Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1876-03-08

Quainted with the history of the Unicn
they sought toydestroy. That history was
accessible, and if a largely illiterate peo-
pie were deliberately deceived by men
who knew better than that the States were
ever sovereign, it adds to the infamy of
their treason.
The Union which the South endeavored
to destroy through the pretense of States
rights may thus be briefly described: It's
historically correct to say that the inhab-
ltants OF the Colonies, before their indie
pendence, always regarded themselves pc.
litically as one people; and in State pa
per appealing to the King they said they
were his Majesty's faithful People in
America" The Declaration of 1ndepen-
dence, which is the American Nagna
Charta, says: 4" When in the course of hu
man events II becomes necessary for ONE
PEOPLE 10 dissolve the political bonds
which have connected them with another
Here this principle of nationality IN our
political system is boldly expressed, and
expressed in such u manner as to show
that there was no expectation of It's ever
being called in question. 1t bears, how
ever, upon the high concerns of national
existence, and lay at the foundation Of our
introduction into the family of nations
From this 1t is clear that no Colony AFRO
gated to itself rights which came in con-
tact with the welfare Of the others when
acting in unison; and had such claim
been made and persisted in, it would have
been fatal to any union. In the articles
OF confederation which followed, the
principle OF oneness and unity was lost
sight OF. Each State reserved its sovereign
ty, freedom and independence, and, in con-
sequence, there was no popular fusion, no
common interest, no common standpoint
IN which all were agreed. A selfish
struggle ensued to enforce their assumed
rights; just such selfish struggle as the
southern States entered upon in the war
OF the rebellion. Such course ON
the part of the States, which sep.
arately were weak, .jeopardzed what had
been gained by the war for independence.
The central power of the Confederation
was to weak to last The Confederation
fell to pieces, and gave place to the Con
stitution, in which the unity of the people
appears, and the Union is made perpetual.
This beneficial change was a peaceful
revolution, and the new Government was
adopted in the course Of time ny all the
States, Even the old Contederacy, which
now is an ill-omened word, had held that
State might be coerced; and it was quite
proper that political community, seek
ing only selfish ends, should be made to
feel the power of the majority. Under
the Constitution, States rights, except for
local purposes, were obitarated. The
primal functions of sovereignty in that
document were all delegated, and were
absorbed by the Federal Government. and
peace, war, commerce, finance, navy,
army, mail, mint, executive, legislative
and Judicial functions dropped out of the
control OF the States, and became the dele
gated functions of the Federal Govern
ment, aided by Congress, forever.
The claim of an inherent right of a
disaitected State to secede from the Union
is figment of a rebel brain, and to be
found in no other except in that Of rebel
sympathizers. which too many OF the
leaders of the enslaved Democracy really
are. In the Democratic Southern States
where the greatest ciamor exists for State
rights, progressive white iliteracy is
found, because in such clamor the col
ored citizen has no part. There the
Southern white only looks upon the col
ored people as slaves beyond his reach,
whose unpaid labor he wishes to secure
to enrich himself. Al the bottom of all
Mr.. Hill's eloquencc is 10 be found his
wish Tor slave Georgia, where black
men and women might again be treated AS
cattle, without citizenship, by the plant
ers, and chvalry reSuscitated by once
more lashing their naked bodies for more
unpaid work. God forbid that any part
OF this free country should be again en-
shaved The colored men have tasted of
freedom, and are not in the temper to bow
before their old masters. The yoke of
the slave now rests upon such men as
Bayard, Cox and Wood, and Tarbox of
Massachusetts, who represent the spirit of
seridom in the free States of the North
Such men were not wont to lead in days
WHICH tried mems souls. They had few
people North that would follow such SEN
tlments. That they are now prominent as
Democrats is evidence of the low
estate of the Democratic party, and
that ii has pa sed into slavery in place of
the blacks. The Union was intended TO
be one of equal rights, and all the States |
were designed to be free; and that free |
dom and equality TO be peaceful, must be |
intelligent
Such Union with such reasons to sus-
tain the Constitution, out of which have !
sprung our free Institutions, and which |
have nodded the minds and character OF |
the majority of the people, so as TO OBJ
tain a distinct recognition throughout tine |
world, the South disregardcd and u,
deavorcd, in behalf OF State rights, to
break away from at the point of the sword
What can be said of men in rebellion |
beaten in the field and amnested on their !
own allegations that they accepted the
situation, yet who are as disloyai as ever,
and who have done their best 10 deica,
those Federal laws, which gave the fran.
chse 10 them and the colored citizens
Surely there must be some way Of reach |
ing murlerous discord, on the surface OF
which only white disioyalty noats. If the |
integrity Of the ballot box has been in
yaded II colorel citizens have not voted |