The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1869-09-22
EXANDRIA, LA, WEDNESDAY,, SEPTEMBER p, 1869

-f 80 4 I
nu.uuu - I, - = 49, -
; and, so far as their Constitution goe:
'so far State sovereignty is effectuall
I Controlled" Suppose tile great me
l have quoted had, dryaendo uttere
these Websterian dogmas, would sin
gle vote have been obtaineda But ii
such ideas could have Been held b.
anybody. Why7 Because Massachu
sets. at that moment had d standin!
declaration in her organic iai&*-as vel
as in the then existing "Federal Con
stitution THAT she wis a " sovereign
free; and independent States" and sl,,
then was, in the precise character indi
Gated by these superlative and IMAM
bicuous words, in convention, deter
mining her will-independently Of al
the world-as to federation for her.
self and other agreeing States, and !:
general government for their people
and, in that precise character, she was
then and there "delegating not SOP.
crefgnty, but" porcrs to" delegates
Representatives. "substitutes,'
"agents, y" servants" trustees" etc
as they were uniformly called. '-''-
The quotations I have produced
were dissented from by no friend Of
the Constitution; they entirely contra
dict the utteranGes Of The Massachusetts
expo,inders; and we can now see what
n reader must exclaim at every line Of
the record, that q this is who Story,
Webster, and Curtis never Quoted from,
SO proper a source Of authority.D ~
THE SOLE DREAMING WAS BY MAssA-
CHUsETTs.
The Convention ratified the Consti-
tuition, as follows: III convention of
the delegates of the people ofthe Com
monwealtl, of Massachusetts, 1888.
The Convention having impartially dis
cussed and fully considered the Consti-
tuition for the United States of Anieri-
ca, reported to Congress by the Con-
tention of Delegates, and sub
mitted to us, by RESOLUTION of the
General Court Of the said Common
wealth, passed the 25th of October last,
do, in the name, and in be-
half, of the people of the Common
wealth or Massachusetts, assent to and
ratify the said Constitution FOR The Uni
ted States Of America"
Not in the name and behalf of any
nation, or part of a nation, did the
Convention deliberate upon, assent to,
and ratify the Instrument, but it was
for the body ofpeoplc called Massachu-
setts-a body at the moment absolute
~ sovereign. AS to her, the passage
Of the above ordinance completed the
compact; ard it was established
when nine States did likewise; for, as
Article VII. declares, ii was I" RAr1r1-
CATION " alone that were establish
!" this Constitution between the States
sd ratifying the salhe." The federal
rohapact, therefore feceiued its whole
life and validity from Massachusetts,
and the other ratifying States. She
and they must have been !" the people
of the United Strtes +" that did 8. ordain
aid establish the Constitution And
as to her territory and people, she
alone gave it existence, and its author
tiles Jurisdiction, over them. It was
not /" the people" as individual voters
that ratified, but /" the people - as
individual voters that ratified, but
" the people" as States or nations.
Massachusetts spoke her sovereign will
through her convention, and remained
Massachusetts, No institution nor
anything organic, was changed, Pre-
existent States simply made q compact;
and the federal 81 stem became an Gd-
ditioh to the political organism of the
country and; a. il was Grated by, i
belonged absolutely to, Tho States.
Nay more, the administration Of it was
to be wholly and solely by the subjects
of the said States. So that it's status
is, and must be; simply that Of a ser.
tant or agent. We have found, tlleii,
in The history and reGolyls Of Massashu-
sets; one absolute sovereign acting IN
the formation Of the federal system, OF
the republic of republics. Now let us
look for another. oH lss,zt.- GU
81 II. CONNECTICUT. Isdi
rfFTH 70 RAEIFY-=voTE, 1913 TO 40
90 DATE, JANUARY o, 1884, gs
The record of this State agrees pre-
cisely with that of Massachus. "a, in
disproving the consolidation Of the
States, and proving their most anxious
wish to preserve their integrity and
sovereignty in tile Union. TO estab:
fish this, I viii adduce' the Testimony
of her lea',ing statesmen, and conclude
with her sovereign decree Of ratifca.
ton, which, rs to her, constituted the
-leasne called tho Federal Consultation
WHAT HER STATESMEN SAID.
A federation Of soyereignties wat
the object Of this State from the begin.
ming, aud the great men representing
hat In fi;a Hadasat Conro,,.:o,,