The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1870-09-27
COLUMBIA, S. c..
Tuesday Morning, September q. 1870.
A Question OF OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES Does
Sovereignty Rest In this Country!

A Question OF Governmcnt-Where Does
Sovereignty Rest In this Country.
We have before suggested that in this
country one great source Of national in
security and internal disorder is the fact
that we are at variance as to the true
character of the Government under
which we live. This difference of OPT
nion has already caused ono internal war
in these States. It may in the future
cause another. Among the evils that the
radical party has brought upon this
country, the blows it has inflicted upon
our governmental system are not the
least in Importance. In carrying out its
purposes, it has not hesitated to invade
tho Constitution of tho republic. In the
speech which Mr.. Stevens, the radical
leader, made on tho occasion Of the i'm
peachment of President johnson, lie did
not hesitate to avow the new and start
ling doctrine that Congress embraced the
sovereign power of the republic. Said
he, on that occasion, 'the socereiyn po,cer
Of tie nation rests on Congress-, and again,
''he sovereign 7'o,cer in Mis republic is tic
Congress Of tie United S1ates." This
theory as to tho foundation of our 60
vernmental system is good radical doc
trine, but 'it impudently contradicts the
history of the republic. It does moro
it renders impossible any soriNes Consti-
tuition like ours, which distinctly recog-
niges the Executive, the Judiciary and
the Legislative. as the three coordinate
and co-equal branches of the Govern
ment. Congress, the President, the Su-
preme Court, are oil the creatures of the
Constitution. No one of these depart
ments can be ''the sovereign in this re-
public" All combined cannot be "sove-
reign in this republic" The question
then arises, where does sovereignty rest?
We answer, in the people, whose will1 is
expressed in the Constitution. The Go
vernment is the creature of the Consti-
tution-the Constitution is the creature
of the political people who mado it-that
is, of tho posscssors OF the elective fran
chise. Of course, just hero arises the
question as to whether this sovereign
power resides in the people of the United
States as whole, or i'll tho people of the
several States which formed the Consti-
tuition, or have come in the Union
under it.
We do not propose to revive this dis
cussion. Whether the theory of Mr..
Webster be accepted, or the theory OF
Mr. Calhoun be adopted, in either event.
the 'sovercign power in this Republic
rests in the people. And this is the
point we desire to make, viz: that the
radical theory and practice, which is,
that Congress is supreme, is revolu-
tionary and unconstitutional and de-
structive of good government. Nay,
more, it is unRepuLlicun, for the essence
of true Republicanism is, that represen-
tation is general and thorough, and how
can this be in Government of the nu-
merical ma jority, such Us this Govcrn-
ment becomes when it is acknowledged
that Congress is "the sovereign in this
Rcpublic?" OF this, we feel satisfied,
when the sovereign power of this coun-
try has been snutchcd from the organic
people and becomes fully centred in
Congress, then will it be timo for us to
seek new guards for our future security.
Already has tho Republic drifted far
from its ancient IL oorings. Let us hope
that it mny be brought back to its fastcn-
ings, and that it may bo SO secured as
not to be affected in its integrity by
"the tidal ebb and flow of the passions
of the hour
No DISTURBANCE IN EDGEFIELD We
are gratiied in being able to state, upon
the authority of Mr.. W. L. Durisoc, Sr.