The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1880-11-06


shall begin at once. without preface or
apology, to say what i have in my mind. But
ON the issues OF the hour will be better un.
derstood If / recur briefly to certain original
principles.
This Government OF ours, though badly
damaged by twenty years OF mismanagement,
is still worth first cost and carriage IL was
framed by the wisdom of sages; heroes have
devoted their blood to 1t; and rightly admin.
istered. it promises more happiness and
greater prosperity to us and our children than
have ever been enjoyed by any equal portion
of the human race. nf ttit.t
As whole its organism is not free from
complications, for il was made TO secure the
necessary powers of the States united, and so
to adjust them that the liberties of the people
could not be invaded by either 1t needs no
argument from this to show that whosoever,
by military force, breaks down the rights of
the States or trampies on the liberties OF the
people. Is guilty Of treason as much as he who
violently resists the authority of the Federal
Cover nment, for the life of our political sys-
tenn Is as certainly destroyed one way as an
other.
The United States could not properly govern
the internal affairs of a State II they would
try; they have no machinery that fits a local
government-no rules for the protection OF
individual rights or the enforcement OF pri.
their arbitrary force in the place of a state
Government they have converted law into
ruffianism and made justice mockery. Be-
through the agency of the General Govern
Inent or otherwise, undertake the government
of another State in its domestic affairs,
THE MIsGovERSMEST OF THE STATE
30 controlled Is as certain as the death OF
Ipan when the heart is cut out of his body.
No community has been decently, peacefully,
or honestly governed by strangers, whose
esa
or fraud ever get you under their feet, they
win inevitably. rule you for their own pleas
ure and plumber you for their own profit,
Wit he am
or your rights. Ask Poland, struggling in the
bloody grip of Russia, If this be not 50 Learn
from fro the history OF swieerin what what
of Austria before she. threw it off.
Go to the far past, IL you please, and let
Italy tell you how she suffered under the rule
of the Gai1 and the Goth Or come down to
the present day. Intcrrogate Ireland, and
she will answer by pointing you to seven cen
turtles of unmitigated outrage as the steady
honest, treacherous and crnel. If this does
not satisfy You. then cast your ey es for mo-
Incnt ON the unspeakable infamies of the car
were allowed to get q foosh6ld. Why, fellow.
citizens, this necessity for home rule as the
only safeguard for life and property was the
grcss numbered into the. ear OF the world
when IL declared tlfat each and every one of
these States should be sovereign independent,
and free to regulat ate; ,s e own O.. internal an airs
TO the maintenance of this principle they
pledged their honor, devoted their lives, and
expended their fortunes. On this point of
ta STATE SOVEREIGNTY,
as between themselves and against the out
side world, they were thoroughly unanimous.
No one thought of DENYING that such was the
relation created by the success OF the Revolu-
ton. A Federal Government was agreed up
on, clothed with certain powers which the
States could not exercise efficiently or well in
their separate capacity. These powers are
carefully enumerated, and the compact ex-
pressly provides that the powers not granted
are reserved 70 the states and the people 1t
was a political corporation, strictly limited by
The man who will say in the face of these
undeniable facts that the doctrine of State
s = ana Of that ss
extent Of their reserved powers, lacks either
the mental or the moral qualifications of n
drtie si Re r 1T only for treason strntagem
Its vain to say thar this is a matter of
SD,niSn upon which men may oepseien
interpretation; the words of the
palmer "a the decaiogae.l You might as well
You 70 steal, as TO assertthat the Federal Con
stfttltiQn exffnguishes State sovereignty. TO
hold that this Is and was originally self -exis
tent Nation, which made the states and was
not made by them, Is as Inconsistent with the
genesis of our institutions as It would be with
the Mo<aic history 60 declare that Abel killed
whaa The nss sos
with u hix NJ has bestowed in its mercy and
may take away IN its wrath. You may assure
sids & as es s Sos impose ssssS ap SSs
q P111 9stAnding. -
3 5.s a'l[' ~ i ssa sa seit eos.
IA 11y3een going on for a cen
t@[ @Uqn the friends and the enemies of
~ Eoverhtnent in AmericR. IL can not
xIxrs
Tor the destruction of State sovereignty is the
oese8untonz OF popular liberty. You
can not under our system have free people
without independent States.
fOuri Constitution also provides for the Sc
curity OF individual rights by linking the Gen.
eral Government ia certain prescribed modes
forinsnce q its proper infections Il must lust p not
ktdnsp man, or refuse him n writ of habeas
corpus, or punish him without a trial by jury,
or take his property without just compensa-
ton. Doesn't need an argument to show that
POPULAR LIBERTY AND STATE SUPREMACY
in Ma,tsre of domestic concern are essential
paris OF our political systemy Win any ra-
can be- cut ont of our Governments without
brokc1 down the defensss Of personal liberty tss
military violence should be indicted for trea-
son. what defense can ho make which might
not ee made With equal effect by one who is
the execution Of it, purely Federal powers?
n e es ' ana saS psslya assI:
sen & ss "a Ss Ps s%Sns SH Sss 60
nesseryot ST IN answer which denied that 4
~ rvhtr-morsllys legally. and logically
%o 9sS sss sh s sas
openly avoWe0, that the gre&t compact which
s aHr i.tl,es had made g Fespect the rights q
eftr a tn cff3xRn urnn Wnu nOs7oarraenf v1rf<5.