The New Orleans Democrat. (New Orleans, La.) 1875-1876, 1875-12-26
CONSOLIDATION RAMPANT,

CONSOLIDATION RAMPANT.
Senator Mcdonald, OF Indiana, slops
over suddenly about State sovereignty
He has found it SO important to answer
Senator Morton's resolutions declaring
that these United States constitute d
nation, that he rushes into print with
the rough draft, Though the phrase
ology may be changed somewhat before
their presentation to the Senate" The
resolutions are, therefore, before the
people, and should receive considera-
ton. Senator Mcdonald goes through
the old wearisome twaddle OF the seces-
sionists about State understandable
always associated with the sale OF
yellow babies at auction, and the asser-
ton of the prerogative OF any State" to
to follow him through all tho old blood
stained platitudes and sophisms, but
here Is specimen:
Resoiued. That rs the States were at the for
nation and adoption Of the Federal Constitution
each sovereign, free and independent. except in
prcssly delegated to Congress by the articles OF
confederation. tho rights reserved TO the States
and to tho people in the formation Of the FEEDER
cannot be impaired without usurpation. and
that the only safe way in which to administer
the Federal Government with respect to the
ton OF the Federal Constitution and the amend
ments thereto. and the assumption of no doubt
full powers
1--WE, the people," formed the more
perfect Union.' The Colonies had tried
the confederate form of government
and sickened of it. They were driven
together and welded into one people by
tolerated was but an amiable prOvin-
cialism. We, the people, were sover-
eign, and SO formed nation, with all
that the term implies. and the way to
administer the National Government is
to nail up all the States that attempt
to assert their pOppycock sovereignty,
with National bayonets, just as has been
done. The true intent and meaning
of State rights and the sovereignty OF
States, MS the phases are used by Mr..
Mcdonald, Is that in the great American
war the rebellious States were right and
the cOercing government was wrong.
It is nonsense and hypocrisy to talk Of
State sovereignty and rights and then
nestle and local concerns. No body
erer disputed the importance or the right
Of Self government Ia affairs concerning
the locality only. Municipalities have
That as we'll as States, and there is
much sense in talking Of the sovereign
ty Of townships OF cities as of States.
We. present the above in the shape Of
an editorial paragraph to show to the
people how entirely our anti-State
rights friend, the Cincinnati CONNER
cidl, confirms from his peculiar stand
point the opinions of the able jurist,
Judge Cooley, Of Michigan, so aptly
quoted by Mayor Leeds in maintaining
the absolute inviolability Of the freedom
Of Local Self Government in New Or
leans, in his recent Message to the
Council. There can be not much doubt
when philosophical statesmen admit
that no City or Municipality can live
safely or prosperously without it, and
thinkers Of Mr.. Halstead's views con-
cur with them.
OF course we do not subscribe to the
Cincinnati Commercials ideas in re-
gard to the nature and history of this
Union gradually being destroyed "as
the land OF the free and the home of the
brave" by exactly such fabulous con-
ceptions or prejudices. A blind man
can now almost see the inevitable
course of events. The States, and the
citizens Of the States-the people in
truth of the United States-were robbed
oftheir most valuable guarantees Of free
dom by war got up by a combination
of selfish capitalists, who wanted to
build Pacific railroads at the cost of the
Government, and Protective Tariff men
who clamored for their per centage out
of the industry of the people, these
two combined rings uniting with large
body of humanitarians seeking enamel
patton by the last means to which they
should have resorted-war and recon
struction. Now Senator Morton wishes
the country to resolve itself into what
he calls an undivided territorial Repub-
ic. ~
Next year, in all probability, Gen.
Grant, at the head of his eighty thou
sand officeholders, his soldiers Of the
Army Of the Republic, his political
order Of secret Methodism, and his le-
gions Of bondholders, and, if necessary,
foreign war with Mexico or Spain