Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1876-03-18
RESOLVED, THAT THE PEOPLE OF
THE UNITED STATES CON-
STITUTE A NATION.

RESOLVED, THAT THE PEOPLE OF
THE UNITED STATES CON-
sTITUTE A NATION.
The spook of secession and dis
union seems to haunt the republicans
, in congress, while the much more i'm.
minent spectre of cent~raIization keeps
itself hoveringin sight of democrats
Mr.. Blaine, who does not seem. to
realize that the var is over, . few
days ago got his friend, Mr.. Baker,
to present q resolution defining
ehe status Of these United States,
which contained some very perni-
cious doctrine, which honest republi-
cans would complain of il exercised
toward their own statss. The fol-
lowing is the resolution: .~
That the people of the United States constitute
one nation and not q mere confederscy of states
or %nations; that the constitution wal framed BY
the people acting in their primary and individ-
ual capacity. through their delegates thereto,
duly constituted; that the government under the
constitution is one of the people, by the people
ana Tor the people, and that In its appropriate
Fsphere the government of Tins nation is sovereign
and snpreme; that in Its nature it is permanent,
and indisoluble except by the sction and con-
sent OF the whole people; that NO state has any
right or authority to judge of the constitution
Atty Of the laws enacted by congr sss, or to null
lily the execution of the same, and that all
overt acts, BY any state or people thereof. of
secession therefrom, or Of rebellion against the
same, constitute treason; and that the late war
OF rebellion for the dismembermens Of the
Union was causeless and indefensibie on any
theory of right or OF constitutional law"
Tie last clause was q weak and USE
less attempt to force carbohydrates
to CO. nfess that they had been guilty
of treason, and that for no cause.
} This doctrine Of eternal hate and per-
secution al do no good, and we re-
joice that Mr.. Blaine was badly foiled
in his persistent effort'to make bad
blood between the sections. In re-
gard to the clause 'tthat the conetitu-
ton was formed by the people acting
in their primary and individual ca
pacity through their delegates there
to-" Mr.. Cox asked if it was in order
to read from the constitution these
words: "Done in the convention by
unanimous consent Of the state by
George Washington A motion to
suspend the rules and adopt the reso-
luton was lost, when after q little
skirmishing, MI. Cox offered the fol-
lowing: s,r "a 81
Resolved. That the people Of the United States
constitute 3 nation in the sense, to thu extent
and for the purposes defined in the fedsral coz
stitution. t.--....- --l -
Resolved, That the government Of the United
States Is q federal union, and was formed by the
people Of the several states In their sovereign
capacity; that the rights and powers OF the
United States government are defined and limit
ed by the federal constitution, and these rights
and powers cannot be enlarged or diminished
excep! by an amendment to the constitution. T.
Resolved, That the rights OF stases have the
same sanction of security in the constitution a.
rights and powers OF the federal government.
and that local domestic government, within the
limits of the constitution, ia absolutely necessa- |
~ for the preservation OF the liberties OF the
citizen and the continuance of our republican
System of government. g.s.t4
| Resolved. That the doctrine that any state has
q right to secede from the Union is in conflict
with the idea Of . perpetual union as contem- |
plated by the constitution, and should be re-
garded rs being forever e1tinguished by the re-
suit OF the recent civil conflict.
Mr.. Blaine expressed the hope that
every Uuion man in the house would
vote against the resolutions. evident
ly forgetting that every man in the
house now is u Union man. The
motion to suspend the rules and adopt
the resolutions was carried. Yeas
$50, nays AZ, all the democrats aud q
few republicans voting for the reso-
buttons. The republicans being Messrs.
Kelly, Leavenworth, McDill, Phillips.
of Kansas; Platt, Townsend, of
Pennsylvania Willard. Williams and
Wilson. Thus the democrats of the
house, ex-Confederates and original
Union men, have placed themselves
squarely upon the proper platform
upon this question, aud what is Of
considerable Importance, the position
has been endorsed by the moderate
republicans. The democrats have re-
solved 'that the people of the United
States constitute . n~ation," and it
only becomes q matter of taste wheth-
er or not the word shall be spelled
with q capital N. At the same time
they have been careful to state, .that
the rights of the states have the same
sanction of security in the constitu-
ton as rights and powers of the fed
eral government" This is the true
doctrine and the only one under
which the liberties of the people of
this country will remain secure, and
the gist Of it is that the federal gov
ernment is supreme as far as its con.
stitutional powers extend, and no
further. The north as well as the
south can stand upon this broad prin-
ciple, secure in the unity of the Ma
ton, and secure in the rights of the
states to manage their domestic af-
fairs without Interference from the
federal government.
Parton's situation has not improv-
ed. His petition for a special act to
legalize his marriage in Massachusetts
was unfavorably considered by the
!. legislative committee, which has re-
ported in favor of permitting him to
withdraw the petition. This leaves
him liable to indictment for violating
the marriage law, if he continues to
live in Massachusetts.
EDITOR INTELLIGENCER: We deem
it quite natural that Lafayette county
should present a candidate for the
distinguished position Of Governor
of the great state Of Missouri. In 30
doing let US, as good citizens, consid.
= er whether we have a man possessing
' the requisite qualities of honesty Of
purpose, and thorough qualification
one who can receive the earnest and