, 1874-12-17

THE OLD LANDMARKS AND THE NEW.
The psrnlcious doctrine promulgated by The Cu14
oaao Tn1uusE, and other Administration organa, that
the Federal Government ia no longer an pgent: that 1t
IL no longer Government Of limited end delegated
powera, nnd that It derives ta authority only from
that "dirinlty which doth hGdgc King has excitcd
discussion from which wo hope tho public wl desiys
leneat.--Lowisrilie Courier-Jonrnat.
It the discussion proceeds Oh this statement
OF the issue involved, we fear the public will
derive no bonoit therefrom, but rather injury,
because it is a perverted aud false prescnta-
ton of the point in dispute.
TIE C1ucAao TRIBUNE has never assorted
TINT the Federal Government is not a "Goy-
ern1ncnt Of limited powers" On the con-
trary, it las affirmed aud admitted over and
again that it is a Government of limited
powers, aud TINT the limitations are pre-
scribed and defined in the Constitution. It's
powers aro also "delegated" to it by the
people, the voters, and not by the political
corporations called "States." We undor-
stand the Courier-]oUanal to affirm that tho
corporations called Estates" have conferred
upon OR delegated TO the Federal Government
its powers, and tllat it il their s'agent,"
which doctrine THE TRIBUNE denies aud com.
bnts.
If the Cd. means by tho expression that
it derives its authority "only from TINT
divinity which doth hedge a King,"-tho
American people, o,-thcn it statcs our idaa az.
actly. II tue Ct divinity that doth hedge d
King consists of tho legal voters Of coun-
try, then that il exactly tho source from
whence the Federal Government derives its
powers, authority, and existence, and, in our
view, nowhere else. Ihe sGme fountain OF
power which creates State Governments
created the National Government, viz, tho
American people. II the C.-L. desires to
haye a controversy with TuE TRIBUNE OH tho
subject OF National "a. State Sovereignty, ii
must not bogin by n,isroprosenting the posi-
ton OF I1rE TRIBUNE mud then drawing er-
rouoous conclusions from false premises.
If tho C.-.L thinks loNational- Sovereignty
doctrine of The TRIBUNE u,sound, md its
own state-soveroignty dogma tho right posi-.
ton, wlnt is the necessity for pnrposely mis-
conceiying the position Of The TRIBUNE?
e-..==-e@.=---...--=
We reproduce from tho Now York GrapAid
q somewhat sensational report that plan for
the settlement Of tho 1il,anoial questions 1as
beon preparca by some persons, not namcd,
ut Washington. This plan includes The re-
peal of the Legal-Tendor act, to tako effect
throo yoars hence; gold loan to be funded
to redeem tho greonbsohs; n great Central
National Bank to be chartered; FREQ banking
OIL 4 coin basis, and the consolidation Of the
whole national debt III n / per cont perlna-
nent bond. We publish tho statement for
what it is worth, which IL not much. The
detail Of the whole scheme is Immense, re-
quiriug great labor, and, above all, the
thorough education Of tho country to
enable 1t to bo understood. ItA value,
a,d Its usefulness liz Il whole, would
depend upon its detailed arrangements.
ANo fear it IL so far in advance Of the
ordinary notions of members OF Congress as
to maet with little consideration aud less
favor. We have no doubt, howover, that In