The States and Union. [volume] (Ashland, Ohio) 1868-1872, 1870-09-21

diminish the jurisdiction and dignity
of the latter. Again, you will find a
of new crimes and offenses
created-many of the most u~selessly
and vexatiously created-punishable,
of course, by the Federal tribunals ;
thus bringing the Federal Government,
day by day, more in contact with the
people. Not a few of these crimes and
o~ffenses are already punishable in the
State courts under State laws, but this
fact, instead of lettering, has seemed
rather to incite Congress to a wanton
of power by making them pun
ishable also in the Federal courts by
Federal law. In brief, the purpose
seems to be, that the General Govern
ment shall intrnde itself everywhere
and assume Jurisdiction of everything.
And, now, when to all these facts
you add the further considerations,
that the Government maintains a large
army and navy, and a still larger host
of civil employees, that the Treasury
Department alone has under its control
more than 10000 persons, and the
other departments employ, in5the ag-
gregate, over twice as many more (;
that the Federaltaxes annuallysamount
to over 100000, 600, and thatall of
this vast sum is annually expended ;
and then reflect that the tendency of
every government clothed with such
vast powers is to usurp more power
still, and I ask you if it is not time TO
consider whether the impeff0, cen
tralized government that looms UP be-
fore us. Is a desirable thing for the
people of America. l.
l am. by temperament ~andfhabit,
disposed to take a hopeful view of af
fairs. I never have 7-been, andsam
not, an alarmist where my judgment
finds 70 cause for alarm ; but 1 cannot
look at the vast strides toward con-
solidation that have recently been
taken, and hear the doctrines pro-
mulgated that are almost daily heard
in the Congress, without feelingthat the
reserved rights of the, Statesiand the
people are threatened with but little
less than humiliation. Oncegm more,
then, I ask, is this threatened change
in our Institutions desirable? Is local
selsgovernment a failure or an evil
that ought to be abolished Ought
tie States to be reduced to the Deepen
dent condition OF mere departments or
counties? Ought Congress. to be
clothed with the imperial powers of a
British Parliament, and the great body
of the laws affecting the rights, the
welfare and the liberties of the people,
emanate from it and from it alone !?
These are the questions that are forced
by events upon your consideration,
questions as important as ever eugag-
ed the attention of n people, questions
whose magnitude far transcends the
minor matters of debt, finance and
taxation. That they are real, an not
imaginary questions, none but the
ignorant, the frivolous or the 1unprin
cipled, will dispute. Let us, then,
turn our thoughts to their solution be
fore it is too late.
Now, my friends, 1 am opposed to
the Capitalization of all powers in the
Federal Government, for reasons that
a be but briefly and imperfectly
stated in the proper limits OF a speech.
FIRST, 1 am opposed to it because it
would be destructive of the existence
of the Republic. The Republic could
not, in my judgment, long endure
such a system. 1t would break down
under its own weight. There never
was a greater mistake than to suppose
that a government of despoticlpowers
Is alone able 10 govern a great extent
of territory. The very reverse of the
proposition is nearer the truth. Vast
monarchies have existed, covering
great portions of the earth. and seem
ing for a time to be indestructible,
yet how few of them remain? And
where they yet exist, how miserable,
oonparativ ely, is the condition of the
people? l am not speaking of com
pact countries of limited extent, in
which centralized power is possible
and may long endure. Nor am ]
speaking of people who have no aspi.
ration for freedom or q better state OIL
mental, material and social we'll being.
What I speak of is a territory similar
to our own, and a people loving free
dom seeking prosperity. And it is in
reference to such a territory. with a
people, that I affirm it to be- an i'm
possibility that a, great centralized
government can long rule over il.
Either the government will undergo. a
change, or the territory will be rent in
to pieces, and separate and Independent
governments be set up in the frag,
ments. e..-., .,5tt,.
This, then, is my first objection tc
slch a centralized government as ]
have supposed. Its inevitable result
would be, in my opinion, the disinte-
grafton of the republic at no distant
day. ~
Secondly But were it possible fol
such a government tn rule this coun'
try, what would be its effects We
have a territory of vast extent a great
diversity of climate, soils, prod uetions,
arts, industries, occupations, capital
and wages. The diversity of peoples
is not less remarkable. And then the
people of each State have grown UP
under their own State laws, to which
their affections are bound by the. force
of habit, and because they are the en-.
actments of their own free will. Add
to these considerations the difference
in social observations and customs,
and conceive, if you can, of a country
in which local self-government is more
indispensable to the interest .or happi.
ness of the people, Oh in which itwould
be more impossible, without acrush.
ing tyranny, to subjecr the whole com
munity to a uniform, iron rule. =.
Again, as a question of right what
pIoprietY would there be IN hermit