The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1870-08-05
The Constitutional Doctrine OF State
Rights.

Rights.
There can be, and there must be, no
peace until the Federal Government is
forced back into it's settled place of en-
tire subordination to the Constitution
ordained by the States for it's limitation.
The States are the first great fact dis
cernable in our system. The Federal
Government, so tospeak, is only q second
ary fact. The Federal Government
might be struck out of existence, and
each State government would remain as
perfect o government as ever; but strike
out the States, and the whole Federal
system vanishes.
AS civil communities, these States are,
with the exception of the Southern
States, just what they have ever been
since government existed in this country.
The State Of New York, for instance, is
tho same as it was when the Constitution
of the Federal Government was adopted.
When and where was any fraction of its
rights as free. sovereign State ever sur
rendered? The control Of certain mat
ters, rs its foreign relations, postal affairs,
and few general interests, was trans
ferred, not to M independent govern
mcnt by any means, but to n govern
ment of its own appointments, and Which
is still only part of itself. Tho Federal
Government, Under our Constitution, is
no more than the foreign minister of
each State acting by and with the au-
thority Of the States.
The Federal Government has no iota
of authority that is not the property of
the States. All its Offices must be filled
by citizens of tho States, and in such
form and manner as have been prescribed
by the States in convention assembled.
1t is competent for the States to como
together again whenever they please
and cancel the whole Federal structure
each State resuming its delegated powers.
What would that amount to? Why only
that each State should take charge of its
own foreign affairs, of coming its own
money, of regulating its own postal mat
ters, and few others of those general
interests which have, under the Federal
system, been carried on by the general
agency acting by the joint authority of
the States. That is all. The Federal
system is O convenience, but not q ne
cessity. The State systems are NIL per-
feet without it. They were perfect be-
foro the Federal system was made. And
even while the Federal system remains,
the accountability of every citizen is due
to his State, in all things except such
outside and general matters, as we have
before named, which the States have dele
gated to tho Federal Government. In
all the internal affairs, the accountable
ty of citizen is to his State. The State
only has right to govern him. To I'M
pose limits to lis social actions-to make
laws for the regulation Of his marriage,
for the protection of his property, for
the security of his life, and for every
thing that regards his home. The State
is like mother to man; all the pro-
tecting laws that shield his infancy or
guard his manhood are born of it. To
it his filial love is due. The Federal
Government is only the foreign agent of
his State, to which he owes nothing, OK
cept in few external matters transferred
by his dear old mother, the State. It is
the business of the State to protect its
citizens when their liberty or their rights
are in danger; whether that danger pro-
ceeds from an alien enemy, or from the
Federal Government; the principle is the
same. It is rs much the duty of the
State to protect its citizens from. the un-
just or oppressive acts of the Federal
Government, as it is to shield them from
the oppression Of any other foe. This is
the true doctrine of State rights, and no
jurist, whose opinion is worth anything,
dare deny it.-New York Ners.
A HORRIBLE MURDER. Troy lies
senger learns that most diabolical and
cold-blooded murder was perpetratcd on
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