Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1880-09-24
Is THIS A NATION !


d. have no nationality; that there is no suc
, thing IA citizenship OF the United States
. that the so.oalled Government Of the Uni
c ted States isa mere agency appointed b.
the several States aud existing by the con
scnt Of such States: that, being created b,
p the States, il ~ subordinate TO the States be
cause the creature cannot he superior to ia,
, creator; that the States existed before III,
40 called Union or Nation, aud that al
power IN the Nation il derived from III,
States He repudiates as unsound that ther,
is any such body as the "people of tn,
> United States" and denies Of necessity
that there Is any allegiance TO the so-called
. United States, because original sovereign
ity rests in the States aud each citizen
owes his allegiance primarily to his sover
: eign, aud secondly omly to such agency rs
that State may have appointed. The ma
tionslily" claimed for the United States
Mr.. lIurd repudiaied in toto; such thing
he insisted was excluded aud prohibited
by the Constitution, and to cinch this as.
serton he read from the Constitution that
"The powers not delegated tu the United
States by the Constitution, nor prohibited
by IL 10 the States, are reserved to the
States respectively or 10 the people,
aud we are assured thst There was spon.
taneous burst Of applause as Hurd's ring
ing tones rang out that single sentence"
One would have supposed that this was
a new question, one which had never been
heard Of by Congress or the people. That
sentence has been repeated during the time
Of several generations very frequently; il
was discussed In Congress by abler men
than are in the present Congress; It has
been argued in the Courts, and contested
on many battlefield; il has passed
into history rs the tattered, beaten
pretext for treasOn--the shallow scph.
islry Of the Lost Cause; !" il is the shred
Of dogma which JEFF. DAVIS carries in his
pocket, and which lie weep+ over at every
gathering OF his deluded folluwers. No
doubt the halls of Congress resounded with
the Rebel yell when the Confederate Brig
adiers heard this man Of Toledo feebiy
repeating that the Constitution itself nu-
lhorized secession, aud made dismember-
ment Of the American Union N right.
The American people occupied the ter
ritory slong the Atlantic States NJ subjects
of Great Britain, and were governed by
royal executors appointed over certain &c.
ographical divisions created by royal char
ters. They were colonisis until the 4Ih Cf
July, 1915. Recognizing the necessity
which constrained them "to alter their
former systems Of government the repre-.
sentatives Of these people did, "in the name
and by the authority Of the good people
of these Colonies" declare "these United
Colonies "free and independent States and
thus, as the United States OF America, be
came a Nation. At the same hour aud hy
the same act that they ceased 10 I've Colonies
of Great Britain they became the United
States OF America" with all the powers Of
free and independent nation. As a ma
ton they prosecuted the War Of Independ-
ence as a nation they we're resisted by
Great Britain; as a nation they sought al |
liances with other nations; rs nation
they excited the sympathy and oblaIned |
the aid OF other nations. II was not war
Of Virginia, nor OF Massachusetts, nor oil |
any one or any number OF States; ii was |
war for and by the United States. Great
Britain in the end acknowledged the inde- |
pendence, not Of Pennsy lvania nor OF Geor- |
gia, but OF the United States. Oar Minis. |
ters went abroad not seeking recognition Of |
the independence OF New York nor OF any |
State, but Of the national independence of |
the United States. Mr.. Hurd will fail to
find that Great Britain ever recognized |
ereign States" which he said existed |
before the Union; there is not even men,
ton made OF Ohis, which 40 far asany rec
ord exists, has never been recognized 10
this day by any nation OF the worll as one
OF those soveregns whom he styles "crea-
tora," and therefore superior to its own
creatures. The nation thus called into ex.
islence on the 4th Of July, l776, having
been recognized by the nations of the world,
proceeded to form a better government
than that which existed during the war,
but in the articles OF confederation it re-
taiued the national title, hy Which il was
known TO mankind, "The United States Of
America" THIS form of government pro-
vided for "a perpetual Union" and no al
teration in it was 10 be permitted unless
agreed to 10y the Congress Of the United
States and confirmed by the Legislature OF
every State.
This form of government proving ineffi
cient, there was held a National Conven.
ton which, ain order to form u more per.
feet Union, prepared the present ConsIitu-
tion of "The United States Of America"
This was the third form OF government
adopted by the American people for the
nation CT He'd into existence by the Decla-
ration Of Independence in 1875. That Con
has been amended repeatedly
since its adoption in 1887, but It has con.
timed always the same Government, with
altered and amended forms, since the day
when the American people renOunced the
title aud condition of colonisls aud declared
to lie the United States oI
America" with full power To levy war,
conclude peace, control alliances, establish
commerce. and do all other acts aud things
a riu a.
Il is n noticeable fact TINT each OF there
powers which the Declaration uf lndepend-
ence SAYS free aud independent States may
do were with olhersl ,lN officially prohibited
by the articles of confederation, aud are
now specifically prohibited by the Consti.
tuition heing done Ly any of the States OF
the Union. Thirteen sovereign 5 alcs,"
each clothed, in order To be sovereign, with
National powers, distinctly signed furnal
abdication Of all prelen.e Ia individual or
State Nation 'lily, aud recognized such Ma
tiunal SOvereignity To he vested in The
United States OF America."
The assertion of Nc ilurd that The States
existed before the Union il mere snphis-
Try. They existed rs parts Of the United
States, which was the national title of the
Union, from the 4ih of July, lT76 when
hey Tenounced the condition Ul British
,olonies, and formed the Union known
as the United States Of
America. The new Constitution was not
10 snper-ede the old form Of government
until ratified by nine States. When rali-
ied by this number il was 10 60 into rp-
,ration among those ratifying IL, the ratih-
,alions by the others to follow when made.
These ratiticationS were slow in making;
'ut eleven States having ratiiied, an elee-
ion for President aud Vice President aud
or members OF Congress took place with
,ut waiting for the other States, and the
rev form Of government was sclually put
n operation, while the two "crealors
we're discussing whether they would Gre
tie" or not, or, abandoning the United
states, assume sovereign" alliance aud
sk somebody TO recognize Rhode Island
md North Carolina as two new membera OF
lie family OF nations.
Since The elecfion Of George WashinPton |