Daily Republican., 1879-07-01
estate SOVEREIGNTY"
Mr.. 0arneid's Pairing Shot st the
states Rig hts Men.


In the House of Represent atives OF,
Friday, the U. S. Marshals bill being
under consideration, Mr.. Garfield,
(Rep. of Ohio, made strong speech.
He grouped together some Of the lead
ing points made during the present ses-
sion on the Democratic side, particular
iy by Mr.. McLane. of Maryland, and
Mr.. Carlisle, of Kentucky. These posi-
tions were that there are no national
elections; that the United States have
no voters; that the States exclusively
have the right to control the election of
members Of Congress; that Senators
and Representatives are State officers,
agents and ambassadors; that tn. Uni
ted States have no authority to keep the
peace within the State, and have no
"peac." to keep; that the United States
is not nation but confsderacy OF
States; and finally, that the States are
sovereign.
He declared that. these propositions
constituted body of doctrine more ex-
treme than had ever been heard before,
except at the crisis OF secession. He
belle YES these doctrines to be- erroneous
and vicious, and he proceeded to lay
down and to support, by argument, the
counter propositions. He argued that
the Union was not created by the State,
but had been ordaiued and established
by the only sov-reigns iu the country
the common superiors Of both states
and nation-the people themselves.
He affirmed that the union Of States
was other than the states themselves ;
and instead of having been created by
them had rather created them. The
question of State sovereignty had been
appealed to the court of last resort,
where kings appealed to get Justice.
In that high court of war two ques-
tions had been tried: "should slavery
live ?" and "Shonld State have a
right of its own to nullify tn. laws OF
the Up on and break away from it'"
These two propositions had been tried
in the thunder of battle, and the war
had legislated finally and forever on
that subject. 1t had settled beyond
all question, first, that slavery should
never again live in this Republic; and
second, that State sovereignty, rising to
dignity of power to nullify the laws
Of the Union, should never again be
krown; and yet to-day the doctrines
which he had read were the doctrines
of the leaders OF the Democratic Par
ty. 1t was a reaction toward the old
days more marked than anything he
had seen in his service in the House.
In demonstrations in the South the
country had heard that the lost cause
was not lost, and that the men who had
fought against tne Union had not been
in conspiracy against it. Sentiments
like these had given alarm to the whole
people. There was one term of agree
m-nt on which the country could stand
to. ether, and one only-that the war
for the Union and the defence of the
Republic had been right, everlastingly
right, Applause on the Republican
side, and that the war against the
Uuion had been wrong, forever wrong,
however earnest and sincere its sup
porters might have been. The scheme
had been wrong and the war had set
lied the question.
The Republican party insisted not
only that this was nation,
bat that the powers of Government
within their sphere rested upon all the
States, ard all the people Of all the
States. 1t insisted further that the
United States should have the power to
udge of its own laws by its own courts,
aud that any scheme or any theory or
of law which contravrne1 |
,aat general doctrine must meet with |
Tue resistance of that party from tn.
beginning to the end OF the chapter, In
conclusion he predicted that the pre-
sent bill was about being launched !
upon stormy passage. 1t did not go
nto unknown seas, for it had been al.
'-ady wrecked in another hulk. 1t
vas starting for short and disastrous
md ignoble voyage. [Appiause on the
Republican side.