The national Republican., 1869-01-18
LOCAL. DEPARTMEN

LOCAL DEPARTMENT..
,.-,n,,,v,, % COMMITTEE or THE CoL-
oREp CoSyESTLoN, oN,,,,se Wi,a ~ tss SstionsI col.
MI sion'. Convention, Messrs. Isaiah q.
Wears, ofPcnnsylyania, Of ehairmsni George =
mwo,nsyisni; James N, simms, qeorgtsi John
Be Baptist, Miss, and John 9. Bower, Of
he Judiciary Committec OF the House OF Rep
resentatiyes, waited upon that committee on
saturday The eonmiuee ,,ntns,, was soySiay w re h
chairman, addressed the committee as follows;
Mr.. Chairman and gentlemen ofthe Judiciary
GCn%1ss %s sRPess sy ssos
tion Of eolored men holding It's sessions In the |
city At this hour Aware OF the power that
Learning, the profound scholarship, as well as
the devotion TO the principles OF American u. |
berty Of its members, we approach you, indulg. |
arc concerned at ieast) will not be devoid ofin.
tetcst and prodt. The all-absorblng subject of
suffrage to our people, confronted as II is at
every point by the mtsehieyous doctrine of
state rights, compel US to avail ourselves of
your offeiAi liberality to state the fundamental
ground upon which We claim from this HstiSn,
belonging to us as American citizens.
In order to the proper understanding OF the
BoS ,soas s9S aes sss, ~ tSs aeSsr s oSe1n
ment, II 10 important that we should know
what was the state OF affairs In the earliest
sosnirsnt ] Of the history OF those times, 4 fully
aware that there were no states In existence
here-nothing but colonies, whose united inde-
been fought for, And, after eight years OF war
and carnage, secured by the whole people
That We were then nation is proved by the
fact that Great Britain ACKNOWLEDGED our iLdc.
pcndenee. Not the Independence Of Ind tiyidual
States, but the independence Of one nation
Now the question is, when did this nation
that the Hrst breath Of life 1t ever drew was
the Declaration OF Independence, publishing
as II did, the character OF the movement to the
world, In dignity and hrmness, by the enunci'
alton OF the followingi
That "when In the course Of human events
Statesj to dissolve the political bands that
have connected them with another, and to as.
srste and equal station to which the law of
nature and natures God entitle them" sc.
Now, the first feature OF this declaration 10
that 10 II we presented ourselves to the world
In general, and TO Great Britain in particular,
as one people-pot as States, nor as colonies,
but As one united people, aiming to place our.
selves aide BY side with other and older na.
tions OF the earth, and pledging our lives, our
fortunes, and our sacred honor, to secure the
object, yil' our national independence
In order to the easier and clearer under
standing Of the matter at this point, II 10 well
that It should be understood that the term
State, in its original or European AcccptAtion,
means a nation. France, Austria, and Eng
land are states. William II. Seward IL with
us1 Secretary Of state, because he 10 Secretary
To a state, therefore, in the world W idC
AeGcptation Of the term, would be to have the
right TO lcvy war, to conclude peace, to con
tract alliances, TO establish commerce, and to
do all other things that independent States
may have right TO do, l am Vsttusded that
no one, whose opinions are entitled to respect
would claim such powers or rights for the
States in this Government,
lit still claimed III ,tthey are States, theI
all that remains for them while the tnite
States Government exists as nation anon
other powers OF the earth) is to be subjec
States, for. the reason that there can be n
middle ground between sovereign and sublet
In any one government. The law that goverL
this matter Is as old as time, and 10 applieab
to all governments. II Victoria is soyereig
OF England, her eldest son though prince
only asubject though 10 the event OF her dea,
Is king. The force OF this logic was clear
seen by the secessionists before the rebellio
They were prompt to deny, az they all did, Il
existence Of our nation as such, and claimt
that we were only a compact OF independei
States, the general Government relying for /
existence and perpetuity upon the will OF u
individual States. In order to show that tn
your attention to the title OF a book recent
written by Alexander stephens. Holding
the old doctrines on which secession was bui
he gives his book the title, "The War betwet
the states, )" thinking thereby to blink out
sight the historical truth that the war was NJ
between the states as such, but one In whiC
the supreme and sovereign Government su
dued the rebelliOus subject States. Aud beio
l leave this point, permit me to say that II
man oil MS hDIllty, OF MS anteceOentB, wOu
seek at this late day to impress such a perm
cious doctrine on the public mind, II eNhibi
In the clesrest light the Importance Of settlir
this question Of State power beyond the poss
II The States are subject then there must
superior or sovereign government over then
and the Constitution must be the systemAti
arrangement by which both individual person
and states are TO be governed. l am awar
that It ls claimed 6y G some thnt article 10
that the states have reserved to ihemselve
certain powers and rights. This fundaments
error 10 readily met by the recognition of tn
express declaration Of the preamble Of III
Constitution, wherein is set forth whence tn
power, and the only power ttor there were n
the Government and gave 1t Its powers an
limitations. This was the people In all thei
majesty reserying to themselves whateye
the General Government, and at the sam
time prohibiting to the States whatever the
selves stin the uudoubted right TO prohib
down to the present hour, and through z
future) as much more to the states as nigh
through experience, be found necessary TO pc
feet their original purpose.
Thus speaks the creative power Of the Go
ernment. ave, the people OF the Unite
States, in order to form more perfect Unio
establish justice, insure domestic tranquillit T.
provide for the common defence, promote Il
general welfare, and secure the blessings
liberty to ourselves and our posterity, do o
dain and establish this Constitution for IL
United States OF America" It's clear the
therefore, that whatever powers are delegAt,
to the Government are delegated, not by Il
States, but by the people. In short, to use Il
words OF the preamble, whatever Is ordain,
and established has entire authority from Il
people in convention assembled,
Now, In order TO show that the States
this sGovernment have only relative existenc
| assert that no extent OF territory can clai
by virtue Of It's extent, 70 become sta, STA
said territory, by virtue merely of their nu
bers, can claim to be a State. A State in
American Acceptation OF the term Is n pol
cal existence, an organized community will
the Jurisdiction and under the supervision
the Government OF the United States, havi
legislative, judicial, and executive pow
carried on BY itself, but all subject TO the u
BtitutiOn and laws Of the United States.
officers in the above branches or departmeI
of each state, before they can become lei
State officers, must solemnly swear to suppj
the Constitution and laws OF the Unit
each otiicer and there essential to thewht
body of officers forming the state Cove
ment, The conclusion then Is irresistible n
when such officers IN whole and individual
absolye themselves, BY Individually and u
tedy forsweariDg themselves from legal
lation and obedience to the United stat
Government, the State whose political eXi
cnce depended on the legal relations OF its
heers to the General Government must !
consequence AS such cease to exist asa Sta
Teverting back to Its territorial Telationsh
Hence the fundamental right of rCcOnstrr
tion,
The Constitution, being the organic voice
the people as such sets out Ia conspicuo
prominence the fundamental postuInte IN
the States as such have no rights hut ,hr
which are secondary and contingent upun /
will Of the General Government Here Is /
rule which they have ordained, lConstitutl
"This Consu tutlon and the laws Of the L
ted states made IN pursuance thereofi
the authority of the United States shall be
supreme law Of the land, and the Judges
every state shall be bound thereby, anyth