National Republican., 1878-04-19
were to them not nlyupsbrsesn, ,bus uash-

were to them not only yunlbrseen, but unih-
aginable. Fl 81 J III n !
Primogcniture, with hereditary rsnk, md
privileged classes Of citizens, was sxcluded,
in company with much other feudal fub-
bish, by the founders Of this Government,
In which the free development Of the indi-
vidual human being was the ideal sought; but
10 corporations are chartered by the State,
and fftitious being Is thus called into con-
tinuousslife which embodies in Its nature all
the evil j Of primogeniture and of privileged
classes. All political power is, by the funda-
mental law lodged in the hands Of the in
dividual citizen; but 10! in point Of fact,
IL is soon found that this new creature, this
legal fiction, has in some way become pos
sessed of and exercises this jealously-
guarded sovereignty Of the people. States
are governed Senators are elected by this
novel political force. The little State Of
New Jersey, the imperial Commonwealths
Of New York and Pennsylvania, the far
away young States of the Rocky Mountain
regions, and also those of the Pacific Slope,
have alike known the power of certain rail-
road corporations, both in local politics and
in Congress.
This "imperium in imperio' finds no
power In the Constitution TO curb its
naughty pretensions, except such as can be
"post-roads' and ito regulate commerce be-
tween the States"
The right ito coin money" Is exclusively
conferred as sovereign right upon the
United States, but when paper money was
introduced the several States authorized
sovereign right over the citizens medium
of exchange" which this important rcser-
vation Of the right ito coin money" was
meant to secure? The evils that resulted
from this abnegation of its sovereign power
were widespread and are well-remembered,
evils corrected by the greenback currency.
This power; at least, must not be left In
doubt The government that possesses sole
authority to coin the antique money
the gold and silver and copper, must retain
that sovereign power over the peoples mod
ern mediums of exchange measures of
Nauci ihohcy, Wuclhot that 10 coii VI
paper, because in that control and not in
the material of which the measure" is
made, where's the Sovereign powerw
That power the Constitution gave to the
United States in the clause authorizing
coinage and that power it must retain.
Mistaking tho medium for the power, and
confusing the material coined as money
with the sovereign power to issue money
conferred by the Constitution, many have
denied the clear right of the United States
to exercise its sovereign prerogative to issue
to its people such money as the needs Of
modern civilization demand. The exercise
of this right has been timidly excused and
apologized for rs makcshift enforced by
the necessities Of war. The SOW sreign pre-
negatives of government need no apology
for this exercise This issue of money is n
right and duty of the Government Of the
United States, or it is an impudent usurpa-
ton. Our belief that it is an existing pre-
rogative of the United States has been
stated. II, however, an amendment to the
Constitution explicitly comforting this power
is needed to make the right clear beyond q
peradventure, then such an amendment
must be added. The sovereign power Of the
United States over the money" of its peo-
pie must not be suffered by means Of its
disguise as paper to be usurpcd by States or
corpOrations