The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1875-06-09
1875.


vision has been created and made by
sembled. The old theory that might
once have been applicable to the thir-
teen original States, the Colonies, can
1t was merely baby clothes that cam
not be put upon the body Of the ma
tion.. OF the twenty-four new States.
consider the character of twenty three
of them. Take the State of Indlaaa
for example. Indiana was carved out
Of territory belonging to the United
Congress. But for that act Indiana
would to-day be a dependent territory.
Yet when Indiana and twenty three
other States had thus been made
States by Congress, admitted into the
the constitution, we are told by this
remarkable THEORY that has brought
upon us all our woe and death, that
just as soon as Indiana became State
in this way she became a sovereign,
original, independent State-a party
to the compact by which this govern
mept was formed. This is just as abb.
surd as for man to assert that he is
his own father. All the States are on
an equality. We know that twenty
four of them were admitted and made
by Congress. Their rights are defined,
guaranteed and esta ablis he'd by the
constitution. IF the old thirteen
States have a different title to their
rights and occui.y them by different
tenure, then the States are not upon
an equality. 1t is not question, my
friends, as to what are the rights of
the States. We will not differ about
that. 1t is only question of title. /
insist that the rights of the States are
under the protection and guarantee of
the nation, and do not depend upon
theory outside of the constitution
which enabled eleven States to make
the war upon this country, and almost
brought upon it death and destruc-
ton. State rights are consistent with
national government, and the only
danger is when States become danger
Gus to the nation. just consider this
simple proposition, and it is easily
evolved in your minds-the rights of
the States cannot be diminished or
enlarged, the rights Of the Govern
ment of the United States can not be
diminished or enlarged except b.; an
amendment to the constitution, which
first requires concurrent vote OF two
thirds of each house, afterwards to be
ratified by three -fourths of all the
States.
1t is competent in that way to en-
large or diminish the power of States
or to change the powers of the Gener-
al Government, but it is not compe-
tent in any other way.
The idea that we are a nation-that
we are one people subdivided into
States for local and domestic purposes,
each State having its rights guaran-
teed, made sacred and unapproachable
by the Constitution of the United
States, should be taught in every
school, college and academy in the
land 1t should be the central idea
of American politics. Every child,
so to speak, should be vacciDated with
the idea, that he may be protected
from that terrible distemper which
once so nearly destroyed our country.
The man who does not believe in the
existence OF God, in Immortality,
and does believe that when he dies
he will be moulded into the earth and
disappear forever, like the snow fake
morally weak; that man is incapable
OF the greatest intellectual or moral
exertiOns. The man who has no coun-
try has been described as being the
most conspicuous object of isolation
and desolation. All, soldiers, when
you rushed forward, and felt that
there was an army behind to support
you, it gave you courage and strength.
~
viction that man is a member of a
abroad, whose reputation gives to him
protection wherever he travels-that
conviction makes a man strong intel
lectually, morally, and every other
way in the great trials and struggles
of life. We should therefore ever
bear in mind that while the States
have their rights sacred and unap-
proachable, guaranteed by the same
instrument and having the same title
with this government of the United
States, liberal local self f-government
is indispensable to our system, yet the
nation is over and above all, even as
God is over the universe. The ma
tions of the Old World are now as
piring to nationality. Italy has re-
turned after q long absence. Rome
has again become the capital and the
seat of powerful nation; the bleed
ing fragments of that beautiful coun-
try have again been banded together,
and Italy has again taken her place
among the nations of the earth. So
it is with Germany, long divided and
disrupted She has been seeking for
nationality, and coming together we
all recognize the overmastering civili-
cation of that great country. And
now Germany, by union of strength,
has become one of the chief powers of
Europe.
CONCLUSION.
Soldiers, I have detained you longer
than | intended. In the discussion Of
this question l have simply sought to
present what every intellIgeat man
and woman knows to be the fact; to
revive it in your memory, to enerave
it upon the tablets Of your recollec-
ton, that this rebellion that cost you
State of Indiana more than twice the
entire population Of Putnam county,
was only made possible by the exist
said there was no nation but that
there we're thirty-sevea nations, and
that every man owed his first allegi-
ance not to the Nation but to the
State. You know how it was. Mapy
of the ablest and most distinguished
Southern men went into the rebellion
only upon that idea; that while Gen
eral Robert E. Lee. Alex. III. Steph-
ems and others disappreved of it, con.
demned it from the bottom of their
hearts, yet they had been taught that