Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1874-12-05
RADICAL ASSUMPTIONS AND
STATES RIGHTS.

Chicago Tribune, the most speeious
and INSCRIPTIONS of their organs, in
order to check the tide of revolution,
and give its party one chance to escape
determination, ceases to harp upon
what the southern Democrats are re-
ported to have done and inveighs against
what they will do. The point upon
which the Tribune hinges the new de-
parture and its special pleadings, are
embodied in this single sentence -
That doctrine" States rights "can
not be abandoned by the Democratic
party, without disbandment of the
party itself. +"
Every man who knows anything
about the origin of our government, is
aware that the thirteen original Colo
MES fought the war of the Revolution
as independent sovreignties; that the
victory left them independent States.
But after experience having taught
them that closer union was required
to give them the strength and harmo-
ny needed in dealing with foreign pow
ers and placing their own internal re-
lations upon surer footing of mutual
justice and amity. To secure these
ends it was deemed advisable to meet,
in Convention, and establish a CON-
mon agency for the management of
foreign relations and to regulate COM
merce among themselves. That agen-
cy was Federal Government, consist
ing of three Departments. upon which
that Convention conferred appropriate
powers which were clearly defined by
the Constitution-the written compact
entered into, Voluntarily. by sovereign
States, each surrendering portion of
its sovereignty for the common good,
and each reserying, for its exclusive
exercise, every power not specially
conferred upon their mutual agent.
The old federal party, under the lead
of the elder Adams, eontended that
the federal government, in spite of the
Constitution, absorbed every form of
sovereignty reserved to the States,
whilst Jefferson and his supporters,
insisted that the United States were
not nation, in the common accepta-
tion of the term, but confederation
of separate soyreignties. The people
sustained Jefferson's Interpretation of
the compact, and so continuously, that
the federal party died out as an organ
ization, until it was resurreeted by the
Radical party.
We have made this brief review of
the originalstructure of our govern
ment, in order omake more clear,
the relative positions of the two an
tagonistic parties The old New Eng
land federalists never abandoned the
idea of consolidation and only awaited
IN opportunity which was furnished
them by the fanatical hate of slavery
and the South. Combining with this
powerful element, and controlling it,
the combination found it an easy mat
ter to rope in the Union shriekers.
Thus prepared, the next step was, by
armed force, to break down State
sovereignty, demolish the institution
of slavery and substitute an Union of
force, in place of the original Union
Of voluntary compact. Having ae-
cOmplished the three fold purpose, ne
eessity rather than choice, compelled
the entire heterogeneous compound to
resist the doctrine of States rights be-
cause if recognized, it stamps the war
a premeditated and malicious invasion,
and all its results, the work of free
hooters, usurpers and tyrants. They
must repudiate the doctrine of States
rights, or pronounce upon themselves
now, the sentence of deep damnation
which history holds in reserve for
them.
The Tribune is consistent in its ut
Ter reputation of this doctrine, and
displays more tact than conscience in
assuming what the Democrats, in the
ascendant, must do, in conformity with
that doctrine, than in dwelling upon
what the Radicals have done, in def.
ance of it. In its specification, that
all the negroes will have to be paid
for. as well as all other property seized,
stolen, or destroyed; that the cotton
tax must be refunded and the Confed-
crate debt assumed, the Tribune seems
10 proceed upon the supposition that
the success of Democracy will make
the South the dominant section and
that. like Radiealism, it will erect
de facto government and tyrannize over
the North and West 1t ignores the
fact that the Democrats, north of the
Ohio and west of the Mississippi will
constitute the majority of the party, and
that the thousands in the South, who
had but little to lose. will hardly vote
10 saddle themselves with a debt large
enough to mortgage the United States
for two centuries No man would
base an argument upon such foolish
assumptions, if he did not believe he
was addressing mass of prejudice
and ignorance that can be frightened
into fits by his sum total of imagi
nary debts 20 be incurred by a Demo
cratic administration In equity, the
South ought to be reimbursed every dol
lar it lost, and the North ought to pay
it, but it happens unfortunately, that
the tax 10 pay the principal and inter
est of such debt, must be uniform
and general, and it can benefit the
South but little, to receive compensa-
ton in money that must go back into
the Treasury, in the shape of taxes.
The Tribune is evidently aware of the
sensitiveness of the northern pocket
nerve and. in order TO touch il, over
leaps not only probabilities, but i'm
possibilities in order to revive hostility
TO the South and the Democratic par
~. The government can be saved by