Daily press and Dakotaian. [volume] (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1875-1880, 1879-09-17

earth.
No statement Of the true objects of the
war more c0mplete thap,thte bss ever been
made. II includes them all-nstiOnality,
liberty. equal rights. and self-government.
These are the principles for which the
Union soldier fought. and which it was his
aim to maintsin and perpetuate.
If any supposes that that constructt0n Of
our DstiOnsl constitution, which 10 known
as the stste-rights doctrine, 10 cossistent
with sound principles, let him consider .
few paragraphs from Mr.. llncoin's first
message to cOngress, at tbe extra session Of
1881. 2a 's3'a, Z 81 fs.isss.ss55s5a -
Speaking. of what was called the right of
peaceful secession-that is, secession IN &C.
cordance with the national constltution-he
eatd tst @Pas ( ~ = =
This sophism derives much. perhaps the
whole, of its currency from the assumption
that there 10 some omnipotent aud sacred
supremacy pertaining to Q state-to each
state of our federal Union. Our states have
neither more nor less power than that re.
served to them in the Union BY the consti-
tuition. DO ono of them ever having beena
passed into the Union even before they cast
of their British colonial dependence and
the new ones each came into the Union di-
rectly from . condition OF dependence, ex-
cepting Texas. And even Texas, in it's
temporary Independence, was never desig.
mated . state. The new ones only took the
designation Of states on coming into the
Union. while that nsme was fret adopted
for the old ones 10 and BY the declaration of
Independence. Therein the United Colo.
nies were declared to be free and indie.
pendent states; but, even then, the object
plainly was not to declare their iodepend.
ence of one 0aoteer, or Of the Union. but, di-
rectly and contrary, 40 their mutual pledge,
and their mutual action, before, at the time,
and afterwards, sbundsotly show. The ex.
press plighting Of faith BY each and oil of
the original thirteen, in the articles of con-
federation, two years later, that the Union
shall be perpetual. 10 most conclusive. Hav.
ing never been states, either in substance or
10 name. outside of the Union. whence this
sertine q claim of power to lawfully destroy
The Union itself! Much 10 said about the
sovereignty OF the sta :es; but the word,
even, ia not in the national Constitution, nor,
as Is believed. in any of the state constitu-
ttons. What is 'sovereignty.' in the DO.
ltitcal sense of the term? Would 1t be far
wroDe to define it A political community,
without political superior!' Tested by
this. no one Of our states, except Texas, ever
was sovereignty; and even Texas gave up
the character on coming into the Union by
which act she acknowledged the constitu.
ton of the United States, and the laws and
treaties of the United States made in pursu-
ance of the c0nstitutl0u, to be, for her, the
supreme law of the land. The states have
their status 10 the Union, and they have no
other legal status. If they break from this,
they can only do 90 against law and BY rev.
olution. The Onion, and not themselves
separately, procure their dependence and
their liberty. By conquest. or purchase,
the Union gave each of them Whatever of
is older than any Of the states; and, IL fact,
1t created them as states. Originally, some
dependent colonies made the Union, and, in
turn the Union threw of their cd depeud-
ence for them. and made them states, such
as they are, Not ono Of. them ever had .
state constitution Independent Of the Uoion.
OF course. 1t 10 not forgotten that oil the
new states framed their constitutions before
they entered the Union; nevertheless, de-
pendent upon. aud preparatory TO. coming
into the Union" .rpsl
Uuqusstionably the states have the pow.
ers and rights reserved to them In and BY
the national constitution, and upon this
point, In another part Of this great message,
Mr.. Lincoln SAYS:
This relative matter Of national power
and state rights. - principle, 10 no other
than,ths principle of generality aud locality.
Whatever concerns the whole should be
condded to the whole-to the general
government; while whatever concerns
only tho state should be left exclusively to
the state This is oil there 10 Of original
principle about it,"
Mr. Lincoln held that the United States,is
Q nation, and that its government Possesses
ample power under the constitntion toSmain-
tain its authority and enforce its laws in ev.
cry part Of its territory. The denial of this
principle by those Who asserted the doc
tsine OF state rights. and Who fiehsly claimed
that Il wa tnconoistents with S.ate sover-
eignty. made up On issue over which arose
one OF tho leading controversies which led
cided that controyersy.tn favor Of nstionali-
ty and 10 favor Of the supremacy OF the ma
ttoual governOent.
on the question OF human rights Mr..
kncolp wss equally explicit. sad oftsn de-
aud TO 'be decided BY tho result. "a bis
matchlsss message, slresdy quoted. be said !:
"Our adversarles have adopted some dec
laratiops Of independence. 10 which, unlike
the good old ops, psnned By jefferson, they
omit the words, all men are created eduai.'
Whyi They have adopted Q Temporary
lational constitusioo, 10 the prseoble OF
which. unllke our good Old one, sig1ed by
WaehlnGto0, ihsy omit We The people,'
sud substitute, we, The deputies n The
sovereign snd independent ststea.' Way:
Why this delibsrate prsssine out Of viev
the rights Of men. and the authority Of the
people !, This 10 essentially people s'scon-
tes1 On ths ode OF The Uoloo, Il 4is .
struGgle Tor maintaining 10 the world that
form saA 0ostasoe os oovseanest vhnse