The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1876-10-24
" PUTTING HIS FOOT In IT, As
USUAL
Let the Glass In History stand Up.
Editors Of the Register:

Editors Of the Register:
A few days ago the editor of the Intel
! lioencer ventured to instruct you in re.
ference to the Oregon election, making
the astounding assertion that no election
had been held in that State since 1874.
| You took him down 80 handsomely In
your reply to his article, that l was led
to suppose that this astute editor would
not again attempt anything requiring
statistical or historical knowledge But,
nothing daunted, he has been at it again,
and with the usual result-he has "put
! his foot in it." In his issue of Saturday
last he feasts his readers on rehash OF
his remarks at the Court House few
nights ago on the occasion OF the Dan
ford meeting. The speech of Mr.. Camp
bell, according TO his own synopsis OF 1t,
betrays so much downright Ignorance
that it was doubtless fitting appendix
to the superficial remarks of Mr.. Dan
ford
Mr.. Campbell demonstrates, to his own
satisfaction at least, that the present and
prospective glory of the nation depends
on a strong centralized government, and
proceeds to wipe out the sovereignty
of the states with the astounding as
sertion that the present Union "was con-
summated not by states, but by the
people OF the whole United States" The
editor of the Mteiligencer has been led
estray by the fact that the preamble to
the present constitution contains the
clause, "we, the people of the United
States do ordain;" but if he will brush
the dust from his common school history
he will find that the Constitution was not
submitted TO the people of the United
States but to the states as states, and that
its ratification or rejection did not depend
on majority or two-thlrds vote
of the people. 1t was
to be union, or compact, or whatever
YOU choose to call it, bet,Ceen the States,
and not government over and above
the States, as our learned editor would
have US believe. In proof of what say
quote the seventh article of the Con-
stitution, and i ask the reader to note
carefully the wording of it:
The ratification of the conventions OF
nine States shall be sufficient for the estab-
lishment of this Constitution betDeen the
States so ratifying the same"
This is sufficient refutation of his as
sertion, but TO make his discontinue
the more complete l will tell
MIN that if he will read
a little further in his common school
history he will find that on the I'd day of
July, 1888, the ratification of New
Hampshire, the ninth state, was received
- L
by Congress; that on the 4th OF March,
1859. proceedings commenced under
the new constitution. But two states.
North Carolina and Rhode Island,
had not yet ratified. If the union
WAS consummated "by the peo
pie of the whole United States" pray in
form us under what government were
the people OF the state of North Carlina
in the meantime, which state did not yield
its assent until January, 1902 or where
was the sovereignty OF the people OF
Rhode Island, which state did not join
the Union until June 1870, more than
wear after its formation by the other
states? If the ratification was by the
people-not by states, as Mr.. Campbell
tells us-North Carolina and Rhode
Island would have been drawn into the
union by the votes OF ma
iority Of the people of the
United States. Can absurdity be more
absurd? If the learned editor will furn-
ish the official vote of the people of the
United States on the adoption of the
present Constitution, he will bring to
light relic which many '.n
this Centennial year" will delight
to look upon. Until he does this l
shall put my faith IN the truth of his.
tory. which informs me that the present
constitution was submitted to the several
States for ratification or rejection; that
some OF them adopted 1t Immediately;
Others debated long and earnestly before
adopting it, and that at least two refused
their assent for more than year after
its adoption by the Others.
1 come now to another point in that
wonderful synopsis OF Mr.. CsmpbelPs
speech-the only one which he has ever
nut on paper He says. "T To speak of
a State beng sovereign, and the govern
ment of which it is Il member being also
sovereign, is contradiction OF
terms" Mark you, he admits the
sovereignty Of the national government,
Int denies it to the States. / contend
that if there never was sovereignty IN the
States there can be none in the national
government, as l shall proceed to show:
On the 4th of July, l776, the Congress
published declaration of independence
asserting that the colonies were, and OF
right ought to be "free and independent
States" Prior to this, on the 18th of
June of the same year, New Hampshire
had voted that the thirteen united colo
MES ought to be ga free and independent
State" but the proposition was received
with evident disfavor, and the deciara-
ton of sovereignty was made rs we hnd
il in the declaration of independence.
After independence was recognized by
England the colonies, for mutual protec
ton, formed an alliance under the "srtl-
cles of confederation In this docu-
ment, in order to guard against any mis-
construction of the compact, the States
make this declaration: Zach State re-
tans its sovereignty, freedom and indie
pendence, and every power, jurisdiction
and right which is not by this confedera-
ton expressly delegated to the United
States in Congress assembled" In the
treaty of peace with Great Britain in
1888. each State BY name is recognized rs
inder sndent. Thus We see plainly the
States were sovereign before the adop-
ton of the present constitution, and If
thew are not sovereign now, it can only
be because they have surrendered
their sovereignty. The language
of the Constitution itself will set US at rest
on that point The following amend
ments were embodied in the official dec
laratious of at least six of the states,
coupled with their ratification Of the Con-
stitution, and made by them the condi-
tious precedent to such ratification:
The enumeration in the Constitution
of certain rights shall not be construed to
DENY or disparage others retained by the
people.
The powers not delegated to the
United States by the Constitution, nor
prohibited by it to the states, are reserv-
i