The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1878-05-17

excludes the Federal over most matters
OF dealing between man and man. and
il the State laws are properly enforced.
there is not likely 10 be any ground of
complaint, but If not, the Federal gov
ernmenti II not specially called on. ac-
eording 10 the terms Of the constitution.
Is helpless. Citizen A B, grieviously
wronged, beaten, robbed, lynched within
hair's breadth of death, may apply in
vain TO any and all prosecuting officers
OF the State. The forms OF law that
might give him redress are all there;
the prosecuting officers, judges, and
sherifis that might act are therei but,
under an oppressive and tyrannical pub
lle sentiment, they refuse TO move.
"ln such an exigency the government
OF the United States can do no more
than the government Of any neighbor-
ing State; that is, unless the State con-
cerned calls for aid, or unless the ofiense
rises to the dignity of inslrrection or
rebellion. The reason is, q at the franz
ers Of our government system left To
the several States tHe sole guardianship
Of the personal and relative private
rights Of the people"
Such is the imperfect development Of
our own nationality in this respect that
we have really no right as yet to call
ourselves a nation in the true sense Of
the word, nor shall We have while this
state Of things continues. Thousands
/ have begun to feel this keenly, Of which
| a few illustrations may suffice. a COM
/ munication TO the New York Tribune,
June 9Th, signed Merchant" said:
"Before getting into a quarrel, and
] -. -.
| treatment Of our flag aud citizens, would
it not be as well, think you, for the gov
/ ernment TO try and make the flag a pro-
/ lection 10 the citizens on our own soil ?n
This is what il has never been since
| the foundation of our government in "A
/ large portion Of our com mon country.
/ The kind Of government the people OF
this country expect, and intend TO have,
State rights or no State rights, no mat
| ter how much blood and treasure 10 may
cost, is a government 10 protect the
humblest citizen in the exercise Of all
his rights.
! When the rebellion OF the South
against the government began, one OF
/ the most noted secessioaists Of Balti-
| more asked one Of the regular army
/ officers what the government expected
/ 10 gain by making war on the South
| "Well," the officer replied, laying his
hand on the cannon by which he was
standing, "we intend 10 use these until
it. is as safe for Northern man TO ex-
press his political opinions in the South
as 10 is for Southern man to express
his in the North
Senator Blaine, at a banquet in Tren-
ton, New Jersey, July 2i, declared that
a government which did not offer pro-
lection TO every citizen in every STATE
had no right to demand allegiance
Ex-senator Wade, Of Ohio, in lettel
TO the Washington National RcpuJH
can Of July 18th, said Of the Presidsuri
policy:
81 greatly fear this policy, unCer cove
Of what is called local self-gOv rnmeut
is but an ignOmiuious surrender of tn,
3 principles Of nationality for " lich ou
armies fought and for which thousand
upon thousands Of our brave men died
and without which the war was a fail
ure and our boasted government
myth"
Behind the slavery Of the colored rae
) was the principle Of State rights. Thei
emancipation aud enfranchisementw wer
important, not only as viudication O
, our great republican idea Of individua
ilEulS5 Out as tue ufst OlOW lu iaNOr o
national unity, OF a consistent homoge
neOus government. As all our diflicul
> ties, State and national, are finally re
ferred to the constitution, it is of vita
importance that that instrument shoul,
2 not be susceptible Of a different inter
2 probation from every possible stand
; point. II is folly to spend another cen
tury in eXpOunding the equivocal Ian
I guage Of the constitution. If under tina
instrument, supposed TO be the Magn
Charta OF American liberties, all Unite,
States citizens do not stanG equal befor
the law, il should without further della,
be so amended as, in plain, unmistak
able language, to declare what are tn
! rights, privileges, and immunities tha
] belong to citizens in are public.
I There is no reason why the people q
] to-day should be governed by the law
and constitutions of men long since dea
! and buried. Surely those who under
] stand the vital issues of this hour ar
better able TO legislate for the livin
+ present than those who governed
hundred years ago. II the niueteeut
2 century is to be governed by the opiu
/ ions Of the eighteenth, aud the twen
7 tieth by the nineteenth, the world wi
e always be governed by dead men.
= CONTINUED next week.1