, 1880-05-03
the very strongest guard against rebellion

the very strongest guard against rebellion
and insurrection. They secure to the
citizens OF the several States all their
rights of person and property against
central despotism-that universal ten
dency Of power to steal from the many
to the few; tor it is an axiom of popular
government Without municipal indie
pendence there can be no personal liber>
ty. There is no element of strength in
mere political power. The only reliable
foundation for government; the only
real security against rebellion and insur>
rection, is the consent OF the governed.
No amount of polical power can super
cede popular consent with people hab
ituated to liberty. 1t is among the en-
coura.ing signs OF the times that discrim.
mating judgment begins ia prevail over
party and sectional prejudice which has
SO long obscured and confounded these
vital questions. The Oakland California;
Times, a Republican paper, says:
Judge Fields dissenting opinion in
the State Rights" cases rs they are calls
ed, must command the appreciation of
immense numbers of Republicans who
think that the Capitalization of power at
Washington is too great. The decision
of majority of the Justices Of the Su>
preme Court OF the United States was to
the effect that State Judge may not he
sustained afterwards in the Federal
Courts. Judge Field has been consistent
in his opp si,ion to the centralizing ten
denotes of Congress, and at an earlier day
he was equally pronounced in his hostil-
ity to the extreme doctrine of State rights
as declared by the advocates OF secession.
1t has, until lately, been the traditional
policy Of the American people to locate
as much power as possible in communi>
ties; to vest in State Governments all
powers that need not be exercised by
Congress for purely national purposes.
We have been educated in the belief that
the village or town government should
perform most of the duties OF local gov
ernment, that the affairs of counties sho'd
be attended to by local boards, and that
the States should be soverei gn within
certain circumscribed bounds. The ten
dency has. in recent years. been to CEN
iralize authority. The State Legislature
IA We almost Ohliterated ancient rights
that were exercised by town governments.
rTh.t Lux-f, Il Ii,nrtnI o,,,Nnol1.1
cipalilies to give subsidies to corpora>
tions, to pay t" individuals claims that
could not I've collected through the courts,
have appointed commissioners to rule
them, and in many other ways repud:at>
ed the idea of any local sovereignty with
in ever the smallest limits.
Congress has in the same way, been
extending the scope of its acts, and the
Supreme Court as uniformly sustained it.
When the independence of that tribunal
W IS greater, Congress increased the NUNS
Der of Judges and President Grant tilled
the newly created positions with men,
who, it was known, would decide certain
cases in certain way. The strong man"
cry now raised by some of the politicians
is evidence OF II desire to further reduce
the Importance of State and local gov :
ernments. 1t the area OF the country were
small, its whole government machinery
might be consolidated. But America is
SO vast that state lines cannot be oh'iter-
ated without creating a multitude sf
evils that might offset all the benefits
that can be derived from our system of
government.
1.-THE very name Of State Rights" has
been made odious because it has been
coupled with the idea Of secession and
rebellion. 1t advanced under another
name. public opinion would, long ago.
have arrested the course of Congress and
demanded that the ancient landmarks of
American liberty be preserved. The old
time New England town meeting is the
prototype of our whole system OF gov
eminent, and we should still be anxious
to perpetuate the institutions that have
made the country so great and prosper
GUS. There is an appropriate sphere for
the government of town, city, state and
nation, and too much care cannot be TAX
en- to prevent interfering with what just
ly belongs to the other"
The San Francisco HON eide.
han nj t,rv RI