Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1879-08-06
LORD BROUGHAM ON STATES, FIGHTS

LORD BROUGHAM ON STATES RIGHTS
AS the question of the separate rights OF
the States is destined to be one of the upper
most issues in the next two campaigns if moi
longer, we commend to the Republicans who
belive that this is a nation and not con.
federation, sentence from Lord Harry
Brougham's "Political Philosophy In
speaking of the American Union he said:
1t is not at all refinement that federal
union should be formed; this is the natural re.
suit of mems joint operations in very rude
state of society. But the regulation of such a
union for our pre-established principles, the
foundation of a system of government and
legislation in which the different subjects shall
be, not individuals, but States, the application
of legislative principles to such a body of
States, and the devising means for keeping it's
integrity as a federacy, while the rights and
powers of the individual States are maintained
entire is the very greatest refinement in social
policy to which any state of circumstances has
ever given rise, or to which any age has ever
given birth.
Here is the opinion of one of the ablest
statesmen that the world has produced-not
only the judgment that under the constitu-
ton the rights of the federal and State gov
ernments are distinctly separate, but the de-
claration that this theory is "the very great
est refinement in social policy to which any
state of circumstances has ever given rise, OF
to which any age has ever given BIRTH
Against the opinion of such an intellectual
giant the political pigmies of to-day set up
their weak protest and declare this "ereatest
refinement of social policy subversive of
the theory upon which our government was
founded. The truth is, that upon the main
tenance of the separate powers of the STATE
and federal governments depends the per-
petuity of our political structure, SO symmet-
rieal and so grand as to inspire the admira-
ton of the most brilliant minds of the old
world. To destroy the States is to erect
monarchy; to erect a monarchy is to
destroy the liberties of the people.
The theory of the government was very
simple. The States. on their original for
nation, were independent organizations, and
occasionally disputes arose between them,
while each had difficulties with foreign gov
ernments. AS long as allegiance to Great
britain was maintained these disputes could
be referred to that government for adjust
ment, but when the separation took place it
was seen that there must be some sovereign
power with sufficient authority to settle
such questions. Accordingly the federal
government was instituted, each State en-
downing it with the prerogative of supremacy
IN certain matters, while retaining its own
individuality and sovereignty in all other
matters. It would be preposterous, for in
stance, to claim that the federal governments
had power to try and condemn a person
guilty of an offense against the peace, OF to
regulate the internal affairs of the States.
Yet such would be the legitimate result of
the abrogation of the doctrine of States
rights. The federal government possesses
only those powers expressly delegated to it
by the States. The usurpation of any other
authority is simply revolution.