The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1872-04-11

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isc,s "a il pleased. free from the conrro
or dictation of every other STATE. and
| can only be deprived Of its, sovereign
power to do 60 BY It's own consent.
The ConstAation nowhere grants 70
the Federal Government any ponertc
interfere with the residusry sovereignty
Of the States in respect to these subjects.
But the m : a.ures, the valid .ty OF which u
affirmed by the resolutions, sweep awsy
the government established by the
Constitution. and convert it into con-
soIidated government, gor overnment
of the majority. They revolutioniz,e
the entire system Of government ootn
State and Federal, and break down all
the barriers go wisely established 70
preserve the rights o! the people ana
the reserved sovereignty Of the States
When once the power TO estsoi!sh
citizenship in the States. to prescribe
the qualifications Of their officers. anu
to limit or restrain their right to reSu,,
late suffrage az they please is conceded
to the Federal Government. the states
are reduced to petty corporations. Ihey
NAV exist in name, but their substance
will have departed. What other pow
ers will YOU confer upon the Govern
ment to makes ita Consolidation more
complete?
By the frame oil government estao-
listed bv the Constitution the powers
dele gated were wisely distributed among
three d s,inct and coordinate depart
menta, legislative. executive and lah,'
cial, the Independence OF each OF "hic n
"a secured and lis power defined: All
the legislative power granted III the
Constitution are ve-trd in a Congress
viii h is therein provided for. MI
department OF the Government Is 10
consist Of a Senate and House Of Repre-
sent .t;ves. The latter bod" : L" he
'a,alo-cl - mcubers "chosen ever!
second wear BY the PEOPLE OF the sever
al States, and the electors in each State
shall have the qualifications requisite
for electors OF the most numerous
branch OF the Safe Legislature. The
Senate is to be composed Of two Sena-
tors from each State chosen by the
legislature thereof for ak years, and II
is expressly provided that TO State. by
any amendment 10 the Con-ti'nhon'
shall ever be deprived OF its equal sui
frase in the Senate. These two bodies
thus cons,i uted, form the Congress IN
which all legislative powers granted IN
the Constitution are vested. lhe peo-
PIE OF each State have right 10 par
tic pate in the legislation OF the conn-
try, anl were careful 10 reserve THIS
right by providing that each state
should have two Senators and at least
one Representative. "A the Constltu-
ion has thus prescribed how Congress
shall he constituted, and as it can exist
only As it was created 10y the Constltu-
ton, body composed OF Representa-
tives from only part Of the STATES
who arbitrarily deny to the other states
the right OF representation therein 10
not constitutional Congress, and is
vestcl with no lesisla i've powers. The
power - Propose amendments Was
granted to the Congress provided for 10
The first article OF the Constitution, and
to no other body or assembly OF men.
A fracmcn,ary body, which assumes to
exclude The Representatives from
number OF the States cannot therefore
exercise this power.
II such an assembly il a Cons'Itu-
lionaI Congress, vested with the whole
legislative power Q! tie Government,
ani can exclude ten States from repre-
sentation. while assuming to leelslate
for them, why RAY not a majority Of
such .ra.mentarv holy exclude twenty.
and majority still OF the body thus
reduced deny the right o. representation
60 other States, and 80 this process OF
reduction DC carried on until the whole
legislative power Of the Government Is
vested in single State? This is to
user, the ompipOtencc OF Congress and
to concedc to it the power, at its own
pleasure, to change entirely the cbarac-
ter AMI form OF government and destroy
The Union. 1t j. the concentration OF
al the powers Of government in the
same hands, and "is precisely the def
ton o; despotlc government
Tne trainers o. the Constitution,
knowing the tendency Of power toward
central ,zstion, AMI espec ally the ten
dency OF the legislative department to
extend lis own powers by usurpariop,
hrdCed it in ty checks and limitations,
and car fully enumerated its powers so
as to leave no room for abuse or mis-.
construction No such power OF ex.
clusion WAS conferred upon Congress
bv the Constitution, and lis exercise,
whatever may Nc the lrctexf, Is simply
revolution.
A. no governments constructed 10y
human agency are ever perfect, that
cstabl shed by the Constitution was
not supposed 70 form An exception.
Its orsaniz ttion, in that the powers
delegated were distributed among three
coordinate departments, with powers
limit, Il and drfed by a written Con>ti-
| tutOn, WIS III experiments ii"hS a'h
experience, it was !or,seen, light
rrove that alterations would be useful
to enable il to exercise efficiently the
powers delegated. or that the exercises
OF snch powers being injurious to the
States as well as dangerous 10 the lib
critics OF tie people, further limitations
and restrictions should be imposed to
sec ure thee. 1t was necessary, there
tore, to provide mode Of introducing
such provisions or amendments, and
this power is provided in the Consttu.
ton. To the congress created thereby
the power is granted to propose
amendments to the Constitution"
whenever two thirds Of that body shall
concur therein, which are TO he valid