The weekly clarion., 1879-10-01

I "
The persistent efforts of the Radica
leaders to destroy the plainest rights Of th'
States and Of the people, and thereby
70 overthrow local selfgOvernment in tbs
United States, will justify me in askin,
yyur attention tonight to some observation
that have been repeated a thousand times
and have therefore no charm of novelty Il
recommend them, but which cannot b.
repeated too frequently if we would preserve
cur system of government and the libertie
Of the people.
STATE RIGHTS.
In the first Constitution of this State II
was declared: Chat a frequent recurrence
to the fundamental principles of civil
government is absolutely necessary to pre-
serve the blessings of liberty" And with
equal truth it may be declared, that q
frequent recurrence to the Fundamental
principles of our system OF government j
necessary to its preservation and the
preservation of liberty. The purpose of the
Radical leaders to overthrow the rights o.
States and the people, and to vest in the
General Government all the substantial
powers OF government, ~ proved by act
after act of Congress, by numerous party
platforms, by multitude of speeches almost
daily delivered, and by their denunciaton
of the plainest doctrines upon which our
system is founded, and which in the better
days of the Republic were seldom if ever
questioned by any public man. Let a
Democrat use the term Sovereign State "
and he is forthwith denounced by the
Radical leaders and the Radical press AS a
uullifcr or a secessiOnist. Let him speak
of the reserved rights of the people under
the Federal Constitution, and he is forth
with denounced as assalllng the Just powers
of the Federal Government. Let Congress
pass laws in plain violation of the Consti-
4r,l hA sba 1nGtt tGf1G fhnTr
authority is assailed as an enemy of the
National Government and of the perpetuity
of the Union. In word, in every form in
which it can be manifested, those who
govern the Radical party have shown their
intention To reduce the States to the mere
category of counties or townships, leaving
them no sovereign powers whatever, that
may not be overthrown at the will of a
majority of Congress thus etiectually
destroying what the founders of our Gov
ernment considered the greatest merit, the
right of local selfgoyernment. OF course,
these enemies of our system do not openly
avOw their purpose. But whoever shall
carefully scrutinize the laws they have
enacted the doctrines they have made, the
denuuciations they have uttered, cannot
fail to discover that purpose, and to find
that it aims at nothing less than practical
destruction of the Government of the
States
Now, my friends, let US consider for
a moment what is our system of Govern
ment, and then further consider what would
be the result of overthrow ing local self
government and consolidating all powers in
the hands of the General Government. We
have in this country two Governments
the Federal or National Government
whichever term you prefer, deriving all its
powers from the Constitution of the United
States and the State Governments, derlv-
4. z.t1
tutOnS. The nature of this system was
expressed with admirable brevity by Chief
Justice Marshall delivering the unanimous
opinion of the Supreme Court of the Uni
ted States. in McGOIIoch vs.. The State of
MARYLAND, Wheaton, 42o. He said; F'In
America the powers of sovereignty are
divided between the Government of the
Union. and those OF the States. They are
each sovereign eNith respect to the objects
committed to it, but neither sovereign with
respect to the objects committed to the 9TH
err In the same opinion, page 400, speak
inc of the General Government, he said
.This Government is acknowledged by all
to be one of enumerated powers. The
principle that it can exercise only the
powers granted to it would seem too apparent
to have required to be enforced by all those
arguments which its enlightened friends,
while it was depending before the people,
found it necessary to urge. The principle
Is now universally admitted. But the
question respecting the extent of the powers
actually granted, Is perpetually arising, and
will probably continue to arise, as long as
our system shall exist"
In Texas v White, z Wallace, 10, Chief
Justice Chase, in delivering the opinion OF
the Supreme Court said But the perpet-
uitv and indissolubility of the Union by
no means implies the loss of distinct and
individual existence, or of the right of self
VTr,Aa fHRa
articles of Confederation each State retained
its sovereignty, freedom and independence,
and every power jurisdiction and right not
expressly delegated to the United States.
Hinder the Constitution, though the powers
of the States were much restricted, stlll, All
powers not delegated to the United States,
0rohibited TO the States, are reserved
~ no. II, r Ceates respectively, or to the people.
~ ~ i've already had occasion to
ra,r,arl Of tbis ,.arm, that the people OF
i So ,o,,r,osa a State, having its own
Governments and endowe1 win AZ -, s.,e
functions essential to separate a. tn' = -,
dent existence and that without thS s:ooi
in union, there could be no such poltlS a
body as the United states. not ON!
tSo-efore can there be no loss of separate
and independent autonomy to the ota1es'
through their union under the Constitution,
but il NAV be not unreasonabfy SAID tnat
the preservation of the Statess and the
rnsintenance of their Governments, are as
much within the design and care OF the
Constitution as the preservation OF the
Union and the maintenance of the Natlonai
Government. The Constitution, IN all It's
nrovisions, looks to an indestructible Union,
rcomDosed of indestructible States"
You thus see, my friends, that according
to the highest authority, the rights OF the
States are as indestructible, If our system
of Government be preserved, as are the
rights of the Federal Government; that the
one Is lust as sacred as the other; and that
he who assails the plain rights of the States
- inst as much an enemy of our system OF
free institutions as is he who assails the just
T1owers of the Federal Government. Indeed,
90 sensitive upon this subject were our Iore-
Hers that within less than two years after
IA hh[a-or..-anization of the Federal Government
Ten srt;cIe, of amendment to the Gonseleu-
tion we're adon.tad, every one OF Whlcn va va
;ntended to limit tie powers or the posAlglis
1.-otans;ons of that Government, ana 1ne
ninth and tenth articles OF "nicn "a P-00o''
declare: In the
"ArticIe TX. The enumeration ~ - -
Constitution of certain rights SHAH NJ -
construed to deny or disparage otner reeAlness- :
by the people" 1.,....4al -,
the United States, are reserved 70 tns s9sa1es
respectively, or to the people; .s..-,...-
For why were our foreiasaeaIs a - y.a.,-s
upon this subject and so care1aa ~ Ples-l .aI.
the rights of the States ana q snS M s1i
II was, among other things Decl19 ~. =. ~. N
the countries ia the world, America, IOL .a'. 80
preservation Of the Liberties ana PtVsPeAsss