Oregon Republican. [volume] (Dallas, Or.) 1870-1872, 1870-09-24
q he OrfgoA 8epub!irau
COUNTY OFFICIAL PAPER.
DALLAS, SATURDAY.. SEPT. 2
Our Fourth Reform.


selves with the history Of this Govern
ment, that when The Constitutions was
framed it was done for the express pur-
pose of avershrawing the existing gov.s
ernment under the articles of Confed-
Grafton, which Washington, and those
who operated with him, claimed was
not strong enough TO maintain itself,
and was disgrace to Americans aud
the ridieule ef the civilized world
And what was the principle which was
so obnoxious 10 the father of his coun.
try2 1t was that Of q confederation
of sovereign States. On that system
they claimed We could not exist for the
reason that It gave us no credit abroad;
lit was they, claimed. no government a'
a]l. What, then, was the object of the
change from the Confederation to the,
Constitution 1t was to establish p
,sionality aud government, strong and
powerful, not thirteen governments
each possessing sovereignty as such in
and OF itself. The Constitution vas
framed then, in spite Of alI opposition
10 create nationality, and was adopted
by the people tor that express purpose
as debates in the conscn.ions of the
several States called to adopt it, plain
ly show. And, In order that there
s4hould be no gnistake canccrning j.,
they commence by saying: I'VE the
people of the United States" create
this government for purposes in the
preamble expressed At the time of
its adoption the question was consider
ed settled; but, Immediately after, the
safne uneasy spirits that had so ssrenu-
.qonsly opposed its. adoption. un iertook
10 place upon it that construction which
they imagined would overtnrn the Whole
structure, and would, ultimately. carry
ps back to the old form under the ar
ticles Of Confederation. which was
simply to abolish the idea of national,
ity, and they undertook to accomplish
It by the insertion of the Tenth
Amendment at the first session af or its
adoption, which amendmtut, as claim
ed by those who we're opposed to the
adoption Of the instrument itself, incor,
porated into the Constitution the prin-
= ciple Of reserved sovereignty. This
was matter of compromise aud con-
struction at the time, and the friends OF
nationality felt satisfied that the Tenth
Amendment, taken with the Ninth, and
with the whole instrument, would not
warrant any such construction, and
specially when they took into consider
. 4a'ion the fact that the whole question
had been thoroughly canvas>ea before
the people at the adoption OF the Con
ssfitution, and they honestly thought
there was nothing in ii that would
in after years be the cause Of serious
mischief.
= But in this they were mistaken
Soon that dangerous construction was
attempted to be enforced by the resolu
etions of $50; but its advocates were
rebukcd and matters went on unit
1861, when the South declared tha,
aobys the very principle involved IN thu
Tenth Amendment, carried out in tht
resolutions above quoted, endorsed by
the Democratic party Of the nation Al {
the then executive, they had and pos
/. scssed the inherent and legal right II
secede. Then came first, the descend
ants of those men who. years before
had met in the Hartford Convention
for the purpose of considering whethe
or not they were absolutely bound b.
tho action of the General Government
and for the purpose of nscertainin'
!, whether any power or legal right coul'
be found in the Constitution, or other
wise, which would enable them Or fur
snisf sufficient excuse for absolvin,
themselves from the Union. But the.
= dissolved and dispersed without pass
ing any resolutions to that effect, an'
undertook to diselaim the true objec
of their meeting and proclaimed tlla
S. they we're the only true loyal men o
the country, and claimed that they nor
il bad the right to come in md turn an
overturn until New Rnglund shoal
:. reign supreme,
81 At this juncture caue the grca
Narthwaat AID anta fn tha II i, fIf Nei