Daily national Republican. (Washington City [D.C.]) 1870-1872, 1870-03-01
..rnk srrUArISSSg
It's Com pIIeatioss-TheIrO origin and
BSlutiOB.


Its opening ordainlng clause. For whom was
II ordained and estahlishedl
The Apglo-Amsriean colonies continued
to acknowledge their allegiance to the crown
Of Great Britain, under their continental
union as such, down TO the Fourth Of July,
1716. From that date their union became
revolutionary In all Its aspects and aims.
They adopted q manifesto, styled "a Decla-
ration by the Representatives OF the United
States Of America In General Congress As
sembled." By Il they dissolved their pollt-
ical connection with the parent Government,
and declared that, although they were hlth-
erto united as colonies, they were thence
forth free and independent States. This
State paper has ever Since been famillarly
known as tho "DseldrdiioR Of Kadsptnd1les."
Yet Il Is plainly TO DO seen that i involved
ouly an Independence ofthe Grown and Par.
lament Of Great Britain, and nol an indie
pendence Of their own union, or Of lts gov
erning power, represented by the magiatraey
vested In the Congress.
IL we turn 10 the Articles Of Confederation,
we ind prefiKed thereto this preamble, Wis
"ARrIoLHs or CONFEDERATION AND rER-
shire, MAssachuasttH Bay, Rhode Island sud
Providence PlNntAtiopa, Oonneotieut, New
msTy. ma" yirTiS HopiS Usrolas south
CArollnA and Georgia.
This, II will DO observed, was covenant
for the perpetual existence aud union Of the
colonies named therein as States, eonfeder-
ated States. The first article OF this pro-
posed covenant Of perpetulty ordalns, ylzi
"AgTIcLH !. The style Of this eoufederaey
shall Be THR UNTTED STATES or AMERICA"
These articles were adopted by all OF the
said States, and the confederaoy, or union,
under that designation Of Il, was fully es-
| tablished, being formally ratified by all OF
them March 1, 1TSl. SO that the several
| State existence OF the said colonies, aud
their confederate unlon "A such States, as
well as the onfederAto designation Of such
union, were declared TO DO perpetual; aud
this too, be Il remembered, while thir indie
pendence rested only In declaration, and not
In achievement.
merely this Confederate constitution" as
Washington termed II, was found TO DO In
efficient. Hence Il afterwards became neces-
cary after the achievement Of their lnde-
pendence, not TO dissolve, bat TO establish
this their confederate union as States under
amore hitting and appropriate governmental
organism. This new organism must be de-
vised, not by the Congress as representing
tho confederate State mAgistraey alone, but
| by tho people at large as representing and
being the source Of sovereignty In both the
union and the States; TO the people, there
fore, as thus representing both the nation
and the States, the matter OF reorganization
and not Of dissolution, was referred.
Let the thoughtfUi and Impartial reader
and student mark the historical verify Of
this discrimination. Both the people and
the States were represented By the delegates
70 the Federal Convention, so-called; while
| the Congress, which represented aud upheld
pro tsnpors, a. II were, the magiatracy and
the style Of the confederate union, remaius
| - A. ~ t1AG
superseded under the new organlsm pro
Vlded for by tho new Constitution. To the
Congress, therefore, this new Constitution
was reported by the convention which
framed IL, aud by the Congress as represent.
ing the maRistracy OF the confederacy, II
was referred to the people, who sanctioned
and adopted IL. Thus did the people COR.
daln and establish this Constitution for''-
the copfederacy whose style had been do
clared to be, and perpetually established as
"rhe United StdtSI Of America" 1t il
plain then that the new Constitution did moi
change, or aim TO change, the designation
Of tho Union as established by tho hrst OF
the Articles OF Confederation. 1t could not
have done so consistently with the confed-
crate covenant for perpetual unioni so far
forth as that union and Its designation or
style were concerned, the frst article Of the
confederation was a positive part Of the
| covenant Of perpetuity, and by 1t the ma
tIonal unity was established forever under
the style OF "The United Siaiss OF America
Ii ia still union Of States; and for this per
petual confederacy OF States, the people
have thus ordained and established this new
constitutional organism, the whole aim and
intent Of which was 10 make he 0oVsrnnlsnid
clement Of that eoysdsrdev more perfect 1d
u might Be perpetual.
The accomplishment OF this grand pur
pose involved neither a dissolution Of the
Union or a dlSlntegratlon Of the separate and
States. Their colonial charters became the
basis and the guarantee OF State precincts,
State constitutions aud State jurisdictions
and franchises. These could not DO obliter-
Rted or abolished, because they were In
herent prerogatlyes held and enjoyed under
| a separate corporate existence long prior "a
the revolution. Hence their continued ex'
isteueo as such was necessary part Of the
national economy. II was more necessary
to II than was the separate corporate exist
ence Of counties, cities, townships and viii
lagos 70 the municipal eIlstence OF the sew.
eral States. The Independent being Of the
States no more compromised or complicated
the consolidated organism OF the nation than
did the quasi Independence OF counties, cities,
towns and villages the aTterial life OF the
States.
The new Constitution thus admirably pro-
ylded for q harmonious fitting Of the States
as members thereof, In their different spheres,
functions aud rights, TO the national body
polite. Being members OF II, they became,
also, each and all, members one Of another.
30 that It was historically and literally true,
that "lf one member auffernd, ell The msm-
bers Sufsiea with III or, u one member was =,
honored, all the members rejoleed at It."
| New England could not say 70 Virginia, we
| have no need OF thee. New York could not
say 70 Maryland, have no need OF thee
Maryland could not cay 10 New Jersey, OF
Pennsylvania 10 Delaware, have no need
Of thee. Massachusetts could not say to
South Carolina, or South Carolina 10 Nassa.
chuEetts, have no need Of thee. The North
could not say To the South, or the South TO
the North, we have no need Of thee. The
thirteen United States Of America and their
Inhabitants, were all one In the great cousol-
dated constitutional organism Of the Uniony
nor could eitherAsay to a "wayward BisteT,"
or to any combil\ Ation Of such, SEQ"
This mystic plurality and oneness, this
Y PluribIs UnIm Of the nation and the
States, constitutes the essence, aud was and
is the true guarantee of constitutional life 10
either, and denotes the fundamental condl-
lions upon which alone both can stand.
1t must be remembered that up 10 the
time OF the Federal Convention the number
of colonies admitted Into the Union was un-
limited. The Articles Of Confederation pro-
| Vlded for the admission OF Canada and other
colonies 10 the union OF States as thereby
created and organized. But no such proyl-
sion Is found In the Constitution. The omis-
sion was not unlntentlonAli the trainers Of
1t occupied q different standpoint from the
/ trainers OF the confederation. Ths reYolu-
ton was accomplished. Their Independence
rested no longer In declaration. 1t was an
achievement, The nRtlohAl capacity OF
their union, which constituted their exist
ence as Power on earth, was recognised
and conceded before the world by the an
tagonistic parent Power.
Their aims were satisfied, and neither the
fathers or the people looked for any further
extension Of their domain, whether by con-
| quest or otherwise. Even II II had not been
! so, they could not have invited or provided
for any further aecessions 10 their Union
but In fAgrant violation Of the stlpulAtlons
contained in the dennitlVe treaty for peace
llWntNtnar ka6k thal- to-