National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1875-08-23
THE SOVEREIGNTY OF THE PEOPLE.

one thing, its interpretation Of the Constt
tuition is another. The one relates to the
manner Of conducting the affairs Of the
Government its external relations and its
domestic rule. and the other to the powers
or attributes of the Government Differ
encesa to the former only result in mode
Of managing or conducting our National
household more or less beneficial to the
people and to the interests within the
sphere of Governmental operations, while
differences as to the latter enter the frame
work and invoke principles which consti-
tute the strength and the life of govern
ment itself -Eg-.-5rf- -r~
Our. Federal and State Governments
constitute system which has no prototype
in the previous experience of the world.
Though framed after the profoundest con-
siderstion by its authors of existing and
pre-existing governments, and with dis
criminatin g application of the most liberal
and enlightened principles of the science of
government established by opinion and
furnished by experience, yet it has no
model. 1t was the offshoot of Q condition,
the product of its surroundings, the con-
ception of an era, pressed to development
through men Of pure and lofty purpose,
earnest spirit, and consummate wisdom,
Emerging from the condition Of
colonies amid the throes of rev.
-olution, extemporizing under the pressure
of war such governments as best might
meet Its exigencies; coming out of that war
victorious, and having established their
independence, but still unsettled and tossed
upon the uncertainties of its subsiding bill
lows the popular mind found no rest, and
regarded the work of the revolution incom-
plete, until the people had adopted the
government ''for themselves and their pos
terity," under and by which they hoped
and expected to perpetuate their liberties.
From the day of the Declaration of indie.
pendance, to the adoption Of the Federal
Constitution, the thirteen colonies were in
q transition state, passing from the old to
the new, but never consummate until our
people became as the United States of
Amerca, one Of the nations of the earth.
As United Colonies they made common
resistance to the expressions of the mother
country, and by common blood and COM
mon treasure, their common independence
was achieved, and whatever of right and
form each one as State could assent was
acquired and made good by the combined
efforts of all. They had in precedent as
serted or recognized States as nations or as
sovereignties, and whatever of these be-
longed to the colonies at the close of the
Revolutionary war, was the sovereignty
which, according to our view of the sources
of political power, reposed in the people,
as the elemental sovereigns expressed or
formulated in the colonial government,
which had been established upon the revo-
lutionary war with such notifications and
alterations during the war as the changed
condition had made necessary. The great
underlying principle of the American
Revolution Of 1776. was that the people,
not the Government in any form, colonial,
state or monarchicsl, but the people, were
the repositories and the sources of all poll
teal power, and that they had the supreme
and exclusive right to make for themselves
. government, to determine lbs form, to
give to it its powers, and impose upon 1t
its limitations. In word, to create it,
fashioned and endowed by the SOVEREIGN
will of the people of the United States, to
be government for themselves ard their
posterity.
In the conventions of the people of the
States which adopted the Constitution of
the United States, the subject of the powers
conferred upon the Federal Government
were largely discussed, and the jealousies
of the people as to the rights of the States
then aroused, found expression and favor
soon after in the amendments to the Con-
and resulted in the school of
politicians known as strict construc
tionists, who, according to the COM
mon role Of controversial theorists,
from strict constructionists to the
States Right party, as they styled them
selves, whose cardinal doctrine is, that the
Federal Government is compact of SOW
ereign States, and not government of the
people, that it is confederation, and
not nation and that upon a breach of
the compact of union that any State may
from the confederation. And as
q corallary from this, as there is no
common arbiter to whom q controversy of
this kind between a sovereign State and
the United States can be submitted, that in
such e1igency each State must Judge for
herself, both the measure Of the grievance
and the means and manner of redress.
This doctrine has exemplitied its newt
able tendencies in results which involved |
he country in civil wal, and shook as with |
he throes of the earthquake, the founda-
ions of the Government. The Northern |
mind, trained in the school of Washington,
TODD by the Union in that momentous
struggle, and the nation was saved. The
'ebellion was crushed by arms, and the
States who, under the leadership of the
chool of State Rights politicians, attempted
o carry out the legitimate sequences of
heir doctrine Of State Rights, by with.
Lrawing from the Union, were forced back,
nd are now as before the war, in position
s States Of the Union. The leaders of
he rebellion, endowed with every
rivilege of citizens, are now the
eaders of the Democratic party in the
'outh, and are as bold and defiant and
nore jealous advocates of the doctrine of
tate Rights than before the war. This is
be Alpha and Omega, the beginning and
be end Of their political career. This it
fas in 1872 that induced them to support
fr. Greeley "a man who of all others they
ated) for the Presidency. That led them
} stand upon platform which declared
nat the Democratic party accepted the
nendments to the Constitution as fnality
nd pledged them to the, maintaiprnce-
( the civil and political equality of all men,
nd this it is now that makes them ready
, acquiesce in Whatever administrative
Olicy the Northern Democracy may pro-
ose to them. Make this doctrine of State
lights tie fundamental doctrine of the
democratic party, say they to the Northern
democracy, and we of the South will con-
EIDE to you whatever you may wish, with
sgsrd 10 the banks, the currency, and all
Their questions of National interest. The