New national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1870-1874, 1872-06-27

The Constitution is their supreme rule and
when this will conforms thereto it is also
their supreme rule. They have no more
right to disregard the latter than they have
! to disregard the former. The judicial multi
/ fication of the legislative will of Congress is
/ justified only by the uncnnstitutionality of
! the latter.
! From this sketch, me.,gre though it be, the
reader will perceive that the National Gov
ernmcnt is composite agency, existing in
three departments, and having all its powers
and duties defined in the Constitution of the
United States. 1t is self-sus tanning and self
executing by the delegated vii! Of the whole
people; and, acting within the prescribed
sphere, it is alike central, final, and supreme
In il and 1t only has the nation centered it's
powers as nation. There is no government
within its territorial bosom that can come i'm
conflict with it, except by rebellion; and
none that can hold concurrent jurisdiction
with it. Its will within its sphere is the ma
tons will, and the only will that can have a
national existence. 1t is Il central will, and
from one center extends itself through all the
parts OF this great Union 1t fixes the rela-
tons of the whole to the other nations of the
earth and within the limits designated BY
the Constitution it equally fixes the relations
OF all the parts to each other and of each part
to the whole. when United States law GOES
down into the bosom of society, it goes there
as supreme law and is armed with The power
OF the whole country to enforce it. If its
cOnsttutionality be disputed, then the United
States will settle this question through its
Supreme Court, and afterward maintain its
decision as thus given. There is no local
legislation in the States that can stand before
or vacate the supreme legislation of the ma
ton. When the Government acts, it always
acts as supreme and central; and all the
parts must bow to its authority. This is
simply the Capitalization provided for in the
Constitution and without it there could be
neither nation nor national government,
Those who complain of this sort of centraliza-
ton really urge their complaint against the
Constitution of the United States. They are
sufficiently answered by saving that this
Constitution expresses the will of the sover-
eign people.
1t was the purpose of those who framed,
and equally of those who adopted the Consl-
tuition, to 'Ordain and establish" National
Government for the whole people and that
they succeeded is proved alike by the instru-
ment itself and by our history from that day
to this. In respect to this object Alexander
Hamilton laid down these two aXiOms, simple
as they are universal: first, that ''the means
ought to be proportional to the end :"
secondly, that "the persons from whose
agency the attainment of the end is expected
ought to possess the means by which it is to
be attained" The end is clear and the
means adequate; and so long as the people
remain true to their Constitution the National
Government will stand Oh the solar centre of
our political system, making disintegraton
and dissolution impossible. 1t has in it no
place or provision for that theory of State
Rights upon which the Southern people
claimed to build the right Of secession. The
Democratic party, for political purposes, pro-
fess to be alarmed lest the General Govern
ment should usurp the powers reserved to the
States; yet no such fact has hitherto ex-
isted, and is not likely to exist. Our history
as nation proves Gas Alexander Hamilton
foresaw) that disintegration, rather than I'M
due Capitalization, is the greater danger.