Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1879-07-24

STATE RIGHTs.--In an exceedingly
interesting and Thoughtful article on
"What the War settled with Regard e
States Rights. the Motion this week
points out that most of the "oraioFs on
both SIDES Of The discussion have over.
looked The fact that 1.-The State right.
which the war killed are not the State
rights which are now nnder discussion
and have not, so far as We have OBJ.
served, been revived by any Democrat.
ic orator Of prominence or by any Dem.
os.atic platform. The Estate rights
theory" adds the Nation, (which
brought on the war, and which The wal
did undoubtedly dispose of, was the theo'
~ that State has right TO secede from
the Union at it, pleasure, and a. forfiOri
to refuse TO permit the execution within
its limits Of any Federal law TO which
il objects" The fact that this right
whether il be really right or not. ha:
been rendered imperative by The result:
Of the war is conceded by every intel
ligent Southern man, and il is only, as
the Nation suggests, "by curious bill
ci mental confusion" that the Stalwarts
have been led into treating the position
assumed by the Democrats on the ques-
ton Of the rights OF States as assertions
Of the old right Of notification aud Sc
cession.
"They are apparently under the i'm
preston thai arguing orlegislating about
q strict construction OF q section or clause
oil the Constitution is necessarily indica-
tive OF q desire or intention to overturn
the Con stilution, and that anybody who
talks Of State sovereignty means there
BY TO declare that each State is com
pIetely and exclusively sovereign: which
is absurd and really inexcuSable. AL
Americans are taught in their school
days the nature OF the arrangement by
which the Federal Government was SCI
up. Each State parted with portion
oil its sovereignty and reserved the rest,
which constitutes its rights, and there
is nothing dangerous, disreputable. or
'pestilentiar about them, any more than
about mans right 10 equal taxation or
10 the ordering of his own home"
The kind of"States' Rights" for bich
the Democrats are now cOntenting Is
neither Secession nor Notification, but
the right oil local self-government. a
right which was distinctly asserted in
the platform of the Republican conven-
ton which put Abraham Lincoln in
nomination for the first time, and which
contained these words
THAT the maintenance invIolsie OF
the rights Of the States. and especially
the right Of each State 10 order and con-
troll its own domestic institutions accord
ing 70 its own judgment exclusively, is
essential TO that balance Of powers on
which the perfection and endurance Of
our political fabric depend; and we de-
nounce The lawless invasion by armed
force Of the soil OF any State or Ternto-
w. no matter under what pFetext, as
among the grayest ferimes.
The above becomes quite Iadlcrous
when read in the light Of the perform
anccs ofthc Republican party Tor the
past seventeen or eighteen years; but il
demonstrates at least that the Demo-
Gratis now are enGnciating doctrines
which in those days was considered
sound by the Republicans. but which
at this day IS denounced by them as
revolutionary The war did not re-
verse the rights Of the States as enun-
ciated blythe Republican Convention Of
1867. bat as the Nation happily says !;
at simply relegaled the righ, Of Sc
cession 10 the limbo Of speculation and