The Russellville Democrat., 1879-09-11
The Other Side of ssState's 1 Riglfts.''


 There is, perhaps, no subject with. in the whole range of political science upon which there has been more confusion of ideas and ihaccu- racy of thought than that of soSer- eighty. A perfect understanding of the meaning of the term is, then, of prime importance before we can ac- curately and intelligently discuss it's functions. What do we understand. then, by the word sovereignty? It is the natural and inherent right of governing political division, what ever 1t may be--the fnG.ssstt.s.ii.ii .i.ii iiead of all political ne-=er. It is not synon- Ymous with the government, as some have vainly supposed, but 1t is to be distinguished from it. Sovereignty is original, while government is it's creature, which, in it's nature, is representative and vicarious.
 A popular error arises from con sidering "State rights" and ''soyer- eighth" as synonymous, when in fact, the former are fut attributes of the latter. Sovereignty, which un- der our system resides in the people and Tn fact, is the people, is supreme and inalienable, and is one and the same under all systems being the origin of all law and all government. It creates and delegates. State rights" or sovereign powers are de ,.;yoYix-a arl apa JalanataI h,- tho sovereign superior. And that su- perior, which is behind all govern ment, may, at will, modify, limit, or destroy these powers. But to say that "State sovereignty is exploded" involves a contradiction Of terms that which is inherent and inaliena- bic can only be ''exploded'' by ex- ploding the whole people. who are sovereign, which the war, happily, did not do.
 The doctrine. or right of succes- sion was settled by superior force, and consequently eliminated from the reserved rights of the States, if, indeed, it ever was such under the ordinances of ratification. What ever theories may have prevailed upon this subject ill the past, there is now no political party advocating them. Secession is dead issue forever set at rest by the stern a:bi trament of the sword. This IS what the war exploded" and Tot the sov- ereignty of the States, for if this be lost we are, indeed, what the Repub, lican party is endeavering to make us, a consolidated nation. What ever it may have been--a reserved right, sovereign power, or polit ical heresy, it has been denied or surrendered. But because it was, willingly or unwillIngly, given up, we cannot say that the sovereign people afro gave up their sovereign ty. This they could not do for the simple reason that it eo-exists with them and can only be extiBguished by the extinction of the people in whom it resided. And, again, that would be to say that part is equal to the whole-that the creature is identical with the creator.
 "State sovereignty" cannot be taken away for it rests upon the deep foundation of natural law. "State rights" or more strictly speaking, sovereign powers have their origin in constitutions and compacts as expressed by the soyer- eign will. The principles of the Republican party tend, and its pur- poses, as far as we can interpret them, look towards the cen tralization of all Tn the general gov erument, thus forcing delegation of all power, and subjecting all sov- ereignty to the domination of the National Congress. If we shall ad- here to the well settled principle of State sovereignty, and resist success fully all encroachments upon the Federal Union, there must be no ap- prehenslon for the safety and perpe- tuity of our institutions. The Dem ocratic party recognizes, and it's mission is to preserve, the Federal principle as taught by the great political fathers and enunciated by our most learned jurists.--P. E. Press.