The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1874-02-27
NUMBER ONE.

THEORY or OUR GOVERNMENT
" sTATE.AND FEDERAL.
~ u -
NUMBER ONE.
aiIBAavst L.lSN Co., OnEeoN,
FEBRUARY 23d, 1874.
Editor Democrat:
About six years ago, when residing
in another part of the State, wrote,
over different nom-de-ptume from
that over which I now write, u series
of five letters upon the "Theory of
our Government-State and FEEDER
al, (which were published in d paper
since suspended. / now propose with
your permission to revise those let
ters for publication in the DEMOCRAT,
fully realizing that the subject upon
which l wrote should claim larger
share of our practical education than
has been bestowed upon it for the
last. decade.
We have, arrived at a period in the
history of our country when it be-
comes us as citizens and patliots-as
worthy sons of revolutionary sires
to examine our system of govern
ment, State and Federal, ascertain
its true theory by the light of history,
reason and the organic law, and ap-
ply the principles enunciated and the
policy pursued by the party intrusted
with its administration for the last
thirteen years, and see whether those
fundamental principles that pertain
to our system and distinguish it from
most other governments have been
adhered to or departed from.
If we have clear conceptions Of the
theory OF the government framed by
Washington and his compatriots,
understand the true relations the
States bear to the Federal Govern
ment, and tho relations the people
sustain to each, we will be at no loss
in seeking for the reasons of our de-
plorable condition as q nation, or the
remedies to which we must resort to
correct the evil.
Believing that the calamities that
have overtaken the country are main
ly the result of erroneous ideas re-
specting the principles that underlie
our whole superstructure of govern
ment, and that too much cannot be
said or written upon the subject, if
intelhgently presented, / propose to
take up the subject Of the "Theory
of our Goyernment--State and Fed
eral, and discuss it in a series of
letters, to be continued until / shall
have exhausted the theme. That
there are those in Oregon better
fitted than your humble correspond
ent for this self-imposed task, l well
know, but 1 do not know that 1 nm
thereby relieved of the obligation,
seeing that no one else has under
taken it upon the plan propose.
The proposition | start out with is,
that the Government of the Unitrd
States is federative system Of
government; tho Constitution COM
pact between parties capable of con-
tracting; the parties to this compact
being the several States.
The question very naturally comes
up here, were the several States
competent to enter into this compacti
If they possessed the attributes Of
sovereignty, they certainly were.--
Then were they sovereign? Let us
examine this branch of the subject
for moment; it is oil important foi
the purposes of this argument.
These colonies, whilst dependen-
cies of the British Crown, were Ger.
tainly independent Of each other, re-
ceiving their charters, or proprietary
patents at different periods, eacl
without any reference to the other
in its conditions or its terms; eacl
with authority to regulate its own in.
ternal polity and municipal Affairs
independent Of the others, and an
swerable to no power on earth bu
the British Government. True they
owed a common allegiance to Grea
Britain, spoke common language
and for the most part were actuatet
by q common motive in seeking {
home in the new world, and we may
goa step further, and say they pur
sued a common political interest; bu
cannot independent sovereign powers
be thus united in allegiance, Ian
guage, objects, interest and sympa
thy, withoutnecessarily becoming one
people? Would the abrogation BY
the mother country of the charter o.
letters patent Of one or more Of thu
colonies have affected or destroyed
the others? They had no Legislative
body in common, no judiciary sys
tenn for the whole, nor had they (
common treasury. Then in what re
spect were they one people as q body
polite? The charter Of Massachu
sets and the letters patent Of Wm
Penn did not mako one people oI
Massachusetts and Pennsylvania
though they emigrated from tho
same country, under the authority o.
the saino government, and owed allie
glance TO the same sovereign.
think it unnecessary to dwell longoi
upon this point. 1t must be concod
cd that the colonies were independ
ent Of each other before and at tht
time that they threw Off their ale
glance to the British Grown.
The question here comes up where
rests the sovereignty, now that tn,
connection with Great Britain is dis
solved, that formerly belonged TO anc
was exercised by that government
Did II revert to the several colonies
or 10. the whole people Of all the col
onies in the aggregate? The Decla.