The Sweetwater enterprise. (Sweetwater, Tenn.) 1869-187?, 1870-03-17
THE ENTERPRISE.
swEETwATER, THURSDAY, MAR. Ii, 1870
Will It Prevail2

There is 4 question of more than ordi-
nary significance, says the Knoxville Wing,
agitating at least the surface of the pub.
lie mind, and which is destined, if we mis-
take not, to take "A profound hold upon
political science at no distant day. We
mean The rights Of The States. Do not
smile at this enunciation. This principle
must be sustained, or the strong national
cdifce built up by our forefathers must
topple and fall. There is, and can be, no
other alternative. At the rate of speed
we are now making in the direction Of a
centralized despOtiSm, it will not be long
until every State will be under the screw
of Congressional pressure. 1t is almost
that now.
With the American people this is no
new principle under the sun. 1t had i
ftful struggle in the earlier days of the
Republic, under the powerful guidance of
Alexander Hamilton. Perhaps he did
not 90 as far as our rulers Of the present
day, yet he was in favor of what he GU
phoniOusly and adroitly called a strong
government, which was only another name
for a consolidated government. The whole
tendency of his doctrine was to concentrate
al power into the legislative and execu-
tive departments of the government; to
ignore and set aside the rights Of the
States, and to demand unconditional obe-
dience Mt their hands. The potent logic,
however, of Thomas Jefferson sprawled
this young Hercules, and nothing more
was heard Of it uHtil the Aboli;ionists got
the control Of the Government. 1t then
reappeared upon the political thoater uu-
der their fostering care and guidance, and.
now stands before the country in proper
tions which may well s%tartle all lovers Of
constitutional liberty.
But it is claimed that We surrendered
this privilege by the fortunes Of the war,
We do not belong to this class o thiukars.
We deny it. So far from forfeiting it, it
was not really involved in this struggle.
Evidence is voluminous to the effect that
both Abraham Lincoln and Congress repeat
edly announced that the war was not
prosecuted to impair the rights of the
States, or to interfere in any way with
their domestic relations, not ever with
Slavery. Whether they were sincere in
this is altogether another question; still
the fact was boldly proclaimed. We do
not stop to discuss the reasons which act
uated the South in their course; but so far
as the North was concerned, if we can
place any confidence in their professions
they did not hesitate to affirm that if the
South would lay down their arm they
could return to the Union just as they
were.
But suppose we grant that the doctrine
of States sovereignty was involved, doesit
necessarily follow that because we were
conquered w must surrender our opin-
ions? Ofcourse we give up slarery,because
that was property, and therefore no part
of the mind. We surrender that, but not
our belief that slavery was a wrOng. Our
opinions are our own, and if we choose to
believe that the doctrine of State Rights
is a correct theory it is nobody's business.
Further, if We can form a party upon this
basis sufficiently formidable to reinstato it,
and thus to forestall the formation of a
centralized ~despotism, it is our imperative
duty to do so. That is just what we are
for, and to that end we shall labor assid-
uously. 1t will never do to lie on our
backs, and refuse to aid in subverting so
monstrous q measure as the one the coun-
try is now confronting because, forsooth,
some one may say we surrendered the doc
trine of the rights of the States when we
we're conquered. That is absurd, and un-
worthy of us. We do not ask the ~restora-
ton or slavery, for that is not materially
affecting the government, not striking it
at a vital spot; but we claim the right,
conquered as we may have been, to throw
our entire weight against the absolute usur-
patton of all authority in this land. We
are not yet prepared for a despotism,
though evidently coming, and if not resist
ed, will be the heritage of the American
people.
In conclusion, wiH il preraiI? Is such
to be the destiny of this country We do
not believe it. We have become too thor
oughly .Amsricani=ed to adopt such
monstrous theory. Our people are too
deeply embedded in the principles of sound
democracy to give in to it. The Southern
States, especially, will never succumb to
it; We mean IN theory. They will oppose
it to a man. There are thousands in the
Northern States, and as many in the Yves,
tern, who will combine and consolidate
their strength to wipe out this foul here:
sy. Whether it will, IN The end, bring
OIL another national shock, We cannot tell
but believe us when we declare that there
will be bIoodShed on this continent if there
is a determined effort to rule the American
people wih a rod Of iron. They will moi
bear it. They we're born freemen, and
they hate tyranny. Their forefathers re.
sisted unto blood the murderous machina.
tions of Great Britain, and they will be