New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1876-08-01
OUR REASONS FOB BELIEVING THIS Is
NATION.

DUB REASONS FOB BELIEVING THIS 10
A NATION.
The omission of one sentiment from the
Baton Rouge platform vii! dlsIf Hul
Republican friends immensely: Inc pisr
form failed to state that 1.-THE United Statos
is nation and not lesgue.-Ne" OT'ed"'
Times, 18th.
The Republican friends spoken Of we're
not expecting the adoption by the Demo-
cratic convention of the doctrine that tue
United States constitute a nation, and
thew were therefore not disappointed or
distressed in not finding such a plank in
their platform. But they are aware that
the "league" principle was rampant in
that assembly, and they can accept the
above article of the Times in no other
sense than as imparting indirectly and
plainly the assertion of the political her
esy by the Democratic party Of this State
that we have as nation no government;
that all the government existing in this
great republic is league or banding to-
gether of number of separate, independ-
ent and sovereign States, each Of which
being a sovereign, Independent nation
connected with the others by what is
called compact, has the sovereign right
at any time it chooses to declare to the
world its withdrawal from that league and
| assume it's separate equal national char
acter among the nations of the world.
That the sovereign State of Delaware, for
| instance. with her three counties, could
next week assume its nationality, and the
week after, putting its army and navy in
requisition declare war against Russia or
the German empire. This heresy includes
also the notion that the national govern
mept is q mere agency constructed for
certain purposes of convenience and that
the acts of the agent may be disregarded
and held null at the will or caprice of any
one of the sovereign nations constituting
the "league."
For many long years these pestiferous
doctrines have been bane and curse
upon the people of this nation; blight
upon its prosperity and progress. They
eliminated in bloody and devastating
war in 1861 and the four succeeding
wears. Ruin and desolation followed the
| Inauguration in this nation of nullifica-
ton and secession. The same conse-
| ouences must follow any future attempt
to overthrow the government OF the
| United States. There was time when
men, far ADLER than any now maintaining
these heresies. put forth all their powers
| of logic, their historical knowledge, their
splendid oratory, their deep research
their consumm ate tact and their great
learning, to prove that the government
established by the revolutionary fathers
was this ideal "league" Of sovereign
States or nations with an agency at Wash
ington, whose powers could be annulled
and superseded at the will Of any one o.
these sovereigns that for convenient pur
poses had joined this ''league." 1t L
strange at this day. on looking back upor
the utter demolition of all the principa
theories, the ingenious sophistry; the be
wildering distractions and visionar!
opinions of these eminent men, for the!
possessed genius and talent in no limited
degree, to think that any set of men
common sense could be brought to be
licye that the trainers Of the constitu
ton of the United States did make so i'm
possible a government; such rope o
sand as this same miserable '1eague
would be. The severe logic OF DAME
Webster; the terse and ringing word
uttered in 1880 by James Madison, tn
father of the constitution; the sobe
Judgment of James Monroe: the cool an
clear perception of John Marshall, an
hosts of other men whose views and rea
soning on this subject are before tn
world have sunk these heresies and foo
cries so deep in oblivion that the arm
resurrection will never reach them
stricken them so dead that no vitallt
can ever be infused into them again. Th
matter is res Judicdta-settled, not to
opened again. We have no intention t
90 over this ground again. No nations
: man should engage in the discussion 9
, controversies long and finally settled.
9 is asking too much on the part OF foes
repeatedly and effectually discounted t
demand further discussion, which, by a
, rules of argument and debate, can NJ
9 again be taken up. We allude further
1 the fact that the advocates of nullific'
s ton and secession held that controversial
: between sovereign powers can only be d
termined by the ultima ratio regum-tf
resort to war. They thus put the iss1
: directly upon this basis when they foun
d themselves COMPOUNDED and overwhelme
y in the intellectual combat. The que
r ton, then, of the right of State to nu
;. lily or secede they, on their own motto
- nut to the arbitrament of arms. The d
cision was against them. Robert E. L.
acknowledged that by arms the questie
! was decided against the existence of az
a such right Every man Of true chival
o like his ought to do the same thin
It There is an end to this question or pr
/ tense of league" and it can not aga
. be raised for peaceable decision. Seer
disposition manifested in certain qua
ters to reopen these dangerous fallacie
Is the National Republican party announce