Vicksburg weekly herald., 1878-05-03

no longer be asserted, aud that 10 90
far as lie relations 10 the Federal Gov.
erBment are concerned, ct least. the
State 10 not sovereign. With this
change In the structure OF our Govern.
ment recognized, or rather with this
UieW Of ils structure settled and accept.
cd, and With the consequent necessity,
admitted on ell hands, Of promoting Q
spirit OF concession and self.sacrifce
10 the individual States, and Of having
some tribunal by which the conflict
ing views, claims and interests OF the
different States or sections may be i'm.
partially, dispassionately, and even
judiclallY considered and de.
termined, must come higher
conception of the position and
duties Of a United States Senator. He
can no longer be regarded as a mere
ambassador or servant Of his State,
but must DO looked upon as entrusted
with q higher commission. lie must
be considered as an arbitrator, sent 10
sit in judgment, not only upon the in.
lerests OF his own State, but of all the
other States, and sworn TO be alike i'm
partial, just and faithful to the interest
aud welfare of all; aud the time must
come when II will be considered a re-.
Election upon his dignity and integrity
fer his State 10 call upon him to be
subservient 10 her views aud interests
alone. II is TO her Representatives.
that the State must look for the presen-
tation and advocacy OF her special aud
peculiar interests, aud upon them the
Legislature must bestow lie wisdom,
whether Il be to"requeSt"or to'instruct."
But the position OF the Senator must
be regarded as judicial, and the State
must no more essay to cont oil his judg-
ment than d ltiganl before the Supreme
Court OF the United States could eK-
pect the bias OF one of the Judges 10
MS favor, because such Judge happened
10 have been chosen from the
State Of his residence. Opinions Of
this import have always been held by
some OF the ablest aud most patriotic
men upon the stage Of public action In
this country, even when State sover-
eighty was the predominant sentiment
Of the time and now that that view OF
the structure Of the government upon
which they we're predicAled has be-
come established, they must be acCep.
ted as demonstrated, and II is GER
rainly the part Of duty, discretion and
patriotism to foster their growth and
development, Whatever may have been
The correctness or incOrrectness OF the
views Of those who originated the doc.
trlne OF the right 10 instruct, those who
nor advocate 1t certainly start from q
false premise, namely: that the State
ls sovereign, and the Legirlstnre
Its moulh.piece. Whatever sovereignty
uOw pertains 10 Siate Ia its relations
to the Federal Government, is Certainly
not represented by her State Legisl l.
ture, but BY her Senators in Congress
To them Is couhded, 10 manner pro-
vlded by the Orgauic law OF the Fed
erAl, aud not Of the State government,
ell Of sovereignty, Of dignity aud OF
influence, which sppertslnS to the
Slate 90 q member of the Union, par
tlcipating In the deliberations for the
general good In that great council OF
States called the Senate. II is trust
Of high and delicate nature, as we'll
as of grave responsibility, aud there is
nothing, save the technical aud artif.
cidl reason that It 10 bestowed through
the instrumentality of the Legislature,
to warrant the idea that 1t 10 10 be ex-
erCised under the supervision or sur
veillance OF that body, which, at best,
represents but one-third Of the sover-
eighty Of the State. % the contrary,
there is much In the dignity and tenure
Of the Office, In the constitution OF the
tribunal to which the recipient OF II 10
accredited, and in the fact that he Is In
no legal sense amenable to any author
ity Of the State for misconduct in
office, which Is opposed to the idea.
Once elected and installed, be 10 as inde-
pendent of the Legislature, as be is Of
any other branch of the State govern.
ment, and they can no more dictate
how be shall perform his duties, than
he how they shall perform theirs.
zee that your correspondent, like
others have done before him, assumes
that Senator Lamar admits the doctrine
Of the right to instruct. l know OF
nothing 10 any Of his public utterAnces
10 justify such an assumption, nor
do | believe that he entertains any
such opinion. Il would be the veriesl
child's play for public man, profess
ing to gauge his conduct by the high
behests Of duty and conscience, to con-
cede In one breath that be owed obedi.
ence, (Which is but the same thing as
duty in the given circumstances,) and
In the next breath refuse to accord II.
Mr.. Lamar's remarks on presenting to
the Senate the resolutions Of instruc.
ton wholly exclude the idea that be
considered them as imposing upon him
any duty to obey. II lie has ever said
anything capable of such Q conslruc.
tion, It can only have been to the effect
that he conceded the right of the Leg.
islature to express its sentiments upon
any subject OF public interest and
through the S.ats's Senators and Repre-,
sentatives, to have them laid before
Congress.
The friends of Senator Lamar have
not much concerned themselves about
the criticism, sometimes descending