
states so that if estate sovereignty is ef-
fectually controlled" the sovereignty of
the people is efectually controlled, and re-
publican government is at an end! 1t is
simple moekery to reply that the absolute
supremacy" is, by the nation, limited to
the grants OF the Constitution, or, in other
words, that the states are sovereign, except
as to the powers surrendered, when the
twin dogma is that the federal government
is the final judge of the extent of its pow
ers. Our worst men often get the highest
places, and exercise this final judgment:
their consciences are equal to any occasion;
and they gaia what they wish by ignoring,
or rather violating. their oaths, and justify
ing themselves by the tyrant's plea-neces-
sity. Indeed, we see at this moment that
the peoples trustees and agents. call
themselves "the government claim abso-
lutte supremacy and regal prerogatives;
dissolve states and make new ones :;
change the state governments remove the
highest officers thereof; give, and take
away. voting power; and, iu short, do many
revolutionary enormities outside of the
Constitution. These things, which every
officer of the government is sworn not to
do, are really reasonable to the last de-
gree, for they destroy the existence of the
states, and detbrone the sovereignty of the
people who are the states, aud who polu-
cally exist, and politically act, only as
states. Suffrage is-humaniy speaking
1.-THE pearl of great price in republican
freedom. It's the government it is the
republic itself; it is vital to liberty, aud
must be absolutely controlled by the peo-
pie to whom it belongs, and not by any
government. The voting power belongs,
OF original and absolute right to the peo-
pie. 1t is the real government-what we
call government" being the agency there
of. In a republic, voting is governing-a
republic being q government. Of the people
by the people, I. G., sef.government. Says
Montesqnieu Il. Esprit des Lois, p. IL J
in democracy, there can be no exer-
else Of sovereignty but by the snflrages of
the people, which are their will. Now,
the sovereign's win is the sovereign him.
self; the laws, therefore, which establish
the right of suffrage, are fundamental to
this government. In fact, it is as impor-
tant to regulate, in republic, in what
manner, by whom, and concerning what,
suf1rages are to be given. as it is in mon
arcIly to know who is prince, and after
what manner he is TO govern sst
The original voting power is the people
composing the society or state, in whom,
as every state constitution declares or i'm
plies, "all political power is Inherent
The derivative or delegatiye voting power
Is an endowment, by society or the state,
of individual members designated aud de-
scribed as voters in the constitution of the
state. AS Montesquieu says, "the laws
which establish the right Of suffrage, are
fundamental to the government" and hence
they are found only in the organic laws of
the states, establishep of original right, by
sovereign power 1t is plain, then, that If
the government whether state or federa9
controls or disposes of suffrage, without
warrant in the Constitution, 1t strikes at
the very vitals of the republic from which
it derives its entire existence and power,
and commits 'pejured usurpation as we'll
as fragrant treason. 1t is equally plain
that an insidious and fraudulent revolution
is now going on, tending to subjugate the
people OF this country just as all other
free people have been---to the absolute
supremacy of the government !"
Would to COP that could scar upon
1 Ill i 4. - u