Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1879-11-05
CLEARFIELD, PA. WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER g. 1873


prOnlDlteu Dy ~ W tnc JHiteu otutcSi
respectively, or to the people"
So jealous were The States Of their
sovereignty, and the fear that the
powers not granted to the General
Government, might by implication be
flchcd, as necessary 10 carry other
parts Of the Constitution into effect,
that before the Amendments to the
Constitution were adopted, the New
York convention, in acceeding to tho
Constitution, coupled her ratification
with the understanding that the pow.
crs cedcd to the General Government
by the adoption of the United States
Constitution may be reassumed by
tho people whenever it shall become
necessary TO their happiness" at the
same time declaring that "any power,
Jurisdiction and right, which are not
by the said Const, ,ation clearly dele.
gated in the Congress Of the United
States, or to the Departments OF the
Government thereof remain to the
people of the several States; and that
those clauses in the said Constitution
which declare that Congress snail not
have or exercise certain powers do not
imply that Congress is entitled to any
powers not given by the said Consti.
tuition, but such clauses are TO be con-
strued either as exceptions to certain
specific powers or inserted merely for
greater caution"
In like manner and out OF abundl mt
caution, for "power is always from the
many to the few" the State Of Vir-
ginia, in adoptingth the Constitution, de-
clared "that the power granted under
the Constitution, being derived from
the people of tho United States, may
be resumed by them whatsoever the
same may be perverted to their injury
or oppression"
And Rhode Island, then out OF the
Union, in ratiiying the Constitution,
which act made her again one OF the
United States, makes il q part of the
entrance again into the Union that a
long test of natural rights, aiterward
embodied in the Amendment TO the
Constitution, shall be held sacred, and
in emphatic language gives Congress,
and the ullra Federalists to understand
"that the rights aforesaid cannot be
abridged or violated
In the face Of these facts, fippant
editors, and even somcmen thoughtto
bc good lawyers, but il so, without the
fiistclcment of craftsmanship, ehsurdly
claim that the Union made the
States and gave them all their power
instead Of The States making the
Union. Tho folly would be no greater
il the claim were set up, as II is in this
instance, that the creature made the
Creator, or TO carry 1t still further,
that the house built the carpenter,
instead Of the carpenter building the
house; the horseshoe made the black
smith, instead Of the blacksmith max
ing tho horse shoe. When the Ameri-
eau Colonies rcbelled they assumed to
he States. In the treaty OF peace with
England, which acknowledged their
independence Of Great Britain, it was
not then as United States, but each by
name as separate and sovereign
State. AS States they formed the
Union--as States they appointed dele.
gates to meet in convention 10 form
the Constitution, and as States they
ratified IT, and as Rhode Island would
not Tor u time ratily it also, that State
was dropped from the Union, and for
time was left out OF the Union be-
cause she feared that some Of her
rights as o State might be iilched from
her by the assumption that the claim
might be set up that other powers not
delegated might be needed TO carry
delegated power into effect.
This history Of Rhode Island being
out Of the Union for time is buried
in the proceedings of Congress, and is
not by any means fact known 10 the
politicians and statesmen of the day.
1t enters into no history that | have
seen-cerlanly into none common to
the general reader, and as it is fact
that eiIectualy disproves the assump-
ton that the Government at Wash
ipgton has all the power except that
which 1t gave (save the mark) to the
States, it is deemed worthy OF being
studied as an important feature in old.
time politics