Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1875-08-20
fnIs d a NATION.

that Nr. u. u q Demorrnt anu oi
Bourbon pedigree. Mr.. Beck declared
In q recent speech that the term "Ns-
ton, "ss applied 70 the United States.
is q livery contsmptiblo word; a word
..thai no good Democrat uses when he
ca. and any other. and when forced to
use II, always uttsrs IL with disgust."
He then distinctly and smphatieslly told
his hearers that "this il no Nation"
but said that Eve" refsrring to Ken
lucky and Missouri. are FREQ and in
dependent States" To a certain extent
these u~ttsrances Of Mr.. Beck arc true.
In q larger degree they arc false.
Kentucky and Missouri arc free and in
dependent States 90 isng - they behave
themselves; do NOT trench upon the
domain Of the Federal Government, nor
assert their equality Herewith. But
they are not free 10 do anything which
shall impair the power or p~rsrogativs Of
the Government Of the United States.
They are independent ~ States within
the jurisdiction and constitutional
control Of . higher power; not indsPsnd'
emit Of that jurisdiction or control. nor
IL u within their right or power to
diminish either.
The old hsresy Of State sovereignty.
NOT limited. ~ We have indicated. but
absolute and unboundsd. is revived by
Mr.. Bsck's remarks. He says this Is
not Q nation. What il 1t theni Mr..
Beck win doubtless answer. q eonieder-
acy Of Sovereign States. So said CAL
houn yean ago. SO said every leader
In the movement which preceded aud
prscipitaisd tho attempted secession OF
the Southern States. Tho war which
followed turned upon this point and
mons other. On n side ID was claimed
that The States. which. having passed
ordinances Of secession were forming
Themselves into . new confsdsney. had
q constitutional right 10 do so. even
though the result might BE- TO destroy
the Federal Government. On tho other
hand. 10 Wa commended by the Adminis-
tntion and the non-secsding States, that
the Union VA intended TO be and was
individbls; that NO State had the night
to impsril the s~1istsnee Of another by
withdrawing ita connection with or al
lsgiancs 10 ths Federal Government;
that. In short, the United statos vas a
nation and mot. u was claimed by CAL
houn and his Disciples. q nero confeder-
scy. subject 10 the freaks Of any Of its
members and resting on nothing more
substantial than tho v%olition Of each or
all the States Of which il Is composed.
Upon this issue tho North and South
we're divided. In defense or advocacy
Of these opposite doctrines they invoked
the dscision Of the highest tribunal rec
ognizsd on ssrth-thAt Of battle. by
its result the question vas to bs decided
tho principle forever settled. When
the war ended Il was settled. that no
State In this Union had tho right to
ssceds; that tho Federal Government
was not only supreme. hut 30 far as ro-
laiss to its destruction by tho secession
Of liz members. indivisiblo forever. In
short, the var decided that the United
States il not merely . confederacy. but
. nation. Tho doctrine Of State Rights
Vas proved TO DO inconsistent
and dangerous, and the doctrine Of
Federal supremacy was accepted
unwillingly by the South. but
nevertheless accepted. whom the rebel
armies surrendered and the bogus con-
federacy they had erected fell to pieces
--as an established principle Of this
Government. BY this the nation be-
came supreme. and II wa demonstrated
that no State was ever sovereign. nor
svsr could be. when its policy or action
came In conflict with those Of the
nation.
While this question Of States rights
ought to b. and practically was. settled
by the war. We occasionally. a. by Mr..
Beck. hear Of its attempted resurrection.
While II can never hereafter Be made an
Issue in American politics, IL can be and
IL being used TO fan tho smbers Of dis
content into = feeble fame. The class
oqBourbons 70 which Mr.. Beck belongs,
seems q incapable Of forgetting dead
issues ~ Of grasping and dealing with
those Of present and vital import
ancs. For the settlement Of these Il is
not necessary 10 argue concerning the
relations Of Kentucky or Missouri or
any State with the Federal Government.
II 10 NOT even necessary to dispute or
argue about the status Of this Gov.
eminent among other nations Of the
earth. We are aware that 1t 10 painful
10 some men to conceds the settlement
Of . vexsd question. There may be
some. who. like Mr.. Beck. will not al
mit that II was n nation. which. in sslf-
J.f.nse fouoht ira v.beliiona snhiacts