The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1870-11-19
o,d Contest Ended.

An Old Contest Ended.
rne war Of parties so long waged IN th's
.,untry-a war begun in the convention
which framed the Constitution, ana "hich
Was carried into every convention that was
called nv the States to ratify that Constitu-
tIon-the war between the States-rtghtS
men and the Federalists-is ended. ~ Wac
ended By the late war--it was ended os .he
States themselves, or those when neia 'n,,
n,uer and transferred It to the Feoera'
Government to crush the principle OF o'a'e.
r,chts-to destroy the theory supPor1u .,
one time by the majority of the pe'p'e ~. Nv.
hr tho ab,est statesmen Of the iana-'l%.'
80 Tho Federal Government was the cfea-
,yre of the States-that its powers "eie I'M
;ted-that all powers not granted 10 II were
reserved to the States-and that they couio
.,.,,hdrow from the federation when their
reserved rights were violated. The Fede'
rat;sts held the opposite doctrine-that the
states were bound by the Union, and could
not withdraw from it-that while shere
were rights conferred and reserved, the SUI
IRENE Court was the constitutions aroitef
of their violation on either side. =.
The war settled the question against the
states-rights party; but the party tn
umphant in that war went farther than ever
the Federalists dreamed Of going. They
claimed the power Of Congress TO settle All
questions Of right between the Federal
Government and the States, and further
more Congress usurped both the kxecu-
tive and judicial power of The Govern
ment. f.
While We believe it possible TO bring
back the Government to the proper dlvt'
sion of the three departments OF the Gos-
eminent, we do not believe that there Will
ever be reSstablished Ia States-rlghts party
like that before the war, or that the Fed
rral Government will ever by its acts ac-
knowledge any such theory as that main
tanned by that old party. Therefore IL
would be party without hope-a party
with no real ground to stand upon.
Whenever the Federal Government anu u
State comes into collision, the State must
20 to the wall. She will find no allies IN the
other States. Men will maintain the opl'-
cation of the Government to enforce the
laws impartially and to respect the laws OF
the States when not in conflict with the
Federal laws. But it rests with the red
eral Government whether the laws shall De
go enforced or not. Our means are eh-
tirely civil. The Government Is one OF
force, and whenever, rs we said above, q
State is placed in collision with it, that
State must yield.
We are not prepared to deny that this
condition in our confederation OF States has
not come in the natural course Of political
events. This country has grown immensely
In power, and power is ever tending TO
Capitalization. The Government necessa-
rilv has to WELD great force and authority
to manage public affairs grown so vast in
magnitude, and whether ii is granted or
not, the Government will clothe itsclt-by
,lsurpation, if not to be obtained otherwise
with the authority it deems requisite for
such enlarged responsibility. This is the
teaching of history, and We may as well profit
by 1t.
There will be no more fighting with the
Federal Government. That has the force.
The States will never unite against it. The
only remedy left is to control it at the polls.
Even that may not be left lis long. While
1t is, it should be used boldly and indie.
pendently.
1t Is well enough for politicians to con-
slider these things III forming parties, and
undertake the construction of no idle plat
folms embracing past ideas. If we would
succeed, we must direct our labors to things
that are attainable and that belong to the
DAYS in which we live.