Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1873-06-25
THE OOsIING ..NATION."

1t Is sad to note the notions Of govern
ment and perversions of history that are
being incorporated in schoolbooks nova
days, so different from those on which the
nascent minds Of the present and previous
g nerations were fed. We hesitate to pre-
dictate The result, but feel it our duty 10 IL
vite to the subject the attention of all
parents who have fSith in the need and
vitality of first principles. In Cincinnati
there has lately been published book en-
titled ga Cutie to Moral and Social Man
ners," oy one James Taylor, "designed for
the use of colleges and schools, ard for self
culture" On page Isl, under the head of
"Civil Duties,' AFTER giving statement of
the manner in which the Constitution of
the United States wss adopted, the author
says:
SIT is evident that the consolidation of
the States into great Nationality was the
great end to which all other objects were
of inferior magnitude, and to effect this it
was necessary that 1t should be the act Of
GsC pCOptCg OkfLlt HOC VI HGCbOCOtCo3 40 IAO PAS-
amble sets forth: we, the people Of the
innate Union, establish this Constitution
Tor the United States of America
We are glad to see the Cincinnati En-
quirer take this romancer in hand and i'm
pale him as follows:
What would be the impression of any
unsophisticated mind upon reading the
above? Would it not be that the Consti-
tuition was ratified by the majority of the
people of the United States, without regard
to State lines? We are told emphatically
that it was their act, and not that of the
States. Now, people may wish that such
had been the case--perhaps it ought to
have been--it may be necessary tosustain q
theory, bet with that we have nothing TO
do. We cannot permit the truth OF history
to be falsi6ed. II must be told, regardless
of whom it hits. The adoption of the
Constitution of the United States 1uGs the
act of The States, and not of the people an
mass. That is just the reverse Of the
proposition set forth by DR.. Taylor. 1t
was expressly provided that "the ratifick-
ton by the conventions of nine States
should be sufficient for the establishment of
this Constitution betIoeen the States so Tati-
fying the same" A majority of the people
of the United States reside din four States;
therefore the Constitution could go into
operation against the will of that majority,
if it was ratified by the minority who lived
in the other nine. This shows how little
was thought of taking the aggregate vote of
the people of the thirteen States as one
body, and being governed by it. But mark
the word "between." 1t is all-important.
The Constitution was to go into effect and
be binding "between" the nine States that
ratified Yet we are told that it was the
act of the people, and not of the States.
The preamble that "We, the people of the
United States" do so and so means moth
ing, except so far as zoe are a people under
State forms and organizations. As one
people, like those of Great Britain and
France, we certainly are not. Our Presi.
dent and Senate and House of Representa-
tives-that is, q majority of the lstter-may
be elected by one. third of the people against
the other two-thirds. Nothing WIS ever
submitted to the voters of the United States
as one mass. A minority car, and does,
control that mass inst as well as majority.
Therefore what nonsense iu DR.. Taylor to
talk about the ratification Of the Constitu-
ton outside of State lines.