New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1874-01-11
NEW rIEoT1oN..-sTATE RIGHTS.

federate nationality for the power to re-
organize, at the will of the federal govern
ment, the personal administration OF
State will find but one clause to which
that power can be referred.
He who chooses to investigate the opin-
ions OF those who framed this composite
nationality, and weighed out to i II
Jealous grains and scruples the equal
rights of men, no. tie corporate nights OF
States, viii perceive that these scrupu-
lous weighers OF the precious element
| intrusted to their care. guarded carefully
the possibility Of large. grasp o. these
rights by any centra! government which
might thereafter be in force.
There will he found bu: ons section O;
the federal constitution which imposes
| any Limitation upon the rndoubted right
| Of the people to sonduc. their own affairs
IN their own way. .tis this: 1.-THE United
States shall guarantee to every State in this
Union a republican form OF government.
w. see In this a determination that no
prince Of the blood should be transplant
ed from Europe to mar the symmetry q!
the Union by a mona-chiai member. The
people wished iomoseneity. therefore
they forbade orders 0: nobility and guaran-
teed freedom Of religion. It is wholly
Useless to 60 over the argument, 60 often
and so ably urged. tina: .Ae power Of the
etTn;ted States over the government OF
the people Of any State IS limited to al
inspection Of the Storm Of government:
existing n each State. It is THUS sue
c;nctly stated by Judge Story: 1.-THE only
restriction imposed On the States Is tina:
they shaa rot exchange republican tor
..nti-repub!:can constitutions"
The wore! form" IS well chosen and
excludes, absolutely. the idea OF power
70 scyutiuize the sp;ri. or substance OF the
State government chosen by this people.
The illustrations O: the danger 20 be sp-
pretended from an unlimited discretion
over the domestic organization Of a State.
ste too obvious. too numerous and too
startling to need even suggestion. TO
change tina: word form would be to
place the people Of each State utterly at
the mercy Of the common government.
l: would compel such people to accept
their own State government q: the discre"
ton q the federal government. ANY other
word would give the .sde.a! sove:an,en:
z practical veto or the government: and
institutions Of a State
We can noe tor5eas citing one example
Of tie weight Of that word '3or;n." There
were many members OF Congress who
nere- believed that tie institution o.
Slavery was republican;n principle. They
contended within the States which re-
pealed the law Of bondage. that the fun
.amental principle 0: a republican gov
ernmen: was that '.ali men are created
eaual.v Eow, If the federal government
lad been authorized 70 guarantee :epGb-
Lean government in principle. instead OF
il ':o.,. long since the a-ti-s!ave:y sen:i-
nent in Congress would have found =
r:gh: o! intervention in the government Of
q state which the guarded and well
ve;ghe. words o: the constitution did 10:
allow. No. did it impose any pains or
the conscience OF anti-slaTery men. be.
cause they found ~ elective and repre-.
sentative government. republican il form.
ana they had no right. and were under no
moral responsibility. to look further into
the domestic affairs o: a State.
The value Of TIA: tern, as q protection
{. the Institution Q: slavery viii occur 10
the minds Of all familiar with the conflicts
on that subject. It i, only when the food
has subsidized that we can estimate prop
cry the lulwarLs which have protected
Is. The sestainir: force Of that simple
vo., .to:u.~ vas sJ:ch tina: it required
the sngineryc: national ws! 20 sind ::
reason for disregarding:t.
!: is for this reason tia. We lee! sur
pi:sed TIA. statesmen insisting upon the
rights O: the States. aI.d even upon the
soxereign dignity OF the States. should
confess that tie people q Louisiana were
- incompetent to conduct their own
affairs & ;:rs that It had become necessary to
surrendes theiY charter. and beseech the
genera. government to guarantee. no: q
form Of republican State government. but
the election of set O. officers competentto
eonduc: the State government. The peti.
t:onary State. like distant Roman prov
ince. OF {. colony OF the English empire.
keeps paid and permanent solicitor o.
the federal government: ever praying that
government to protect q corrupt and in.
eompe:en. people from the consequences
0: their own :ncapac!ty. This is - sorry
show Tor States rights men. It is eatin.
the very husis OF federalism in their ;n-
tense famine 0: Office. THIS argument IS
sietcied only to show the conservative
value 0: the fedora! constitution.
70 the Republican party Of Loutsian.
the r!ere form ct Il new election unie:
uniform. laws oc suffrage and certificate
would make 10 cthe: difference than.
perhaps. the eviction Of some Republicans
from Office and the election of other Repub.
iicans in their place. The control Of tn.
State would be confirmed 10y larger
majority than heretofore. That majority
would be increased, first. by those
who see the determination OF the
Republican party to make all
needed reforms, and, secondly, by those