The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1879-06-13
"ls THIs A NATION p
ALnANy. Jnne 10, lsIe.

Of the 9th lust. is adorned with this
caption, f" Is this Nationl' aud pro-
ceeds with the f,st paragraph thus
"rhe whole controversy which has been
going on in Congress for months past
hinges on this question. 1t was sup
pesed that the war had settled the ques-
ton so that it never would be raised
again; but here it is, in practically the
same aspect as before"
To the unenlightened miud such So
phistry may be accepted as sound log
ical argument, but those whose habit it
is to look to the judicial tribunals of
the country for the solution Of contro-
verted questions Of constitutional law
will hardly consent to the wager of bat
tle as final determination Of contro-
versy involving the exercise of govern
mental powers.
am proud-not to acknowledge, but
to claim that the people Of the United
States of America are Nation in the
full acceptation of tho term, but does
that determine the character or theory
of the government under which we
livel England is nation, and so is
China, but the two governments are as
dissimilar as that Of England and the
United States. A nation may adopt
whatsoever form of government the
people choose, provided they are able
to exercise that GOd-giveR right. The
people of the several States then com.
posing the Union, with ono exception
met in Convention by their delegates in
1877, and under and by virtue of .
written Constitution, formed a Fedora
government, which each in the exercise
of its sovereign right afterward ratified
and then and there surrendered So mucl
of their sovereignty as seemed best fol
the public COED, and the remainder they
reserved
/ 1t is not true, as the OregoniaR al
leges, that the word ''nation, OF all tn,
word imports, forms any part of "th'
controversy which has been going on il
Congress for months past" but it is a
to the poUers the federal government
may or may not exercise and the Ore
qoRian's method of discussing this sub
lject, as exhibited in that paper Of tn
7th, certainly has the merit of novelty
and were it not for the gravity of tn
subject, is calculated to provoke smil
of Iidicule. He speaks of threatene'
ssusurpations" and " encreachments O
the States upon the "pOwers Of the Ma
tional government" This fOrcibly re
minds enc Of the quarrel the VOL
picked with the lamb, accusing it @
muddying the water of the brook frou
which both were drinking, when th
water was flowing from the Welt TO tn
lamb.
I ne UTeyo7'9d7t VI GHs Ern s'sEys' --I-l.
, present controversy is upon the nations
| election laws" a national election wa
J. certainly not known to the trainers G
our Constitution or to the States ths
. ratified it. The 2sth Congress decide
, by vote Of l26 to 81 that Menbe
/ of Congress was the officer Of the Stat
, that elected him, and Hannibal Hamli
, and John P. Hale voted with the mi
: jority.
/ The Senate Of the United States, 81
: ting as p high court of impeachment
/ the case of William Blount, Unite
, States Senator from Tennessee, in ii
, year 1897, while most Of the framei
| Of the Constitution were yet i,ing, an
some of them then members of thi
= body, decided that a United Stat,
. Senator was mot a federal officer. An
the late electoral commission that 3,
aside the will of the people in the ele
tioR of President and seated r. ]
' Hayes in the White House admitte
1 that the Presidential Electors wei
$ State officers and that the elections
; which they were elected were Sta
S elections. Where, then, are the N
e tio,aaL eleetions7
l. No, Mr.. Editor, the present cOntr
e versy is not over the Irrational electic
It Law" " for we have no national election
n nor is it over any threatened nsurp
!. ton or encroachments of the States
| or upon National authority" but oy
a the attempt to repeal the election la
# which is a usurpation by the FEEDER
,e government over State elections, and
Il base encroachment upon the rights
= the electors Of the several States al
10 that little fiber from the root of I
Il tree Of Centralism that has thus sh
i out into the States for nourishment (
;. the tree that proposes to overshadow
should be cnt off at once.
WILLAMETTE.