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

III HrSt, SO many little ueckS OF ciVHlZatlof
shining on pagan shore like glow-worms
in the dark. These little societies were
then separated, each from the others, by
hundreds of miles of unbroken forest. Al
grew rapidly, spreading from their respect
i've centres bat there was no political CO
alescence. The mental eye follows then
| in their separate histories, until they final
ly appear as stars grouped in glorious
constellation, each shining with unborrow
ed light. -. #
Each from the first was organized and
governed by the sovereign power of Eng
land, separately from the rest. Such or
ganized colony or province was. body fiji
for the lndwelling Of q soul. 10 make q
State, the peculiar and essential character
istic was required, which IN, political phil
osophy is recognized as distinguishing q
State from colony, province, county, OF
| other subdivision of state-the absolute
| right of selfcommaud or self-government
in all things so that when independence
was contaminated, the aforesaid body be-
came instinct with its own soul. In 9th.
err words, it became a sovereign state.
We may compare these colonies to so
many branches of a great and vigorous tree
each with the vital energy to live and
thrive Independently if Topped off and
planted in its own free soil. When sever.
ed by rebelious swords, each " became a
living SOUL and each necessarily possess
ed sovereign political will over its own
territory and people, Sovereignty could
not be out of it, for there was no political
organism and no people other than these
thirteen commonwealth. Each was un-
trammeled and free, like an eagle that
scars away from his broken bonds and
sees no shadow Of power between him and
the sun .iAs,&
The colonies associated themselves to
effect their independence, and made the
Ecelebrated declaration of July 4, 1776, as
the Thirteen United States Of America
but, like thirteen persons united to effect
some object, they retained their respective
iudividualities, and George Ill could but
have acknowledged. as he did in 1888, at
the instance of the American Commission
ers, that each State was ''free, sooereiga,
and Independent" And it was quite nat
ural, nay, unavoidable, that these States
should all mutually declare, covenant.
pledge, and guaranty, as they did do, by
their federation or solemn league, subsist-
ent Union, that "each State retains its
sovereignty and independence" But il.
must be noted that sovereignty was not
caused by the declaration, the acknowledge
ment, or the compact, or all Of them to-
gether, for these Instruments merely de-
clared-and bound the declarants to re-
spect-such entity or fact. In truth, SOW
ereignty only began to exist at the moment
the power Of the State pfedominated over
all opposing forces and became supreme
power; and the precise time Of its origin
may be as difficult to determine as is that
of the souls existence in the human child.
Suffice it to say, it existed in the State, or
not at all for there was no other possible
body for it to dwell in thau the organized
body of people called the State. f
Zach one Of these States, thus origina-
ting and thus characterised, was a republic,
that is, q community of people, with the
absolute right Of selfgovernment in all
things. This sovereignty of the State is
indivisab!e, and remains integral, even
though all the powers of government be
delegated. "A person may give thou
sand commands, or delegate a thousand
powers, concerning what he owns, or of
right governs, without diminishing his
ownership or right of control. So with u
Sovereignty of England exercise the pow
ers Of government throughout her world
wide dominions, while the sovereignty re-
mains enthroned at ,Iome-the absolute
soul of the State.
''The Constitution of the United States
of America" was made or constituted by
the concurrent action Of the thirteen pre-
existent States referred to, each of which,
during all the time of that action, ''retain-
ed its sovereignty, freedom, and indepen-
dence," as was declared by all of them in
their solemn league aud covenant-the
Articles of Confederation. The instru-
ment calls itself a constitution for" SUM
ted States and characterizes the arrange
ment made therein rs "union Of States
For instance, Article l., section 2, speaks
OF "the several States which may be in
cludod within this union; = Article IN.
section 3, declares that .snew States may
be admitted into this union;" and Article
w., section 4, includes the phrase, "every
State in this union" Moreover, the said
Constitution declares that it was to be
"established," and take effect, "between
the States SO ratifying the same" Nay,
more its powers were only delegated, and
hence must be welded by trustees and
agents, chosen by, and subordinate to, the
delesating States, while the "powers not
delegated are reserved to the States re-
spectively, or to the people" of the same.
There is no evidence, or even hint, of any
change of character of the States but, on
the contrary, they are named in the Con-
stitution as absolute and complete politi-
cal bodies, which are necessarily the par
ties to, and the actors under, the federal
system And. finally, all elective power
and right was Inherent and absolute in the
people composing these States, as every
Constitution shows; and moreover, they
declared in their Federal Constitution that
they We're, as States, to keep and exercise
the said elective power. 1t is provided in
Article I. that 1.-The people of the several
States" are to choose the Representa-
tives;" and that "each State" "by the
legislature thereof is to elect Senator'S
Article II. provides that leach State shall
appoint Presidential electors. These
congressman and Presidential electors are
citizens and subjects of their respective
States, and, in their vicarious and repre-
sentative character, they appoint all other
federal officers. SO that here, in the Con
stitution itself, we have the most positive
and absolute proofs that the States art
sovereign over the federal government, this
fbeinp their mere agency, or in other words